Fr. Joe with Our Australian Benefactor Pauline along with Karen and George

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Words of appreciation to Fr. Joe from Hong Kong.

Kripafoundation Iyengar Yoga™ Celebrates Yoga for Addiction Recovery - by Fr. Joe

  Kripafoundation Iyengar Yoga™ of Kripa Foundation™  organised an evening of Celebrating Yoga for Addiction at St. Andrew's auditorium, Bandra Mumbai.on the 23rd of June 2015.

This was one of the continuous programs held by Fr. Joe to celebrate International Yoga Day. The program commenced with a prayer dance by Chaya Khanwate and troupe The Indian ballet mesmerized the audience with their graceful movements explaining Yoga in our country. This was followed by a curtain raiser film of Fr. Joe explaining the true meaning of Yoga, A film directed by Joe Cordo. It was  touching moments to listen to the voice of Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar speaking on Fr. Joe's practice of Iyengar yoga and how Fr. Joe has grown, spreading the practice of yoga and incorporating the same in his treatment of addiction recovery, this was followed by a brief address by Fr. Joe and later the keynote address by Chief guest Auxiliary Bishop Agnelo Gracias. 

Bishop Agnelo Gracias also released the book on yoga by Mariam ( Mimi) ) Batlivala tilted "The Grace & Compassion of Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar".  Merlin and Rhys Sebastin D'Souza got the audience tapping their toes to the tune of Golden Hindi movie tunes of yesteryear. Yoga delegates Jim Pope from Canada, Karen Wilde from Australia accompanied by Viviene, Bryant Mascarenhas from United States of America and George Dovas from Hong kong shared their experience with the practice of yoga and their association with Fr. Joe. 

 A video clip by Gurumai Getaji Iyengar who could not attend the program due to heavy rains in Pune settled the crowd as they were all awaiting her arrival. The light of Yoga Trust gave a brief demonstration of Iyengar yoga using various props.

 The highlight of the evening was a yoga ballet of WECAN group of Mimi Batlivala with the ending being Mimi herself joining the troupe in a Namaste to all. Touching moments as the girls were given a standing ovation for their well performed ballet on Yoga.  The program ending with the singing of Vande Mataram. 

This program was sponsored by MLA Ashish Shelar's SPANDAN -A Dereyk Talker production.

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The Ulimate Spirit of Yoga- An article in Mi Marathi Newspaper on International Yoga Day Celebration by Fr. Joe and Kripa Foundation.

Click link
http://epaper.mimarathilive.com/epapermain.aspx?pgno=14&eddate=2015-6-26&edcode=820009#.VY1U_DXP9Gs.email

Courtesy
Mi Marathi Newspaper
Shri Sharad Vichare.

Fr. Joe commences International Yoga Day by an early morning program at Bandra bandstand promenade.with Ms. karen D;Mello Corporator H Ward.Mumbai

Fr. Joe commenced international Yoga day by attended a function with Ms. karen D'Mello Municipal Corporator of from Bandra H- Ward at Bandstand promenade in Bandra

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Mayor of Vasai - Virar Shri Narayan Mankar felicitated at a massive program held By Fr. Joe & Kripa Foundation on International Yoga Day.

Immediately after the early morning function on International Yoga Day held at Bandra Bandstand promenade, Fr. Joe, rushed to Kripa Foundation Vasai attended the Vasai Region AIDS Control Society Advisory Board meeting after which he dovetailed into a special program organised to commemorate International Yoga Day
At a house full B.K.S. Iyengar Auditorium, Fr, Joe along with the Mayor of Vasai Virar Shri Narayan Mankar and Mr. Sandesh Jadhav inaugurated the  function by lighting the traditional lamp. In his brief speech the Mayor acknowledge the yoga practice that is carried out by Fr. Joe all over the world and was proud to be associated with the work of Kripa,  he further added that the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation will always be there to support the good cause of Kripa Foundation. Later Shri Narayan Mankar, Shri Sandesh Jadhav and Dr. Patil were felicitated by Kripa for their outstanding contribution to Kripa  and VRACS.
After a short clip of Guruji and Fr Joe,on Yoga, the crowd was spell bound to see and listen to the live demonstration of Iyengar Yoga by Fr. Joe, many a times paused by applauds from the crowd.
Fr, Joe received a standing ovation from one and all. The vote of thanks was done by Amit Patel and the anchor by Dr. Hemant D. Patil, after which they were served a sumptuous lunch catered by the in-house Chefs.
 The program was also attended by many newly elected corporators  to the Municipal Corporation, medical practitioners and press reporters and Fr. Joe's yoga practitioners from Australia.
A salute to the kripa Family of Vasai led by Mrs.Jean Pereira and Fr. Seraphinus.

