Volunteering in India
Wow, I can’t believe that tomorrow everything will be over again!
Seven days of yoga, dancing, sports, English, art, karate, singing, laughing, crying and twenty-two children who have grown close to my heart!
The children have mastered the morning start at 6 o’clock with the first yoga class with bravur! The early start of the day had to be, because it became so unbearably hot after 9 o’clock that one could hardly be outside.
But the children did not let themselves be deterred by the Rajasthan desert sun and put all their energy into the class.
After breakfast, Rachel from the USA led the sports class. In physical education they played together and the boys practiced cricket.
While the boys rehearsed a choreography to Indian rap music sduring the dance lessons, the girls remained with a classic Bollywood dance with elegant movements.
From Aruna ji, an educated Indian lady, the children learned patriotic songs in music lessons and played role-playing games.
Then there was a long lunch break to escape the greatest heat. At 2 o’clock the children had art lessons and were then divided into two groups for English lessons.
I myself took over the advanced students. In English class, we also wrote letters to our German pen pales and sent them in the envelopes that the children self-designed in art classes. The letters are already on their way to an elementary School in Germany.
After the English lessons, the karate lesson took place, during which the Seven to twelve-year-olds learned defenses.
Before the next yoga class with me, there were refreshments.
The afternoon yoga class was all about “Yoga is fun” and so we used balloons, soap bubbles and feathers to practice Pranayama and did all sorts of yoga games with lots of music and movement.
Saturday was “Movie Night” and on a big screen outside in the garden we watched a beautiful Bollywood movie.
The highlight of the camp was probably yesterday’s trip to Jodhpur: a long and exciting day filled with activities. We visited the beautiful Mandor garden and an amusement park with carousels, then vistied the famous Mehrengahr Fort and then went to a lake and visited the zoo together with Guru ji.
We had a great picnic and all sorts of laughs. On the way back on the bus we danced and finally we all trudged back into the camp late at night.
A great week that belonged entirely to the children!
I had a lot of fun and put all my energy into planning and carrying out the classes.
The ashram offers the perfect setting for the children’s camp! We had great teachers, a great kitchen team and from Guru ji nothing was left unturned, the camp was a gig success.
I am grateful that I was able to be part of it this year, but now I am looking forward to my cooler mountains again!
