SIVANANDA YOGA VEDANTA CENTRES CHARITABLE WORKS <strong>International</strong> Sivananda <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centres Helping the Community Through Charitable Works Providing free Ayurvedic Medical Camps at Sivananda Dhanwantari Ashram, Neyyar Dam and free medical help and assistance at our Madurai Ashram 40 YOGALife |Autumn/Winter 2015
SIVANANDA YOGA VEDANTA CENTRES CHARITABLE WORKS Free Monthly Ayurvedic Medical Camp at Neyyar Dam Ashram, Kerala, India Our in-house Ayurvedic Doctor P. R. Vishnu, along with another 6 – 10 well known Ayurvedic doctors, treat 1,100 – 1,500 patients a month at our medical camp. Diagnostic consultations and treatment methods are prescribed to the patients along with free medication for up to one month. Patients are also served free food, courtesy <strong>of</strong> the Ashram, on the day <strong>of</strong> their visit. People come from Kerala and other states to take advantage <strong>of</strong> this charitable venture run at the Sivananda Institute <strong>of</strong> Health, which was founded by Swami Vishnudevananda at the Neyyar Dam Ashram. This initiative costs approximately 10K US dollars a month and is completely funded by the income generated through our <strong>Yoga</strong> Vacation and Teachers’ Training Courses. Free Medical Camps at our Ashram in Uttarkashi, Himalayas Since1998 we have been conducting a free weekly medical camp at our Sivananda Kutir, Netala, Uttarkashi. A local doctor, Dr. Chandok, provides consultations and free medicines every Sunday for the nearby villagers. Support and <strong>Yoga</strong> Teachings in Chiang Rai, Thailand Employment for Ashram Area Residents Children’s <strong>Yoga</strong> Camp in Chiang Rai area, Northern Thailand A few <strong>of</strong> the many houses donated to the locally employed Ashram Staff over the last few years <strong>The</strong> Sivananda <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centres and Ashrams employ as many as 100 residents <strong>of</strong> the impoverished area at their Ashrams and Centres in India. Over the years, we have built houses for these employees and help fund repairs and maintenance <strong>of</strong> the existing homes. We also help them by providing monthly medical allowances and financial help for their children to receive an education. Rural Medical/Mobile Hospitals initiative in Madurai, Tamil Nadu Our Madurai ashram has teamed up with a local medical doctor and our Trustee Dr. V. Narayanasamy, who is the owner <strong>of</strong> three very large, established hospitals in Madurai. He was instrumental in finding the land and helping us to open the Madurai Ashram. For the past two years, we have been providing free medical assistance for the needy with the help <strong>of</strong> two nurses as well as an ambulance for emergency calls. We are presently working to establish rural hospitals and mobile hospitals with qualified doctors and nurses to provide medical help for the Madurai area villagers. For the past few years Sivananda <strong>Yoga</strong> Vedanta Centres <strong>International</strong> have teamed up with Khun Da, owner <strong>of</strong> Phu Chai Sai Mountain Resort (in Chiang Rai area, Northern Thailand) to support the local hill tribes community. This is an impoverished area <strong>of</strong> Thailand where there are many challenges, including lack <strong>of</strong> health care, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy, difficult school access and almost no employment opportunities. Khun Da provides health care, education, and exclusively trains and employs members <strong>of</strong> the tribes. Support and employment at the resort is the only chance <strong>of</strong> survival for most <strong>of</strong> the families. Saraswati has been guiding local hill tribe children and teenagers in learning Swamiji’s teachings, and has conducted several successful Children’s <strong>Yoga</strong> Camps in Thailand. She is slowly introducing the most unfortunate children <strong>of</strong> the tribes who come from very difficult family backgrounds, to understand and embrace the values yoga and meditation <strong>of</strong>fer. Several teenagers are currently expressing a strong interest in taking the Teachers’ Training Course. Can You Help? We are looking for private individual and/or corporate donors to help each month so that the ashram funds can be used to make even more initiatives <strong>of</strong> this type a reality around the world. For further information email: SwamiDurgananda@sivananda.net YOGALife |Autumn/Winter 2015 41
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