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May 9: Yoga for Sight event at Ballet Chelsea

(Chelsea Update would like to thank Joan Wolf for the information in this story.)

Local yogis, Janine Bennett, Nicole Tweedie, Sue Whitmarsh and Joan Wolf will team-teach a yoga class at Ballet Chelsea as part of Yoga For Sight on Saturday, May 9 from 4-5 p.m.,

Yoga for Sight will bring together thousands of compassionate yogis to raise funds that will provide eye exams, eyeglasses, medical care and sight restoring surgery to those who suffer from preventable blindness and low vision. Thanks to support from events like this, Seva is able to serve one million people annually with vital eye care services all over the world.

The class is part of a national event called “Yoga for Sight” with proceeds benefiting the Seva Foundation and there will be light refreshments to follow.

Ballet Chelsea has generously donated their space for the event at 1050 South Main St. (behind Chelsea State Bank).

Please call Whitmarsh at 734-680-9072 to reserve your spot or for more information, and walk-ins are welcome.  Suggested minimum donation is $15, and checks can be made out to Seva Foundation. Cash and credit cards will also be accepted.

Seva Foundation is an international public health non-profit that began in a small cabin on Spring Lake in Chelsea 36 years ago.  Now based in California, Seva programs have helped 3.5 million people to see again.

After working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to end smallpox in India, native Michiganders, Dr. Larry Brilliant (currently President, Skoll Global Threats Fund) and his wife Girija Brilliant, a public health specialist, published an article entitled “Death of a Killer Disease”.  It was a personal account of their decade in Asia – first as youthful travelers, then as spiritual seekers, and eventually as part of WHO’s successful smallpox eradication team.

They concluded the article with an appeal to readers to find the compassion and understanding to support international health programs to benefit those struggling with poverty.  Readers were moved and soon $20,000 in donations arrived in their mailbox, with the first $5,000 coming from not-yet-famous computer inventor Steve Jobs.

Inspired by the supportive response, the Brilliants invited an eclectic group that included the WHO’s Dr. Nicole Grasset, spiritual teacher Ram Dass, and activist Wavy Gravy among others to a meeting in Chelsea.  From this humble beginning, a model international organization was formed.

In the past year, Seva’s Sight Program provided one million people with eye care services worldwide.  For more information on Seva please click here.

Yoga studios across the country will be hosting similar events on May 9. All are encouraged to take part in the class regardless of their yoga experience, teachers will modify poses to fit all levels. Former Seva employees will be on hand to share information and thank participants for their support.

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