PHOTOS: A SOUND LIFE; GEORGIA KATHERINE BROWNLEECOMMUNITY
om
18
july 2017yogajournal.com.auIn the community
A SOUND LIFE
By Diana Timmins
As our yoga journey organically reunites us with our inherent
loving nature and fosters deeper connections with others,
many of us may sense an overwhelming desire to ‘give back’
in some way. Non-profit volunteer outreach program, A
Sound Life (ASL), is one of the most uplifting portals for doing
just that. Officially founded in 2014 by widely adored charity
workers and kirtan (devotional music) duo, Edo (Kahn) and
Jo (Mall-Kahn), ASL shares the healing power of music,
yoga and meditation within healthcare, aged-care and
underprivileged communities worldwide. Together, Edo and
Jo shared their gifts with many in need across Australia, India
and Malaysia, as well as establishing a sound school in the
Balinese district of Tejakula. In the true spirit of seva (selfless
service), they wholeheartedly sensed how enriching the lives
of others made their own lives meaningful.
Dearly admired, Jo’s sudden passing in September 2015
sent tremendous ripples across the yoga community, yet her
loving legacy lives on as her and Edo’s incredible blueprint
has seen ASL continue to spread far and wide. More than 300
compassionate volunteers – all of whom receive full support
and training from highly regarded professionals, Mark
Breadner and Nikola Ellis – now service more than 40
facilities across Sydney, Byron Bay and Wollongong, bringing
yoga and music to adolescents with disordered eating,
children and families touched by cancer, people living with
disabilities, refugees and many more.
ASL has loads of exciting projects in the pipeline to
continue spreading much-needed love across the globe,
including plans to launch in Perth, Melbourne and Singapore,
construct a permanent healing hub in the heart of Sydney,
and travel to Tanzania (Africa) to continue teaching children at
their recently established yoga and meditation school. As
cultural and religious divides have widened in some respects
in recent times, charities like ASL allow us to remain united
and connected to the kindness, compassion and creativity
that lies within each and every one of us.
To stay connected with A Sound Life’s heart-warming
projects and read about how to get involved, visit
http://www.asoundlife.org. All welcome! To support the Tanzania
project go to https://chuffed.org/project/bringing-
yoga-meditation-to-children-in-tanzania If you’re involved in a yoga-related charity and would like to
share your story, email us at [email protected]Just Breathe
Bodhi Whitaker is a co-creator and presenter for Breathe Project –
an integrative wellbeing for schools project that introduces students
and teachers to a simple pranayama technique designed to combat
stress and anxiety, and bring awareness into the present. Here, Bodhi
shares an update of the project and his insights from the inside.Old and over it.
Microwave meals. Convenience
for the limited time they have.
Or the limited desire they have.
Passion’s gone. Long gone.
Then, the wind swirls and the
rain shakes.
Rays of light shoot through the
windows.
Fresh air wafts through the nostrils.
There is life.
There is life.
Picture this. At school. Standing
up in assembly for 10 minutes every
morning ... a daily check-in. No
homework policy. Teachers on
first-name basis with all students.
Meditation instead of detention.
Yes, I am talking about state schools.
Public schools. Government schools.
We are starting to see real change.
How wonderful it was to be sitting
with 150 staff of one of the largest
high schools on the Sunshine
Coast and have the principal
on stage talking about collective
consciousness. She was really
drumming in the need for all staff to
come together and have the same
intention for the kids. She had the
children’s movie Happy Feet playing,
and everyone was laughing. So,
by the time we got up on stage as
Breathe Project, the students
were ready to connect within.
The mood felt light.Things are changing. It feels
good. I first met this principal one
year ago ... she had her hands on her
hips and power at her fingertips.
The transformation I saw on this day
with all the staff was remarkable.
So remarkable that I left school that
day with a smile deep inside my
being, way beyond gratitude or
appreciation. It was more like an
ecstatic YES (with capitals). YES,
change is in the air and we’re all
breathing it.
Many may say, “It’s about time.”
Some may still think, “Schools will
never change.” But, from the inside,
I’m seeing it all unfold and uplift.
There is life.
One year 11 student opened his
eyes after practicing three minutes
of mindful breathing with us and said,
“I feel clear, like there is nothing on
my mind for the first time.”
This year we’ve hit the road for
our 2nd Annual East Coast Mission:
1 technique; 6 weeks; 30 schools;
30,000 kids and teachers; 1 mission.
You can register your school at
http://www.breatheproject.com.au/
register. Watch this space for
regular updates on the Breathe
Project, as we’ll be sharing the
journey with you.