Perhaps it's been my prevailing mood of late, one of melancholy, that has had me thinking about SEVA, also known as selfless service. Or perhaps it's from spending a week intensive back with the Off The Mat, Into The World tribe that has me thinking about it.
Either way, the girls that we met this past February/March as part of the Bare Witness Tour to India have been on my mind. I find myself wondering how they're doing and what has changed for them since our involvement. We raised money as a collective to build a vocational training center; housing for girls transitioning from being trafficked who've now found jobs and need a safe place to live; bought sewing machines for a women's small business; funded a safe drop in center within the red light district of Kolkata to keep kids safe and so much more.
I find myself wondering that if I went back to visit, if they would remember our faces and how much love we shared. We wanted them to know that someone cared about them finding a connected and productive path in life, one which didn't threaten their safety or dignity. A life that perhaps offered them a voice to stand in their own light and find a purpose to their life. And we wanted them to know that we knew their suffering and loved them regardless, if not more.
So as I wade through my own personal grief, I know that one way to keep things in perspective is to feel gratitude. I love the practice of saying, "In this moment, I am grateful for__________". So in this moment I am grateful for stepping off my mat and into the world of service. The experience of the Global Seva Challenge changed my life forever and made me want to have service as part of my way of being.
I'm not quite sure what the next type of service will look like. After my return from India, I did one more fundraising class for India and I'm well aware of how much need exists in the world. If this experience has taught me anything it is to set the intention of wanting to serve and the right project will open up before me. In the meantime, I'll keep humming the words to a song I quite like called, "Women of Hope" by Morley. One line continues to echo in my mind...
Either way, the girls that we met this past February/March as part of the Bare Witness Tour to India have been on my mind. I find myself wondering how they're doing and what has changed for them since our involvement. We raised money as a collective to build a vocational training center; housing for girls transitioning from being trafficked who've now found jobs and need a safe place to live; bought sewing machines for a women's small business; funded a safe drop in center within the red light district of Kolkata to keep kids safe and so much more.
I find myself wondering that if I went back to visit, if they would remember our faces and how much love we shared. We wanted them to know that someone cared about them finding a connected and productive path in life, one which didn't threaten their safety or dignity. A life that perhaps offered them a voice to stand in their own light and find a purpose to their life. And we wanted them to know that we knew their suffering and loved them regardless, if not more.
So as I wade through my own personal grief, I know that one way to keep things in perspective is to feel gratitude. I love the practice of saying, "In this moment, I am grateful for__________". So in this moment I am grateful for stepping off my mat and into the world of service. The experience of the Global Seva Challenge changed my life forever and made me want to have service as part of my way of being.
I'm not quite sure what the next type of service will look like. After my return from India, I did one more fundraising class for India and I'm well aware of how much need exists in the world. If this experience has taught me anything it is to set the intention of wanting to serve and the right project will open up before me. In the meantime, I'll keep humming the words to a song I quite like called, "Women of Hope" by Morley. One line continues to echo in my mind...
If you're feeling helpless, help someone.
Sounds like a good place to start.
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