South African Series Highlights Kundalini Yoga

[Guest guest]

NEW SOUTH AFRICAN SERIES ON WOMEN HIGHLIGHTS KUNDALINI YOGA AND OTHER

TOOLS FOR EMPOWERMENT

 

SOUTH AFRICA. On Saturday June 30, 2007 on South African Broadcasting

Channel 3 (SABC) at 11:00 am, a new series in South Africa called The

Power Within will begin. The entire series kicks off with a

wonderful and uplifting portrait of Desiree Mathinus, who is one of

the four women featured in the documentary Beautiful as Butterflies.

 

Beautiful as Butterflies is a documentary made by South African film

director Julia Landau, also known as Jai Jagdeesh Kaur. It captures

the healing journey of four women who use the practice of Kundalini

Yoga, as taught by Yogi Bhajan to confront and heal the emotional and

psychic wounds created by domestic violence. Though the headquarters

for Kundalini Yoga, as taught by Yogi Bhajan, is located in the small

northern New Mexico town of Espanola, New Mexico, USA, these

teachings are touching and bringing healing to people around the

globe.

 

The Power Within will highlight Desiree's healing journey which has

continued since the completion of the film in October 2005. Desiree

has almost finished her Kundalini Yoga teacher training with Pritam

and Har Bhajan Khalsa in South Africa, and she is working with abused

women and others in her community. Healing through Kundalini Yoga has

helped her to come to terms with her past pain. Dedicated in her

practice, she diligently performs her yoga and meditation on a daily

basis and has introduced yoga in her home, her workplace and to her

friends, family and colleagues. She dreams of teaching full time. Now

a vegetarian, she continues to work as a literacy learner at St.

Joseph's Adult Education Programme and wants to become a psychologist.

 

In addition to the programme on Desiree, there will be a 4 minute

insert of Patwant Kaur's Kundalini Yoga class at St. Joseph's Adult

Education Programme. This insert shows how a class is conducted and

gives an introduction to yoga so that those who are interested can

pursue Kundalini yoga practice. This piece shows Kundalini yoga in a

community setting at St. Joseph's Adult Education Programme.

 

" Many times, all over the world. people who so need access to the

particular practice of Kundalini Yoga are not easily able to attend

classes, " says film director Jai Jagdeesh Kaur. " At St. Joseph's this

is possible. "

 

As a result of the film Beautiful as Butterflies Kundalini Yoga

teachers via St Joseph's are teaching at state mental institutions.

 

" We teach at Valkenberg State Mental Hospital Ward 20 maximum

security Forensic Section, " said Jai Jagdeesh Kaur. " When Guru Terath

Kaur (Kundalini Yoga Teacher Trainer) visited Cape Town we were

honoured that she and Pritam Khalsa went to visit our project there

where Ram Saran (Natalie Bossi) takes a regular Friday class. We have

had incredibly positive feedback from the occupational therapist

there who wants us to work with wards 10 and 11 to where the patients

from ward 20 are transferred. We are also teaching at Lentegeur State

Hospital for people with intellectual disability. The more people can

see the power of Kundalini Yoga, the more chance we have of being

able to spread its light further and further to places where it is

most needed. I feel confident that this programme on Desiree and yoga

will have a positive impact and enable us to teach in more places to

reach those in poor communities. "

 

The Kundalini Yoga Teaching and Training in South Africa is based on

Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan. Yogi Bhajan was the first

Kundalini Yoga master to come to the West and share these ancient

teachings of India openly with all people. Through his work, 3HO

Foundation, the Healthy, Happy Holy Organization, was created and is

dedicated to preserving and sharing the teachings of Kundalini Yoga

world-wide. These teaching and training programs in South Africa were

funded in part from a grant from the 3HO Foundation. 3HO headquarters

are in Espanola, New Mexico, U.S.A.

 

For more information on St. Joseph's Adult Education Programme and

the documentary Beautiful as Butterflies, visit

www.stjosephsaep.co.za.