Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Breathe Deeply, Strengthen Your Muscles...for The Horn of Africa

Pilates and yoga are wonderful practices for self-improvement.  We strengthen our muscles, gain flexibility and oxygenate our blood.  All wonderful!

But what if we could use these practices to help more than just ourselves?  Just think about yoga and pilates in the same way as the Run for the Cure or Walk for the Hungry

Nancy Bauer, executive director of the Mango Tree Foundation (MTF), has decided to use a daily practice of yoga and pilates to increase awareness about the famine in the Horn of Africa and raise funds for the refugees in that area of East Africa who are suffering because of the crisis.  (Remember a few weeks back I posted in this blog about the various ways in which we could help with the crisis?  Yoga and pilates were not part of that list). 

Nancy has pledged to practice yoga and pilates for 30 days beginning this Thursday, Sept. 1. She is asking you to donate at least $30 to support her efforts. Click here to access her donation page on the MTF web site.  All the proceeds will be donated to CARE and the World Food Programme.

"I hope through my practices to honor the women, children and men who have lost their lives and who are struggling to survive now," said Nancy, a resident of Roswell, Ga. "My daily journey will be much easier than theirs. But, I live in a society where people die from obesity and obesity related issues - we die from too much. They die from not enough..."

A couple of studios in the Atlanta area, Plum Tree Yoga and Pilates Tutor have agreed to work with Nancy on this effort.  Plum Tree Yoga will be hosting a special event related to the effort, and another is in the works at Pilates Tutor.  "I'm also talking with Lululemon and Peachtree Yoga! Plus, friends around the country have reach out to their yogi friends and studios to ask for their support."

And Nancy will be joined by her friend BeAnne Creeger, who is helping her coordinate the event at Plum Tree Yoga.

She wants the effort to go beyond the Atlanta area. "Reach out to your friends, your gurus and fitness friends," said Nancy. "Ask them to support our efforts. Check the Mango Tree Foundation website blog for more information."

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