Seva: Tashirat — Mexico
Seva: a Sanskrit word that means to be of service without the expectation of a reward.
It’s been a few weeks since The Illumination Adventure Retreatin Mexico and I’m still flying high from the experience. Eight of us journeyed to the magical city of Tepoztlan — a place hailed for its mysticism, healing powers and natural beauty — to connect deeply with ourselves and be of service to others. Kundalini Yoga, Qigong, Indigenous Sweat Lodge (Temazcal) and Fire Ceremony empowered us to take a deep dive into ourselves to access our wellspring of inner wisdom.
With the help of the powerful, mountainous environment, ancient yogic wisdom and indigenous shamanic practices we accomplished our goal of generating a sacred space of love and transformation. We dove into the process of human potential by pondering the emotional side of ourselves to find clarity, resolution and our personal truth. Many of us uncovered stored emotions in which we were able to find new meaning in and come into deeper relationship with.
A return to wholeness and wellness were just a few of the incredible results from our self-inquiry. We were able to shed, create and recharge so that we re-entered the world in a new, seva minded way. With the support of Michael Jaidev and the Sat Nam Foundation, a nonprofit organization that shares yoga with the world through acts of service, we were able to make an impact. They helped us take our yoga into action and fully realize the deep powerful art of seva.
The retreat took place at The Amatista Center, a branch of the Tashirat Orphanage. We chose this location because the funds generated from this center support the children at the orphanage. One of our main (accomplished) objectives was to practice the yogic art of seva. We contributed our time, money, clothing, organic seeds and vivacious spirit for the benefit of the children and staff living there.
During one of our days with the kids, we learned that many of these children had no other place to go. Many of them were/are physically and/or mentally differently-abled. Kira, our bright-eyed and zen infused guide shared that many of the conditions suffered were cured with simple dietary adjustments. She has even worked through Crohn’s disease (in remission now for almost two decades) with diet and lifestyle changes.
Many of us were struck by the high levels of love and joyfulness that exuded from the children. Yogic philosophy is a cornerstone at Tashirat and the results are born on the faces of the children. To be able to share in this vibrant and caring community continues to be an inspiration for many of us. Tashirat is more than just a refuge for children, it is a model organization for how to serve others, how to parent and how to live a yogic lifestyle. The rewards from this big-hearted mission are more than uplifting.
We are blessed to have the opportunity to learn life-enhancing practices like Kundalini Yoga & Qigong and feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to give back to others, especially children.
For more yoga in action, service oriented retreats, check-out sevatheworld.org, a new and soon to be nonprofit contributing to the global greater good.
To support the children of Tashirat please visit: https://www.tashirat.com/get-involved
