‘I wanted to give back to my community, everything that I received when I was on the outside’, says Ananda D, co-founder of The Samudra Foundation & yoga shala space. Ananda has been involved with the empowerment of youth in his local community upon completing his formal education in ‘Yoga Studies’ in 2016.
It all began with the instalment of a simple, handwoven thatched roof over Ananda’s humble home. From there, we let the magic unfold…
At present, our shala provides the yoga classes every weekend, for the children of the community. ‘It is just amazing to give class to these kids, they are so flexible and the classes that I give the children are of an advanced level!’. ‘In fact…’, says Ananda with an innocent laugh, ‘they are teaching me the power of a free mind.’
In 2018, Spanish sustainable architect, Laura Rodenas, arrived at the village. Her connection with Yogi Ananda was rather instant. As a student of architecture at the time, she decided to write her thesis about the Yoga Community of Covelong Village. ''AN ADAPTIVE COAST LINE'' Read more...
Laura said she first met Ananda during a swim in the ocean and intuitively, one of the first things he said to her was, “You are here to design our Yoga Community Centre.”
There on, dynamic duo Anand and Laura, wasted no time and set out to make their dreams a reality. They engaged in discussions and designed plans that would improve the well-being of Anand’s - and soon to be Laura’s - community. One that followed the path of yoga teaching and philosophy…
During the first wave of the pandemic, all progress on the shala came to a halt. A devastating cyclone destroyed their humble rooftop! Yet, nothing could break their resilient spirit. With the support of close friends and family who believed in their cause, Samudra Foundation received 2000 INR to rebuild the rooftop and pick up where they left off. A month later, the shala received a beautiful, sturdy and sustainable bamboo roof, one that could not be deterred by the natural forces! Owing to the overwhelming support of the community, Anand and Laura were able to chart out their next course of action.
At present, there are multiple projects that are being developed for this very purpose. Here is a list of some of their most recent projects:
The Yoga Shala
Getting messy and having fun whilst learning the practical skill of building and construction using sustainable materials (mud, clay, terracotta, bamboo etc.).
A Communal Garden
A ‘plant your own tree initiative.’
Each child will be planting a tree on communal soil. The project aims teach children how to care for trees, understand their significance in our lives and the larger ecosystem and hone basic gardening skills.
Beach Clean-ups
The #30minutebeachcleanup challenge started out as a project in Covelong, but isn’t restricted to the people of the village. The movement aims to encourage people to engage in their own clean-up (in their own time) during a beach-visit as one’s own moral obligation as a citizen of this Earth.
Composting Station
Up-cycled water-tanks are currently being set up at various points in the village to establish a communal compost station. A designated compost station means families can come dispose of their organic waste in an organised manner. The waste will later be used to restore greenery of the village.
We are always looking for volunteers, and any support that you can offer is welcome.
For more info contact:
+91 9791136171
+34 639201735