Drop to your knees

Drop to your knees. Sink deep into prayer.

Silent whispers to something, or to someone, which is almighty. Powerful. Merciful.

In times of turmoil, exasperation and angst.

And in times of fervent joy, abundance and complete and utter gratitude.

The mystery that envelopes our lives and this very Unknown has us question the purpose; the rhyme and the reason to it all from time to time.

But then something happens – omens, signs and synchronicity happen - leading us closer to our desire and dream. Often masked and not always recognisable to the closed heart, but there nonetheless when we are ready to see, and I mean really See.

I’m talking about Alchemy. The idea of being connected and supported by the profound powers, which we often call Religion or Spirituality.

Recent travels to France and Italy reignited my intrigue in the Divine, the Universe, God – whatever label you prefer.

Churches and shrines, basilicas and venerable monuments. Historic paintings and statues of saints and priests, and a cross standing tall at the top of an insurmountable peak, towering over coastal towns below.

Etched into rock, messages to spirits, and at the base of alters, women holding photos of loved ones as they prayed in silence.

Everywhere I looked, I saw expressions of faith.

Faith in the Unknown.

Ourmala: Yoga for social justice

“Following my heart is how I live my life. Sometimes it’s really easy, and other times it is challenging and terrifying, but by placing my trust in life itself, the most incredible opportunities and experiences have opened-up.”

“And when I can’t hear my heart, I know the most important thing is to get into a position where I can, and then I listen and the answer becomes clear.”

This is Emily Brett, yoga teacher and founder of Ourmala; a small charity in London that helps refugee and asylum-seeking women find strength through yoga. The main group they work with are registered with the UK Home Office to seek refuge in the UK.

I met with Emily at Ourmala’s headquarters, a converted shipping container overlooking the trees, field and pig pen at Hackney City Farm in East London.

Emily has changed the lives of more than 170 refugee and asylum-seeking women living in London since starting-up in 2011. Ourmala now has a waiting list of women wanting to practice yoga and organisations that work with refugees wanting yoga classes at their centres. 

I wanted to understand Emily's story, motivation and actions behind her grand vision.

Photography by Carl Bigmore

You have created something really special; a space for women who have been forcibly displaced to enjoy yoga. Can you tell me more about the situation for these women?

“Sure, I’d love to… Many don’t realise, but the refugee and asylum-seeking community is one of the most marginalised, under-represented, impoverished, vulnerable and stigmatised in the UK. Eighty per cent of the world’s refugees are hosted by developing countries. In the UK, refugees, pending asylum cases and stateless people make-up only 0.27% of the total population (Source: UNHCR 2012 Global Trends Report.)

The women are here to seek refuge and, for most, the situation is dire. I mean, incredibly tough. Many are dealing with mental, emotional and physical issues from the trauma they faced in their home countries. Torture, sexual violence, human trafficking and female genital mutilation are common experiences.

When they arrive in London, they often know no one and are faced with huge language barriers, poverty, malnutrition, over-crowded or unstable accommodation. For a single person, the National Asylum Seeking Support is £36.62 a week which obviously does not go very far in London.

I’ve asked women what they do during the day, and a not uncommon answer has been: ‘Sit on a bench in the park… or pray in my room….’

Many are separated from their loved ones, which can include not knowing whether they are alive.”

Life's epic poetry

Smile with your eyes.

Not your face. Not your muscles. Not your gestures.

Smile with your eyes.

All photos by Jason Di-Candilo

Let them sparkle. Let them twinkle. Let them illuminate all you have inside.

Inside, there are stories. Memories. Messages. Words all strung together.

Some are achingly beautiful.

Others are dense; heavy with pain and disappointment.

You can feel the story within your body. The slight pang in your lower back, the tightness in your neck, the stiffness in your shoulders.

When you sit in silence, you can hear the story loud and clear, playing on circuit. 

It clouds your sight; it blocks your vision. It sends you down a spiral of doubt and confusion.

This is life’s epic poetry.