Tag Archives: inspiration

dj, interview, music, psytrance

Let’s Talk ~ COCODRILO

An artist I truly admire, expressing his heart through his music – Cocodrilo from Mexico.

After a discussion with Israel Holon Hisrav he inspired me to compose this writeup, not only as an interesting past, but an inspiration to upcoming artists and music lovers.

He started his way into the music around the year 2001 when he attended a local party where Tower Record DJs performed. One of them played psychedelic trance so since that day it became a passion and a lifestyle.

“After that day I started to become a music collector and immediately my best friend had time to buy a booth to play. It was there that I learned to mix electronic music at that time progressive house and trance. In 2003 I started working with a French label – Mandala Records and later meet Dj Dende and be part of Catalyst Records around 2006 where I could collaborate for the growth of the label by placing it on the scene plane. By this time I worked under the name of DJ Hisrav, playing DJ sets and it was during the year of 2007 when I started with the project called “In Lak Ech” next to my partner in crime, Haffman. I have achieved internationalization since 2012 playing in festivals such as Hadra Trance Festival (France), Aho Festival (Brazil), Modem Festival l & ll, (Croatia) Ometeotl Festival (Mexico), Goa Dupa Festival (Poland), Sonica Festival (Italy), Free Earth Festival (Greece), Poison Festival (Mexico), Freqs of Nature Festival (Germany), Blackmoon Festival (Italy) among others.”

Their style is unique within the Psychedelic trance scene and has matured to the passage of auditory and personal experiences over the years.

In 2012 he decided to create the first of his solo projects called Holon after maturing his own sound over the years on the project “In Lak Ech.” Conformed with a hypnotic line of trance music – Insistent, twisted, crispy, full of witchcraft and especially very psychedelic.

He recently signed on SquareLab Music based in France, so after a decade of work and synchronization with trance music, he decided to dive into the depths of time and create a dominant, aggressive and predatory sound with the project called “Cocodrilo.”

At the end, you will become a rapt prey, submerging into the depths of a psychedelic swamp of emotions.

“In 2018 I decided to found New Skulls Records based in Mexico after working and giving production courses for 5 years, and enrolling in the world of education, realizing it is one of the most satisfying activities I have ever experienced.”

This is how my vision was born, which was to form a group of skulls that evolve over time and that are determined to share their message through music.

In 2017, he decided to create his last project called Conami Kode next to Seggae with a more acid touch than the previous ones. He is currently concentrating on the label and in his 4 projects apart from being an active promoter of new musical talents.

~ COMPILATIONS ~

Mexican Vibes V/A Mandala Recs

https://www.beatport.com/release/mexican-vibes-compiled-by-dj-hisrav/933867

The order of chaos V/A Catalyst Records

https://www.beatport.com/release/the-order-of-chaos/260408

Holon V/A Catalyst Records

https://www.beatport.com/release/holon/444973

Holon ft New Skulls Vol. 1 – New Skulls Records

https://newskullsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/holon-feat-new-skulls-vol-1

Holon ft New Skulls Vol. 2 – New Skulls Records

https://newskullsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/holon-feat-new-skulls-vol-2

Holon ft New Skulls Vol. 3 – New Skulls Records

https://newskullsrecords.bandcamp.com/album/new-skulls-v-a-vol-3

In Lak Ech – The Hikury Tales – Album – Catalyst Records

https://www.beatport.com/release/the-hikuri-tales/1453222

COCODRILO

IN LAK ECH

Article, Artist, Career, interview, lifestyle, music, musician, South Africa

Young Sound Driven Student, Ecoteric, Infuses Nature into his Music

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Young Talent in SA:

 

EcotericEcoteric, a musical project freshly part of Mindspring Music and Technophobia Records.

Launched in October 2018 by Julian Venter, a student of 18 years old living in Johannesburg. He produces music that’s focused merely on the human soul. Ecoteric’s musical genres include Zenonesque and Psychedelic Dub, however, when in the studio, Ecoteric focuses more on the natural sounds and productions of Zenonesque and Dub music.

