Life Right Now + Serving India

Life Right Now + Serving India

I cannot believe it is May. I miss you all and wanted to send an update while I am still on maternity leave. Many of you have already heard from me- the subscribers to my On Demand Video Library receive an update at the beginning of each month. I am loving this special time with Jaden and I also look forward to resuming private lessons in my home studio next month and getting back to Zoom classes and maybe some park classes. If you participated in my live Zoom classes and hope to continue will you please respond to this email and let me know what class(es) you would be interested in seeing back on my schedule?

Attending Virtual Continuing Education Credits while holding Jaden (8 weeks) . I’ve become quite the multitasker!

Serving India

Right Now

I want to share with you something that's been on my heart lately- India and the people there who are suffering not only from Covid, but from the lockdowns. When I think of India and all of the time I have spent there (quite a bit!) I think of the regular people who work gigs to survive and how they must be suffering right now.

When I traveled in India I was there seeking Yoga. They were adventurous trips but they were a time for learning, as the roots of Yoga are from India. I brought the teachings back with me and have been sharing with all of you. Even my Pilates classes are influenced by the teachings passed to me in India. So, as I have richly benefited from India, so have you. It is with this mindset that I began reaching out to my friends and vendors that I met while there to check on how they have been surviving this current and devastating wave of the pandemic. Many of the people I am still in contact with helped me tremendously while there. The owners of the retreat facility we stayed at, the restaurant employees who fed me, friends I made on the beaches, and vendors that sold to me in the streets. The majority of the people I am thinking of live hand to mouth. Meaning they sell things daily that turns into the money they make that day which is the food they eat that very same day. I can't even fathom how they are surviving at this time when the streets are supposed to be shut down, there is no tourism, and no one is out buying things like they used to. Not to mention those affected by illness.

One friend in particular, Tino, was my driver and somewhat of a travel agent and my guardian protector while I was there. From the moment my plane touched down in India the first time I visited in 2015, he was there to help me at a moment's notice. Before that, even. He helped me plan before I left. A colleague of mine had worked with him for something like thirteen years while she worked in India a decade or so ago. Tino gave me peace of mind as I traveled alone in a country that is vastly different from what I'm used to. And he was there for me each time I returned to the country, even when on the other side of the continent from where he lives in New Delhi. When I reached out to him last week he let me know he has lost his father, his mother, and his brother. He has been out of work since last March but luckily is still surviving as a former business man, and has enough for another month or so. But he wasn't concerned about himself. He was more concerned with the people living hand to mouth on the streets. He talked about the oxygen shortages and the organizations to donate to but he felt called to help those on the streets to survive at this moment. I was compelled to help as well so I sent him some money. And then I shared on Instagram the photos he sent me of the food packages he made to distribute and some of the people receiving them. I was touched by the response as people who saw it (some of you included!) began to send me money via venmo, paypal and checks. In just a few short days I had received $630 and passed it onto Tino. Between us and him, he fed more than 800 people individual food portions of curry & rice or chickpeas & rice. They cost between 65 cents and 95 cents each. Then, I received more from people who continued to see the photos. We are close to $1,000 raised and I plan to send him the additional money this week. It is so touching to see what Tino is willing to do on our behalf, undoubtedly putting himself in danger by going out on the streets where he is attempting to social distance but sometimes unable to, and many of the people do not wear masks.

Some of the folks in Delhi that Tino is serving

Lining up to receive the individual food packages

Some days Tino serves Chickpeas and Rice, some days its Curry.

There are many organizations that you can donate to that will help the people of India. What Tino is doing is more grassroots, and super direct from you, through me and to him, and directly into the mouth's of real people that live on the street or around temples in India. If you want a tax receipt you will not get that here. There are lots of other places to donate that can provide you with that. If your heart is called, please take a moment to redistribute your wealth directly to feeding people in India in any of the following ways:

Please list India in the comments
Venmo @mandeelouie
Paypal mandee6321@yahoo.com
Check by Snail Mail or Drop Off (reply to this email for address)

I will make the final wire transfer by May 24th.

If you have instagram I have saved some of these photos and also videos that he sent me to my highlights. My Instagram handle is @santoshapilates

Tino’s daughter made this sign for you to see your impact- the students of Santosha Pilates.

THANK YOU for considering this special contribution to India.
Tino says "You will receive so many blessings for giving".