RADHA took part in the Alley Health Fair on Thursday September 15th which took place on Hastings and Main.  I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of it, and strangely enough, felt at home.

The fair was aimed at promoting health awareness to the people living in the  downtown    east side.  It was great to be able to interact with the people of this neighbourhood.  I was surprised to meet with such a wide variety of visitors- from seniors, to outreach workers, to students, to people living off the street.  What they all had in common was an interest in yoga- even if just to comment that they knew someone who was interested in it.

It was heart-warming to be able to demonstrate the simple yet powerful mountain pose to one of the locals walking by.  Knowing that in its simplicity, yoga can be accessed by anyone felt special.  Though what I offered was small, I knew it was precious.  It was also inspiring to hear the story of a woman who’d been clean for 18 months after having lived in the area for 17 years.  When I asked her what she attributed her success toward, she stated that determination and persistence were what carried her through the challenges she had to confront.  This sounded very yogic.

When I first heard of the health fair, I had a good feeling about it.   I knew I wanted to represent Radha at the fair and somehow be involved.  I felt supported throughout the entire process- from preparation to participation.  I have the organizers of the event, past  Radha participants, Natasha- one of our karma yogis, Lizabeth- another teacher at Radha, and the Divine to thank for this.  I felt energized and am grateful for having had the opportunity.

Namaste,

Francesca Cogorno