T R U S T F U N D: For the Grace of Yoga
|
‘... for the Grace of Yoga’ is a small, informal trust fund that brings together yoga teachers and resources to help take yoga to people who may not otherwise have access.
Most people find themselves facing the effects of trauma, recent or buried in the distant past, at some stage of their lives. The very nature of who we are can be challenged. It may be a one-off, like the aftermath of an accident, an invasive medical procedure, a natural disaster, the loss of a loved one. Or the terror can be repeated and compounded, becoming a regular part of daily life, as is the case with emotional, physical or sexual abuse, violence, deprivation or torture. At present, our Western world is making a great shift in thinking and is beginning to understand that unprocessed trauma (small and large scale) is an underlying cause of the majority of our personal, social, mental and physical health problems. As an ancient set of practices and way of living that brings physical, mental and emotional balance, yoga quite naturally releases the effects of trauma, giving people the freedom to heal themselves and become more whole. A growing number of people have used yoga to support them in the process of releasing the blockages that trauma has caused. In time, we feel a sense of inner stillness, maybe even liberation and a new-found grace that gradually replaces deep unsettledness that had become an ingrained part of our being. When we watch others around us struggling with addictions or obsessions, debilitated by anxiety, drained by depression, stuck in restricted patterns or damaging situations, dulled by long-term cocktails of medication, admitted to institutions or experiencing severe forms of treatment we often feel: ’ ... there but for the grace of yoga go I’. This emerging ‘trust’/resource aims to offer the experience of yoga to groups of people who are working to recover from trauma that has shaken their very foundations. It is a humble and small pool of donated money and yoga teachers’ time that can, from time to time, give classes or consultations to nearby support services and organisations. Organisations and workers from any field of human service can approach us - including health, education, criminal justice, legal, youth, child/family support, mental health, sexual assault support, war-veterans services and migrant resources. In 2015, for example, this trust fund provided the resources for yoga programs in a rural high school for students with trauma in their backgrounds. Here is what one participantsaid at the end of her course: 'I think I have learnt a lot of ways to help myself when I break down. And I gave stuff a go when I always said I couldn't do it. Yoga makes me feel free when I can't stop and focus on what I am doing. I stop thinking about my social life. It has helped me to relax.' Please contact Lynn for more information. |