The young and ever nurtured musical project’s destiny is to enhance all listeners with situated frequencies, with an endless-goal to allow the listener to become more self-aware of his/her emotional soul-baby. Solely music allowing human beings to be at one with themselves and their surroundings, an eternal bond with Mother-Earth.

 

❝The energies that drive us contribute to every magical moment of our existence, and when combined with the right touch of musical enhancements, we find that we all come across, just like our veins, just like the roots of trees connect each other, with love and compassion.❞

– Julian Venter

 Who/what influenced you towards your style of music and music in general? 

Julian: I began making music at the age of 11, I remember being seated in my cousin’s studio, observing him as he goes. Gilles Dice, the mentor, an incredible artist. The man who originally planted the idea of music production in my mind.

I started the music project Ecoteric last year in October because I felt like I had to make deeper music with meaning, emotion and intention. I felt like making a musical style similar to Adama’s. He inspired me to approach a more natural and organic feel and just like that my journey began.

❝Love earth, for she is our mother,
and she loves us.❞

https://soundcloud.com/ecoteric/leminin

 

Ecoteric lives for the moment of consolidations between people and nature because it is so ever beautiful to have a glimpse at a person and feel the love that person beholds for our Planet.

Tell us about your past/future festivals?

Julian: I had my first psychedelic festival experience when I was 13 years old, I also perform at this event called Mongi Wobble. After that day I knew what I wanted to do.

I had my first performance at Twilight last year November, I played a three-hour dub set at the chill area. At this stage I had already begun to produce my own music and the first ever track I finished as Ecoteric was called “Teria”. This track may get released by Merkaba Music. I then went on to perform at one Jozi Tribe’s events where I played a more progressive Zenonesque set. later on, I simultaneously got in touch with Technophobia Records as well as Mindspring Music, today I’m an artist on both their rosters.

I have been booked by:

► Psyclical , even though the event hasn’t been launched yet, Psyclical hosts epic indoor as well as outdoor events.

► Connexion NYE Open Air Festival by OneLove Productions

I am also collaborating with an incredible artist from Australia, his name is Gabriel Jack and he goes by the artist name Scionaugh. I have worked with a lot of different artists from around the globe and I have had only great experiences with them. Sarah Leigh Steensma is a driven companion in my musical production lifestyle and I seldom call upon her aid when I want to add extra energy into my music. She writes lyrics and provides powerful vocal material. I recently played a two-hour dark into bush prog set for Elysium Festival.

Upcoming albums and EP’s:

► Teria [Album], 2019 – Merkaba Music
► Leminin [EP], 2019 – Technophobia Records
► Osirus [EP], 2019 – Mindspring Music

Recent bookings:

► Twilight Open Air Festival V14, 2018/11/04 [SA]
► Gypsy-Xmas (Zenonesque Music Gathering), 2018/12/26 [SA]
► Saturn Surfers Earth Day Celebration, 2019/01/12 [SA]
► Elysium Open Air Festival, 2019/04/19 [SA]

Sets:

Teria (might get released on Merkaba Music)

Frequency of Thought Remix

Elysium Open Air Festival Set

Gypsy X-mas Set

What are you currently working on? 

Julian: I have exciting new work coming up such as my multi-styled album as well as my two EPs called “Osirus” and “Leminin” for Mindspring Music and Technophobia Records respectively. One of the many things that excite me the most is that I’m starting a duo project named ‘Shmangle’. This duo-project will have a more driving and progressive, as well as a deeper Zenonesque oil sound. ‘Shamngle.’ It will be myself and Luca Kovacich (Young Padawan) as ‘Shmangle’ and we are in the process of creating a guest mix to feature with Technophobia Records. This will be our first move as the duo.

