In February, 2004 Rama Jyoti Vernon, founder of the International Yoga College (IYC) and IYC president Ruth Hartung traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan to experience first hand the needs of the Afghan people. Ruth's sister, Marnie Gustavson, now lives in Kabul, working as the executive director of a small Non Government Organization, Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Services for Afghanistan (PARSA). PARSA has requested that IYC provide a training program for basic healthcare workers in yoga practices and meditation.
Marnie's experience is that Afghans are experiencing tremendous post war stress, both physically and mentally. She says that pharmaceutical drugs are flooding into the country, unregulated, and Afghans are attempting to treat themselves through the pharmacies, which is expensive, ineffectual and can lead to worse problems such as addiction to prescription drugs. As a part of PARSA's rehabilitation programs, she sees yoga as an excellent therapeutic modality for PARSA's clients.
In July 2006, Susan Moodie, yoga instructor, traveled to Kabul under the auspices of IYC to initiate a year-long training program for PARSA staff and other professionals in the healthcare community. She established a training core of program developers and practitioners who took part in an intensive introduction to yoga as a healing art. With your help, other IYC staff will follow to conduct 6-week intensive trainings with the core staff.
Susan also worked directly with Afghan children in the Allahoddin Orphanage to develop a training program for professionals who work with children. She worked with PARSA's Widow's Garden and Literacy Program, developing a program specifically tailored to the issues of Afghan women and trauma.
Program details:
6 sessions: Program designers - 3 hours each
6 sessions: Practitioners - 3 hours each
6 sessions: Children – 3 hours each
6 sessions: Widows – 3 hours each
Donations
Any donations to this effort will be greatly appreciated.
You may donate by check or credit card. Send checks to:
IYC
Box 300
Contact: Ginny Beal, Executive Director
International Yoga College
Malya's widows doing yoga
Children of the widows
Kids at the refugee camp
Afghan boy's drawing
of war
Kabul Rotary Club