Last Saturday at the Ottawa Radha Yoga Centre we held our 2nd annual Silent Auction. Once again, the downstairs was transformed into a 'café' and people helped themselves to delicious desserts while listening to songs by ChrisMacLean (from Galitcha).

Two rooms upstairs were filled with auction items and services. We had nearly double the number of donations this year, mostly given by local businesses. One of the great outcomes of this event has been the new relationships the Centre now has with some of our auction donors who are very interested in our outreach programs.

There were two particularly lively parts of the evening. One was when we held a live auction for 4 tickets and limo service to and from a theatre.

And the second was the last 5 minutes of the bidding -- as each person was trying to be sure s/he had the highest bid for the items most wanted. There was lots of laughter and good will.Sarada Eastham created a display of our outreach efforts which included somequotes from participants. Here are some examples:

From the MS class:
This yoga class has been a real plus in my life. Not only does it really help with my flexibility but has also helped me tremendously with stress. I also can't tell you how many times I practice my deep breathing at night when sleep does not come easy.

From community Young Adults:
“It has been really good to learn about calming myself down. Now I know that it is my choice to be angry or not.”

“Yoga is helping me to be a better mom. Sometimes when I am really frustrated, I focus on my breath, and remember that it is all ok.”

“Ummmm… I think yoga ROCKS!”

Janet Gaston