On the evening of Friday November 20th, the Ottawa Radha Yoga community gathered with friends and supporters to celebrate the sustainability of the Radha Yoga Youth Outreach (RYYO) program.

Much support

This year RYYO received three significant grants to help fund our program. The first from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and then two that came by surprise from The Ottawa Community Foundation and the Ottawa Kripalu Yoga Centre.

We were lucky to have three representatives from Kripalu at the event to present a cheque to RYYO and to share their own personal connections with Swami Radha and her teachings.

Our focus for the event was to recognize the growth and success in the RYYO program through the past 6 years, and to express much gratitude for all of our supporters through our Friends of RYYO fundraising campaign, Volunteers and Donors, who helped make this possible.

The Radha Centre came alive as people mingled, discussing their own connection with the program while watching a picture slideshow, enjoying tea & savories, live music (provided by Ray Smith), and participating in a word game intended to build connections and set the tone for the evening.

Our intention and hope was to convey the joy and inspiration that we feel through our teaching experiences with the youth and make it an uplifting event to share our stories with the community.

Anne Churchill a member of the Ottawa Radha Yoga Centre coordinating committee describes her experience of the event: “The enthusiasm of the RYYO team was truly uplifting. The interactive game was a wonderful way of bringing together people who didn’t know one another and the reading out loud of testimonials from the youth made their presence among us tangible. The evening was pronounced a success by all!”

Kathy Nathan, one of RYYO’s longest standing supporters, describes her experience in bearing witness to the growth of the program: “About 7 years ago, Janet Gaston [now Swami Samayananda] and I discussed the idea of young teachers from Yasodhara coming to teach in agencies serving youth, I don’t think either of us imagined the wide variety of settings benefitting from the generous offerings of young yoga teachers like you! Since I was on the board of the Youth Services Bureau at the time I knew very well the overwhelming need among teens and youth. I also knew how difficult this population is to engage in something that requires focus, discipline and commitment. As yoga practitioners and teachers YOU at Radha have successfully bridged the gap and brought diverse groups of young people clarity of vision and belief in their true potential!
Yoga expands our emotional horizons and stretches our concepts of ourselves – in addition to strengthening us and releasing tension from our bodies. But it will only do so with the guidance of skillful and compassionate teaching. So you, the RYYO teachers; are the bridge for countless young persons with so much potential but so few opportunities to unlock that potential.
May you continue to come to Ottawa, year after year, bringing your warmth and enthusiasm to ignite the Light in those young people who need it most.”

Those of us currently working with RYYO would like to take this opportunity to recognize all those who helped to bring this outreach initiative to life- Swami Samayananda and Sarada Eastham; those who have helped to maintain the program through the years; and all those who will be involved in some way in the future sustainability of the program.

The event was also the time for us to thank two key members of the RYYO team as they transition into their next steps.

Amanda Jahnke who has been teaching outreach classes since 2006 is moving to India this month. Jessica Earle-Meadows is stepping back from her full-time role with RYYO to do a Masters program in Montreal but continues to work with us in developing a long-term Sustainability plan for the program.

Jessica describes her feelings of the event: “It was a sacred opportunity to witness and ritualize the “passing of the torch” from one era of outreach programming to the next. As Amanda and I move on to the next phase of our lives, we’re both so grateful that Palma and Rachel have stepped in to serve and inspire, and that there is such incredible support from so many different sources in place for RYYO to continue offering its programming.”

Om Radha

With much gratitude!

If you are on facebook add Radha Yoga Youth-Outreach as a friend to view pictures and video from the event.