Yoga stops traffick

A Saturday morning in the beginning of March. Close to 150 yoga mats lined up outside the North Entrance to Mysore's Grand Palace.

On the first 3 rows of mats stand Indian children and women, many of whom are survivors of  slavery, domestic abuse and forced prostitution. On the rest of the mats, mostly non-Indian ashtanga yoga students from all around the world. All of us wearing our white "Yoga Stops Traffick " t-shirts and saluting the sun in time with the young Indian girls on stage leading us. 

The reason for the unusual scene was to raise money for and awareness of a worthy anti-trafficking organisation called Odanadi. Mysore based Odanadi  works for the rescue, rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficked women and children. It offers them a sanctuary and a chance to rebuild their lives.

We were joined by yogis in London, New York, Santiago and Bangkok, all putting ourselves through 27 sun salutations for the cause. 

The young children of Odanadi were a joy. Watching those on stage instructing us through the sun salutation sequence in English and Sanskrit, as well as the little ones down on the mats with us struggling through the sequences in temperatures of close to 30 degrees, one couldn't help be inspired. They have experienced so much negative in their short lives. And here they are, given a second chance, joyful, learning new skills and smiling.

We will continue to support Odanadi.

Not us - yet!