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Our work in the field of Addiction says it all. Fr joe clears misconceptions about Yoga .In The Examiner & Mi Marathi Newspaper

Kripafoundation Iyengar Yoga™- A GIFT TO ADDICTION RECOVERY

The 21^st of June has been declared the World Day of Yoga while the 26^th June is also World Anti Drug Abuse Day declared by the United Nations Office of Drug and Crime. Since Kripa Foundation has been using Iyengar yoga as an essential component for recovery from Addiction, the 23^rd June will be celebrated as “Iyengar Yoga - a Gift to Addiction Recovery”. 

The Kripa Model of Recovery is based on the self-help programme of the AA. This programme has two dimensions of healing the addict. The first is psycho-spiritual and the second psycho-social. These dimensions make the person find the common golden thread  of faith and love in all the twelve steps. However as St. Paul Said, “I know what is good and know what is bad; yet I end up by doing the bad that I hate”. Merely the study or understanding of recovery makes many get into a relapse-syndrome. This is mostly because the  the body often does not respond to the sublime teachings of the Programme. As Jesus said. “ the Spirit is willing but the flesh is weak”. Hence in Kripa we introduced this element  called the “Wisdom of the Body” as acknowledged by the Physician Dr. Walter Canon. This latent wisdom in the body can be explored in a manner that gives the person in recovery an experience of what in Yoga is called “cellular consciousness”. We all know that the body never tells lies. So often we claim to have faith and profess our faith with our lips and voice however our bodies are expressing fear, anxiety depression and lack of Trust in God. For an addict this path to recovery through the Body becomes an experience of authentic sense of well-being. While it is well known that a runner gets what is called a “runner’s high”, in Yoga the creation of Nitric Oxide in the brain helps activate positive neurotransmitters such as endorphins, dopamine and seretonin.  The Harvard Medical School along with Dr. Herbert Benson has said in the Medical jounal Lancet, “Yoga and Meditation can change a type A personality into a type B personality.” This is the goal of recovery from Addiction; not just staying away from the chemical of one’s choice but to have a change of life-style. The Eleventh step of the AA states, “ sought through prayer and meditation to improve my conscious contact with God, praying only for the knowledge of His will and the power to carry that out.” This method of mediation is the very contemplative prayer that WCCM (world community for Christian meditation) practices as per the teaching of Dom John  Main. All the centres of Kripa have this method of prayer along with the practice of Iyengar Yoga which helps to prepare the body for an authentic experience of healing.  Addiction is a frustrated thirst for God. Satan tricks the addict by a false sense of Love and Joy. Hence Dr. Jung said that addiction can only be healed by the formula, “Spiritus contra spiritum”. 

In Iyengar Yoga we reverse the urge of self-gratification with the practice of self-denial.  In and through the body the addict is made to live the teaching of Jesus that true discipleship is a matter of “denying one’s self”, taking up the cross of Reality and being faithful in following the programme one day at a time.

However the reactions of many fundamentalist Christians call for a clarification.They speak only of the unorthodox types of Yoga that have used this ancient science to promote Hinduism. There are various kinds of Yoga that do dabble with the occult and hence the caution to use this method is necessary.

 However in the field of health and especially in the context of Healing Addiction the specific kind of scientific study and research on Iyengar Yoga has brought the Kripa Model of Recovery to be the most effective in the world. This method is being practiced in over 40 countries and through the practice of Christian Meditation, the special book and DVD of Yoga for the practice of Christian Meditation is now in over 120 countries. The Catholic Church in India has always used this ancient science for prayer and Meditation. Just as while adopting the Pentecostal renewal the Catholic Church maintains certain cautions, in a similar way we must use our discretion in not identifying the therapeutic use of yoga with a whole lot of misguided use of this ancient practice.

Fr. Joe Pereira,

Managing Trustee , Kripa Foundation

Courtesy
Mi Marathi Newspaper.

Fr. Joe speaking about Yoga - A Flim by Joe Cordo

Click the link to view on You Tube

http://youtu.be/wL1Jr4ZyECo

Courtesy

Mr. Joe Cordo
Director Producer of the film

Fr. Joe Practicing Yoga and Meditation with His Family of Kripa Bandra on International Yoga Day

Fr. Joe practicing Yoga and Meditation with his Kripa Family of Bandra.

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Fr. Joe commences Kripa Poland with Maruiz

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Fr Joe conducts Kripafoundation Iyengar Yoga™ at a Protestant St. Jacob Church, Zurich

Photographs Courtesy
Reto Wodiunig
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Bela Pete
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Fr. Joe conducts Intense Kripafoundation Iyengar Yoga™ at Karuna Zentum - Germany

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Sima
Karuna Zentum
Germany
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