YogAspire

YogAspire is a community service initiative that aims to open the door for community consciousness using the tenets of karma yoga (the yoga of selfless service) to embody the ideals of service based community work.

Uniting our joint skills, ideas and efforts to make a difference in people's lives!

Our first outreach is to support the initiative of Swami Kamalavidya Saraswati of the South African School of Yoga. She is working to bring yoga to the children of Childline as a way of empowering and supporting their path towards the realization of their fullest potential. Please see www.yogasa.co.za.

To make a donation click: http://www.yogasa.co.za/template.php?content=showPage&pageId=14

YogAspire's Vision in South Africa:

·    Bring through a united yoga community, tools, and technology though the science of yoga to empower children and adults from previously disadvantaged backgrounds with skills to realize their fullest potential.  

·    To teach people yoga to people living with HIV/AIDS as a way to: 

o      Boost the body’s immunity through asana and pranayama 

o      Teach practices that will have general physical and emotional health benefits 

o      Offer emotional support and tools for self empowerment 

o      Engender self respect and self love 

o      Reduce stigma associated with HIV infection and diagnosis 

·    Create a network of associations working together from various lineages highlighting their: 

o      Focus and work 

o      Contact details and information 

o      Potential ways for others to contribute in various ways

·    Build up a system of ongoing education for yoga teachers to meet so that the teachings can be spread quickly. To this end Swami Pragyamurti’s manual “Yoga for Africa” can stand as a reference. 

·    Bring media exposure of our ongoing efforts and our associates and to highlight existing and new projects. 

·    Ultimately create a base from which to generate fundraising for initiatives operating within the scope of our broader vision. 

·    Create a platform for corporate sponsorship to assist in nationalizing the dissemination of yoga to a broader geographical and communal scope for South African children nationally.

Initiatives:

The following initiatives have been identified as a way of collaboratively working together to uplift underprivileged communities in South Africa through the science and technology of yoga.

1. Swami Kamalavidya’s Childline Initiative: Swami Kamalavidya Saraswati of the South African School of Yoga is involved in an upliftment programme working to bring yoga to the children of Childline as a way of empowering and supporting their path towards the realization of their fullest potential. Committed teachers and caregivers monitor the experiences and progress of each child who has faced abuse, neglect or abandonment and many of whom are either orphaned or vulnerable as a result of poverty or HIV/Aids. The yoga program is conducted at the Baragwanath Childline office in Soweto and at the South African School of Yoga in Hyde Park. The youth are taught and provided with the necessary techniques in management skills in order to cope and handle stress. They learn self-love and respect through their own personal experiences and reclaim their power through the practices.

Contact: Swami Kamalavidya Swaraswati + 27 11 327 0073

Website:  www.yogasa.co.za.

2. Home of Hope on Berea which is an NPO run by the hugely inspiring Khanyisile Motsa. It renders community based social services to HIV/AIDS infected and affected abused women, youths, children and the aged and is home to 50 young women age 9 – 25 who were trafficked or sexworking from the streets of Hillbrow.

Contact details are: Home of Hope, 42A Catalina Garden, Berea +27 11 331 4466
Volunteer contacts are:
Rachel Rusznyak +27 82 684 3852 rachelr@telkomsa.net
Bronwyn Van der Westhuizen +27 82 3383915 vanderwesthuizen@fnb.co.za

3. Yoga4kids teaches street children/orphans at Kids Haven in Benoni and in Diepsloot. Suzie Manson info@yoga4kids.co.za 0832996555 and Glynis Overmeyer glynplaying@mweb.co.za +27 827758129 are available to work with and do teacher training for people working in these underprivileged areas.

4. Zicabangeleni Home base project is another NPO which runs various campaigns. They also do a workshop every second Saturday where volunteers are invited to work with the children with homework and bring food.
Contact:  Busisiwe Mlotshwa BusiMl@hollard.co.za +27 76 585 1152

5. Africa Organically Aligned offers the Park Aid project: free sessions of organic gardening and yoga at parks for homeless and underprivileged people.
Aum Ji Kistan pranayogi@yahoo.com +27 82 7595599