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| Photo: Africa Yoga Project |
I exercise daily. Really. I run, I row, and I
ellipticate on our various exercise machines. I take the dog on long walks in
Karura Forest.
But none of these activities have spared me
the aching of muscles you’d hardly know existed, one day after a 2-hour power yoga
session.
Britt is the yoga fanatic in our family. He’s
been doing it for years, and has gone from a man who couldn’t touch his toes to
one who bends in all directions, regardless of whether he’s right side up or
not. For years, he’s been hounding me to join him. But I’ve held off. I find
yoga intimidating, especially as a beginner surrounded by serious yogaphiles.
On the other hand, it does seem like a sport
I should be doing. Though I can’t do the splits in three directions as I once did,
I’m reasonably flexible. And everyone says it’s great for aging bodies. All
that core strength and breathing and flexing.
What finally convinced me to give it a try
was Paige Elenson and her Africa Yoga
Project. Britt discovered this group and introduced me to Paige about a year ago, and
he has been hooked ever since. For him the attraction is partly the workout of an
intense power yoga session – but more importantly, it’s the energy, community,
and spirit of the place.
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| Photo: Africa Yoga Project |
Saturday morning at the Africa Yoga Project
is an amazing experience. The 2+-hour class occupies 1 ½ newly renovated floors
of Diamond Plaza in the Parklands neighborhood of Nairobi. The Saturday class
is free (though you can volunteer a donation) and packs two levels of workout
rooms. Most of the crowd is young and Kenyan. But it’s also probably one of the
most diverse spots in Nairobi. There are school kids from the slums and tall
blonds from the development world. There are acrobats and dancers, people
who’ve done yoga for years, and a small smattering of beginners, like me. We
even had a few musicians accompanying our sweaty moves.
For people like Britt and I, yoga is another
way to work out, and to try to keep the mind and body in reasonably good
condition.
But for most of the people at the Africa Yoga
Project it’s much more. It’s about taking care and control of their bodies –
and about transforming their lives.
Many of the people in the Saturday morning
class, including the teachers and assistants, are from the slums of Nairobi or
other impoverished areas. Their stories are heartbreaking and hard. They’ve
been sold for food, affected by HIV/AIDS, and subjects of other cruel
realities. For these young people – some
still school age and others heading families of their own – yoga has become a
way for them to find a positive place and take control of their futures. It’s become
about inner strength and resolve. And it’s become about being surrounded by a
community of caring people. The place where the Saturday classes are held is
called the Shine Center. It’s an apt name.
While the Shine Center offers classes other
days of the week, too, most of the Africa Yoga Project’s work takes place in
far more destitute places. Paige and her gang have trained and employed more
than 70 yoga teachers, who offer 300 free classes every week. They go into
slums and schools and orphanages. They also raise money to help with food, housing, health care, and other needs. They reach thousands of people.
If you ask US-born Paige about the genesis of
the Africa Yoga Project, she’ll tell you it all started with a handstand. On
safari in Kenya with her family, she came across some Maasai acrobats
practicing their routine for a show at one of the safari lodges. She got out of
her vehicle and joined them, launching a friendship and connections that would
change her life. Seven years later, she’s married to a Kenyan, mother of a
little girl, and the driving force behind a movement.
The type of yoga they practice at the Africa
Yoga Project is called power yoga. It’s a great workout, but more importantly,
it’s a remarkable way to inspire and empower.
You can learn more about the Africa Yoga
Project at the website: http://www.africayogaproject.org/
And in the news:
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| Hope. Photo: Africa Yoga Project |
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| Paige and partners. Photo: Africa Yoga Project |
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