“Serve All” Community | Chennai, Tamil Nadu

“Yoga For A Cause” – A Contribution to the Swachh Bharat Project (Clean India mission)
The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre, Chennai started the “Yoga for a Cause” outreach programme in December 2018 with the intention of bringing people together in selfless service of the community. Karma Yoga is the art of selfless service and our gurus, Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevananda each instilled the utmost importance of this practise.

Events, organised monthly, engage the staff, volunteers, and students in the practise of karma yoga. Past events include:

• Cleaning the local government school (Thiruvanmiyur Senior Secondary School), together with the students. Donations of money and cleaning items were collected, and the response was very positive with over 40 people gathering to clean the school. The day began with a Ganpathi Homa and walking to the school chanting “Om Namo Narayanaya”. Yoga centre staff also gave a talk at the school on yoga and the importance of cleanliness in the environment and within ourselves. Participating students were given “Yoga for a Cause” certificates.
• A Yoga demonstration, workshop, and talk on Yoga and its benefits was given at Kaakum Karangal, an orphanage and home for the aged.
• A talk on yoga and its benefits, yoga demonstration, and workshop were given at a local slum, Kottivakkam Samuga Nala Koodam. Residents were then offered eight free beginners yoga classes at the Sivananda Yoga Centre, Chennai, after which time they would be charged an extremely nominal fee to continue, if they wish, encouraging the continuation of the practise. We are truly blessed and feel very grateful for the overwhelming response of the students and volunteers who came together to support these causes and help us join together as one in working for the community. We hope to continue to engage students and volunteers in different Karma Yoga projects regularly in order to support different causes, spreading the spirit of service and its importance within the practice of yoga.

We are truly blessed and feel very grateful for the overwhelming response of the students and volunteers who came together to support these causes
and help us join together as one in working for the community. We hope to continue to engage students and volunteers in different Karma Yoga projects regularly in order to support different causes, spreading the spirit of service and its importance within the practice of yoga.

To get involved contact: [email protected]

Read about the various charitable initiatives within India here.