JANEIRO RIOAt the first class of a free course that would enable members of the low-income community to become certified yoga teachers, dozens of yoga enthusiasts saluted the sun in unison in a favela.
During a spiritual exercise led by famed American musician Krishna Das (born Jeffrey Kagel), who is well-known for his renditions of Hindu devotional music, or kirtan, participants cheered, sang, danced, and prayed.
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Luciene Costa Gonzaga de Andrade remarked at the ceremony on Wednesday, “I felt like I was in another world.” The mantras change sorrow into joy by transcending the souls. It was enchanted.
Twenty residents of Rocinha, Brazil’s most populated favela, or low-income slum, have enrolled in the free training program provided by the Yoganaya International School and the firm Mude, including hairdresser Costa Gonzaga de Andrade, 54.
She began to practice in order to relieve lower back pain. After three years of using a cane, the age-old method helped her regain her mobility. She finds it difficult to stand all day, so learning how to teach yoga thrilled her.
For those with modest incomes like me, the cost of the training would be prohibitive, she remarked. Who knows, maybe I’ll stop running the salon and just give classes instead.
About 180 new instructors from Rio’s favelas will be trained as part of the 14-month experiment, and they will thereafter work as paid interns in their communities. In addition to stipends and assistance when they enter the workforce, participants receive speakers, microphones, yoga mats, and uniforms.
Renata Mozzini, the founder of Yoganaya International School, claimed that she designed the project especially for people of favelas in order to break through the elitist bubble.
Many people here believe that yoga isn’t for them. They believe that yoga is only for people who are wealthy or well-established. However, she pointed to an established yogi community in Rocinha that offers classes through Yoga na Lage, or Yoga on the Rooftop, and stated that the truth is that it’s for everyone.
When organizers learned about Das’s South American tour, they invited him to the public first class with the Rocinha group.
The session was held in an open area owned by a restaurant with a breathtaking view of the Rios and the mountains, including the famous Christ the Redeemer statue. At least 150 people participated, and many mats touched during the lesson.
It was such a wonderful and rich night. Das later told The Associated Press, “It was just beautiful.” Because there are so many challenges to attempt to conquer, it’s really a pleasure to engage with them, sing with them, and support them as they go.
Daniela Moraes, who is preparing to become a teacher and has a beachside stand, has heard Das’s music on YouTube numerous times and was moved when she saw him perform live. The Rocinha native, 47, claimed that the performance was made even more memorable by the fact that it took place in a favela.
She stated that seeing him shouldn’t be exclusive.
