YOGA for HOPE, India

Information below written by  The Hope Foundation

27th October – 6th November 2013.

Would you like to travel to India?

Enjoy Yoga in India and bring its benefits to street children.

Our vision for this Yoga trip is to bring together people whose collective energy will bring healing, growth and inspiration to one another and to the children and carers you meet in Kolkata (Calcutta).

Your FAQs are answered below!

The experience will include inspirational yoga with experienced teacher Mella in the mornings and evenings, yoga, breathing, meditation and healing. There will be visits to an Ashram, an Ayurvedic Village and Mother Teresa’s Tomb, an opportunity to soak up the culture of India.

You will also visit some of HOPE’s projects and bring Yoga to both children and Carers, helping to enrich their lives.

These children need huge support to overcome the harsh experiences and trauma of their early lives.

We invite you to join us on this journey. Just 10 days from the 27 Oct — 6 Nov 2013 – Would you like to take part?

For more details, call Susan on 021-429 2990 or Email: susan@hopefoundation.ie

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who can go on the trip?
Our trip is open to all and everyone interested in participating.
Do I have to be a Yoga Teacher or Therapist?
No. We value every member of the group and recognise that each person has a gift in connecting with the children & staff in unique ways. A willingness to participate is all that is required.

Will I feel overwhelmed by what I see?
Kolkata is unlike any other city and there will no doubt be elements of the trip that you are likely to have never experienced: However you will be fully
supported by the staff and trip organisers to ensure you ALWAYS feel safe, supported and at ease. There is always someone available to you at anytime throughout the trip and beyond.

I have never practised Yoga before/ or feel I am a beginner, does this matter?
No. Mella Murphy has 40 years of experience as a yoga teacher, assisted by Sarah and Gillian, you will be guided and supported in your Yoga practice at a level that is right for you!

I don’t feel I could teach the children Yoga with my limited knowledge?
As we have all discovered from our previous yoga trips, the children teach us all more than we could ever teach them! It is their uninterrupted ability to be present and open that helps remind us to do the same. Our Yoga is viewed
purely as a gift to be shared, and is a fun avenue to connect and bring peace to the children and ourselves. The emphasis is really on sharing time and energy with the children and carers.

What % of the funds I raise will go to the project?
Each Participant is asked to fundraise €3,500. Less than half of this money will go towards your travel expenses i.e. flights, accommodation, food etc. The rest will go directly to The Hope Foundation’s projects with the street children
of Kolkata.

Do I need to get Vaccinations?
Yes.

Will I need a visa?
Yes. You will be required to make your own visa application. Application details will be provided by HOPE.

How will I raise €3,500?
We ask that you raise a minimum of €3,500/£3,000, this may feel daunting, however once you begin to think in terms of generating fundraising opportunities there are no end of possibilities!!!

In Sarah’s experience she committed to making the trip 8 weeks before departure and was truly amazed by the manifestation and generosity that quiet simply appeared following that commitment!! This will happen for you!!

I am not able to make the trip this time but I want to help?
There are several ways in which you can help this trip, by holding your own fundraising event, coffee morning/table quiz or raffle. In addition throughout the year ahead there is Yoga/Meditation and Healing Workshops being held at
Essence Yoga Studio in Dungarvan by wonderful teachers, with all proceeds going to this project. www.essenceyogastudio.ie

Message from Gillian, Sarah & Mella, Yoga for HOPE Leaders

“In addition to bringing vital funds to The Hope foundation’s many projects, the added benefits of this trip is your commitment to your own empowering practice over the 10 days. Giving yourself the opportunity to focus within,
identify and release blockages and invite healing on every level, raising our vibration individually and as a group. This has a tremendous healing impact on all of the children and carers we will come to work alongside. Making this a
truly magnificent gift of sharing for all of us.

We will begin each morning with Mella’s Inspirational Yoga Practice, after which we will have an opportunity to move freely into practicing additional aspects of fun filled yoga which we will later be bringing to the children within
the projects funded by The Hope Foundation.

Gillian will be instrumental in guiding us through spiritual healing and energy work, helping us all to break through our own limitations/blockages and patterns that no longer serve us, releasing us into a completely uplifted state of being.

We will also have scheduled Meditation practice, evening yoga session, Pranayama, Chanting & Voice work and an optional opportunity to explore mandala’s and dance as forms of expression.

We will be staying in a hotel, within which we have a dedicated room for practice. Whilst in India we will be able to soak up the sights, sounds, smells and textures of this incredible vibrant city. There will be time for visits to sites such as Mother Teresa’s Tomb and an Indian Ashram. As well as free time to perhaps take a shopping trip, avail of Ayurvedic treatments or visit other sites such as the Victoria Memorial/Temples.

It is our total understanding from previous yoga trips to India that it is very much the group of people that come together who provides a wealth of resources, presence and open hearted sharing which facilitates the growth in all of us!

It is therefore our wish to invite you to bring your therapy/ style of teaching/dance / healing/ artistic talent/ voice/song to us, where you will have an opportunity to volunteer to share your gifts with the group should you wish to.

We will also be spending time with the Children’s Primary Carers during our trip. Bringing support and nurturing to them, supporting them in their continued dedicated commitment to the Children and Projects. Therefore if you are a therapist/healer your gifts could be greatly received and continue to have an impact well after our 10 day trip is over.

During two of our previous yoga trips to India a common passage gathered us and resonated throughout the trip, so we leave you with these inspirational words of Marianne Williamson as our gift of inspiration to you today”…

Namaste

Mella, Gillian & Sarah

“If any or all of this trip inspires or delights you, if you are curious, even feel daunted by the way it resonates with you or would like to talk with us further about the trip, please feel free to call us.”