Yoga Stops Traffick charity event
with John/Suzanne

Yoga Stops Traffick was set up in 2010 by a group of volunteers who wanted to do something to help. Since 2011 the annual event has been led by a group of young Odanadi residents from the entrance gates of the iconic Mysore Palace, many of whom are survivors of slavery, domestic abuse and forced prostitution. Through the common language of yoga, people around the world unite in support of Odanadi’s work and roll out their mats in homes, beaches and mountaintops on the same day. From the home of Ashtanga in Mysore, a worldwide event is born.

Ashtanga Yoga is of huge significance to the young people of Odanadi. As part of their rehabilitation program, it has allowed them to reclaim their bodies; build physical and mental strength, and restore a sense of peace, confidence and self-worth.

By standing alongside them, you will be demonstrating your solidarity and support for them, as well as sending a message of defiance against a world which allows these horrific abuses to take place.

Now is your chance to make a difference.

We will attempt to complete 108 sun salutations but all are welcome to come along and just do as many as you feel like. 

Odanadi currently runs two residential rehabilitation and reintegration centres in Mysore, housing up to 100 women and young people at any one time. Every resident has a different story to tell: many have been rescued from the hands of brothel owners and sex traffickers, others from abusive homes, child marriages or domestic and commercial servitude. At Odanadi residents are provided with the skills they need to heal, empower, educate and eventually reintegrate themselves back into mainstream society.

Odanadi’s unique psycho-social therapy programme has become accepted as best practice both within India and internationally. The Union Human Resource Development Ministry has adopted the Odanadi model, and many other Indian state governments have sent rescued girls to Odanadi to facilitate their rehabilitation.

Odanadi’s method is carefully tailored according to each individual’s needs and can entail a wide range of activities, from psychological counseling to art therapy, drama, karate to yoga and acupuncture. Research shows that almost a quarter of trafficking victims are re-trafficked, which is why it is so important for residents to be well prepared for life outside the walls of Odanadi. 

Odanadi’s aim is to reunite trafficking victims with their families and to give them the necessary tools to face mainstream society as strong, confident, empowered individuals.