Thursday, February 17, 2011

Yoga for Congo Women, and Your Questions:

Yoga's in just over a week, y'all!  Saturday, February 26.  Details to the right --->.

Be there or be square.

As I've been telling people about the yoga events, I've heard a few questions over and over again.  You may be wondering about similar things, so I thought I'd address them here.

FAQs:

Q: How much does it cost?
A: How much do you want it to cost?  Please bring a donation (cash or check), and remember that karma loves generosity.

Q: What's the money going to?
A: We've gotten all of our expenses covered by sponsors and donors, so 100% of the donations made at the yoga events will go to Women for Women International.  Women for Women offers the opportunity for women in war and post-war areas to enroll in year-long programs where they receive vocational training, rights training, psychosocial support, and financial assistance.  All of our donations will go directly to WFW's Congo programs, so that Congolese survivors of violence and rape can be involved with supportive communities and receive assistance in rebuilding whatever has been broken for them.

Q: I've never done yoga before.  Can I still come?  (What I'm really saying is: Am I going to look stupid?)
A: Yes, you can still come, and no, you are not going to look stupid.  If your prior experience with yoga is watching movies where people are all sweaty and competitive and twisted into pretzel-like shapes, then I can assure you that this will NOT be like that.  Ours will be an atmosphere of solidarity, supportiveness, warmth, community, and engagement.  Ann Richmond, our instructor, will be leading a basic class suitable for both beginners and those with yoga experience.

Q: What should I bring?
A: Yourself.  A friend.  A spouse.  A family member.  If you have a yoga mat, please bring it, but if you don't have one, don't worry about it--there will be some donated mats available for you to use.

Q: A spouse?  So can men come, too?
A: Of course!

Q: What about kids?
A: Depends on how old they are.  Just keep in mind that we will be talking about the conflict in Congo (and a critical component of the conflict is systematic sexual violence), and also keep in mind that we hope to achieve a very peaceful, calm environment.  (But we do believe that activism is a family affair, so our June 5K will be outdoors and family-friendly!)

Q: What should I wear?
Something comfortable.  Loose-fitting clothing.  Be comfortable.

Q: What time should I show up?
A: Yoga will start promptly (at 10 a.m. in Murray; at 7 p.m. in Logan), so we will begin registration 30 minutes before.  Please arrive during that half-hour registration period so that we can get started right on time.  There will be reading materials, fair-trade items for sale, and a few cool surprises for those who come early.  And of course we will keep things quiet so that you can sit on your mat and meditate for awhile (if that's your style) before yoga begins.

Q: Look at me.  Do I look like someone who does yoga?
A: Yes.  You sure do.

And to get you excited, go look at these photos from last year's Denver event.  Namaste, and we'll see you next week!

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