On 2nd December Anna Ashby and Jonathan Sattin are leading a very special evening with yoga, meditation and food in honour of the Prasad Project at triyoga Camden. All proceeds from the night will be going to provide life-saving medical care to those living in the Tansa Valley, India. Below Anna recounts her experience working with this remarkable charity.
I first came in contact with the Prasad Project when I started practising yoga in the early 90s. It is the charitable arm of the ashram where I have practised and studied for the last 28 years. While it was originally started by my teacher to help the indigenous people of the Tansa Vally near the mother ashram in India, it has become an international not-for-profit that helps disadvantaged people in various places around the world.
On my first trip to India, I had an opportunity to see Prasad’s work first-hand. I remember bumping along in a jeep across land (there were no roads where we were going) and I saw women carrying heavy logs and water pots on their heads for long distances – I couldn’t imagine how they did that, every single day.
We finally arrived at a house in a small village in the valley – it was the place where all the children gathered and members of Prasad provided education while their parents were working in the fields. The children were all seated from the smallest to the tallest, neatly dressed waiting to meet me and my friend; they were incredibly well behaved and respectful. I remember the sweetness of their faces and shining light in their eyes. They were utterly beautiful to me because their eyes shone with such…well…love.
This was just one small aspect of the work Prasad does now around the world ranging from eye camps where a travelling hospital conducts cataract surgery giving people the gift of sight again, to nutritional training, economic empowerment programmes for women and aid during times of disaster.
I feel extremely honoured to have been asked by Prasad to lead an evening of yoga with Jonathan Sattin, the managing director of triyoga who also practices at this same ashram. We invited our friend Frederic to come from Berlin who used to be on the board of Prasad, so he can explain more specifically what Prasad is up to. I’ve decided to focus on a breath inspired practice that celebrates the heart and the essence of why we practice yoga. Jonathan will lead us in meditation. And, we have just learned that Nikki Slade is able to join us for the final part of evening so that we can end by chanting, one of the favourite practices of our teacher. Finally, the lovely Manisha Choudhary has very generously offered to make sweet and savoury Indian food for us to share when our practice is finished.
I’m looking forward to an evening where we can gather like this in each other’s good company, and offer our yoga practice to the health, success and well-being of others. Truly a worthy endeavour at this time of year.
I hope you can come.
Click here to book online and join us in Camden from 6.30 – 8.30pm on 2nd December.
