In Mysore and all around the world on 15th March 2020, yoga students gather together to dedicate 108 sun salutations to the rescued, and to be rescued, women and children of Odanadi. We’ll be taking part by hosting two 108 sun salutation events on the day – one at triyoga Camden led by Nik Klironomos and one at triyoga Shoreditch led by Corrie Ananda Preece. All proceeds will be sent to the Odanadi charity. Ahead of the big day, Corrie shares a lovely story from her time volunteer teaching at the Odanadi refuge.
It’s common for yoga students visiting Mysore, India, to help out at local charities. During my first trip, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to teach yoga at the Odanadi refuge. Odanadi means ‘a soulmate, someone who walks with you, hand in hand, through life.’ Odanadi the charity works for the rescue, rehabilitation, reintegration, and empowerment of women and children who have been trafficked and sexually exploited. For six weeks myself and a fellow Mysore student, took a rickshaw over to Odanadi once a week to teach yoga.
We arrived at a huge building with a security guard, who vetted us and let us in. We were then taken to reception where we were greeted by one of the older girls who took us up to the room that we were to teach in. The room was locked so the key had to be sent for. As we waited we could hear the word “Yoga!” “Yoga?” echoing through the building from person to person whilst footsteps clattered up and down the staircase towards the room. Children, girls, and women of all ages gather around us chattering and giggling excitedly in anticipation of the class.
We had to work hard, improvising around the sequence playfully in order to capture the attention of the room, particularly the younger ones. Everyone took part in their own way. There was plenty of laughter and mischief, especially from the youngsters, but they were kept in line by the teenage girls who were shy one minute and then bold and chatty the next. It is unimaginable what these women and children had been through, yet their joy, vivacity, and warmth towards us and each other was remarkable.
The class was so lively and loud, that I was unsure how savasana would go down… Yet when the time came, a blanket of calm descended, as everyone from the youngest to the oldest, lay on the floor, completely still with their eyes closed. There wasn’t a murmur in the room, you could have heard a pin drop.
Suddenly one of the little ones abruptly sat up, looked us straight in the eye and said, “Massage, lady, massage. You massage!” gesturing with her hands to her head. Ahh! It all became clear, we were expected to go around the room and massage the heads of all the women and children. The child lay back down and nobody moved as they waited for us intently, it was extraordinary.
For a moment I wasn’t sure what to do…we had no protocol for this, and there was no-one to ask. At this point, my teaching partner was on one side of the room, and I was on the other, we looked at each other silently questioning what we should do, but we both knew the answer. We put aside our hesitation, and walked the room, tending to their scalps and temples with light circular movements. When it came down to it, this was the moment that they had been waiting for, the yoga was a mere formality, it was this small gesture of touch and care, that meant so very much.
Click here for more information about ‘108 sun salutations: help stop human trafficking’ with Corrie at triyoga Shoreditch on 15th March 2020. We hope to see you there.
