Himalayan mountain slopes.
Dream Journey: The Himalayan Mountains
It's always been a dream of mine to visit India - the Himalayan Mountains have always called to a special place in my heart since I was young. I had hoped to visit Swami Kashi this October for the yatra (pilgrimage) but unfortunately I was not able to as I was not strong enough after surgery and my treatment plans with Radiation were in conflict. This leads me to believe that my dreams of going to India are now even bigger than ever and with even more purpose. As I continue to work with Molly Birkholm and the iRest Teacher Training I am excited about the opportunities that await and how love and light have truly been the best magic to my healing process. Combining all the things I love - a photographic journey into the hearts of the people and its backdrops, deepening my spiritual practice, and bringing to life the iRest training.
Proceeds from the 'Let's Radiate' Project are going to this dream journey and I'm also fundraising money towards the below projects that are both very near and dear to my heart.
MOLLY BIRKHOLM PARTNERS
iRest Training for the Courageous Girls & surrounding projects
Help us raise - $25,000
Molly supports empowering human trafficking survivors with yoga, meditation, as well as educational and employment opportunities. Approximately 80 percent of the world’s sex slaves are in India, Nepal and Pakistan. In order to re-enter society, these young women must overcome overwhelming trauma and stigma, while also finding a way to earn a living.
Through the India & Nepal Project, survivors are provided with the researched-based iRest Program that assists them in healing from trauma and violence, while also teaching them a vocational skill they can share with other survivors. Over the next five years, approximately 300,000 survivors will benefit from the India/Nepal Project in Pakistan, Nepal, India and other countries. In June 2017, three groups of survivors in India and Nepal were trained to be iRest Yoga Nidra Teachers. These groups are now branching out to teach at safe houses throughout India and Nepal. People who many may describe as ‘broken’ after surviving some of the worst crimes anyone can imagine are now healers who are helping other people find peace and wholeness! The spread of iRest through this community means more healing and integration of past traumas and horrors.
SWAMI KASHI - HEART PILGRIM
Chaitanya Tapovan for the building of guest units for Sadhana (spiritual practice) & surrounding projects
Help us raise - $25,000
CHAITANYA TAPOVAN - The place is magic! it is a small property of about half an acre sitting on a majestic Himalayan mountain slope overlooking the Ganga river. A beautiful little spring-fed stream runs through the middle of the property, with two smaller springs on the south side. All around us, there are mountain peaks with forests of pine, cedar and deodar which are covered with snow during the winter. The property itself and surrounding area is agricultural land, cultivated by farmers from the nearby village of Sangrali. Apart from the striking beauty of the place, there is a very loud silence that is heard and felt deeply by anyone who visits. It is the perfect place for a small ashram, dedicated to a peaceful life of contemplation and spiritual practice.
"Every year, a number of people contact me, asking me for a place to stay and do Sadhana (spiritual practice). They want a quiet place where they can practice and learn with a teacher, free from outside distractions. In the past, I used to send them the the ashram of Nanima in Sainj, but that ashram was washed away during the floods of 2013. Now I feel the call to provide the opportunity for sincere seekers in Chaitanya Tapovan. We don't want to conduct courses and retreats in our place. These will create too much noise and distraction. Yet, we do want to facilitate a place for those who are serious about their practice and studies. Therefore, we are planning to build a couple of cabins on our property in the near future. Spiritual seekers who are looking for such an opportunity will be welcomed to stay, practice and grow in a supporting environment." - Swami Kashi
JAHNAVI MALA PROJECT - The Jahnavi Project is an initiative to improve education and educational infrastructure for the children of the villages, together with Kashika.org. Kashika is an initiative to improve education in many backward regions of India. Education is the right of every child. Educational facilities in many rural areas of India are virtually non existent due to poor infrastructure and non availability of well trained teachers.
Over the next couple of weeks through treatment I will be designing my 'Dream Journey' and will have more details of how you can help make a difference in some of the projects I am working on. Please stay tuned for more details.
FEEL THAT FUND
I have big dreams for creating a large indoor park with a meditation garden/yoga nidra platform for the health care practitioners, patients and family members of the UHN Hospitals. Stay tuned for more details...