Before the start of Ecoteric took place, I began two aliases which still exist today. The first would be Eopal. Eopal is my downtempo African tech alias. This music project is part of Suid Tronica Records. It would be my psytrance alias, although I haven’t quite settled with a proper launch for it, I am planning on putting together an EP and involving powerful artists from both South Africa and around the world.

 

 

What are your future plans in the beautiful world of music?

Julian: I am planning an Australian visit as Ecoteric, I will be going there and performing at various events as well as at Australia’s traditional Bush Doof Gatherings. This tour would only happen once I have prepared myself, until that day, I’m grinding!

I have a certified and completed mixing and mastering course with lead singer Justin Swart from ‘The Amblers’ behind my name as a music producer. Justin Swart is also the founder of Olive Productions. I also have the future possibilities of being booked in Sweden, Brazil and Israel to perform as Ecoteric.

Catch Ecoteric on IG and FB!

Architecture, Article, Change, design, Environment, Furniture Design, music festival, Sustainability, Sustainable Design, world

How Can We “Grow” Architecture Part I

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GROW

Can we grow architecture?

This is a powerful term and can be implemented into all forms of design, however today we focus this word around architecture and how it can be implemented.

Reduce – Reuse – Recycle – Grow

As designers it is important, especially in this decade, to pay attention to creating structures that include eco-friendly, sustainable methods, while still mastering the incredible aesthetics. In this article, we look at ways of improving living at a better cost while focusing on sustainability — reuse.

Discover some creative, interesting natural building materials that can be used to create the perfect eco home:

HEMPCRETE

Have you ever heard of HempCrete? This material is much like concrete, only it is made from the inner fibers of a hemp plant. Hemp is a fast-growing and replaceable plant that, mixed with lime and water, can be used to create thermal and biocompatible walling. This results in a strong lightweight material which is fireproof, waterproof, and well-insulated.

Take a look at the use of HempCrete in Cape Town

MYCELIUM

100% natural, Mycelium is a building material of the future. It incorporates the root structure of fungi and mushrooms. This is then used to grow around other natural materials such as straw in form or cut up corn stalks and hemp, and then when dried over a couple of days, it results in the creation of strong, durable, lightweight bricks.

CARDBOARD

Cardboard, incredibly popular in the design world, grants designers no limit. As with everything, it has its pros and cons, but could it be utilized to construct a building? The answer is yes.

The sky is the limit

Cardboard can be protected from weather conditions effectively with the use of breathable, waterproof film. Finished with wooden cladding boards, it can be ultimately weatherproof. It is a great way for an architect with the aim to construct according to sustainability, cost, and approaching urban areas.

Cardboard extends itself even more in a creative way of fulfilling many design elements by its use for interiors, objects such as architectural models, tents, even fashion – the sky is the limit.

Ever popular party in Portugal, Boom Festival had outstanding eco-friendly approaches throughout the event. From well-designed luxury cardboard tents (known as the cardboard village) to compost toilets and use of solar energy to power the event. Below is a link to the Cardboard Village and view more of their approaches here: Boom Festival Environmental Approaches

Cardboard Village - Boom Festival 2018
Cardboard Village – Boom Festival 2018

Another great example of cardboard housing is the “Wikkelhouse” in Amsterdam by Fiction Factory. There are many ways in which sustainable design can be implemented, don’t be afraid to “go green.”

It’s the future.

Article, Blogging, Cape Town, Health, interview, lifestyle, Meditation, Mind, Yoga, Yogi

A powerful, tranquil space | The Yoga Room

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Clouded walls with glossy, fine golden lines spiraling around each other, the interior of  The Yoga Room creates a comforting and safe feel as you walk in.

Situated up in Vredehoek, the studio opened doors in July 2017. Suited for all levels, no matter where you’re at, the small classes are created to fit each yogi. I spent some time here during Celebrate Spring with 30 days of Yoga by Yoom. It involved some dedicated early mornings, of which now have become a healthy routine in my life.

I spoke to Elsa van Niekerk, the founder of The Yoga Room, about her goals with regards to the studio and asked her to invite us a little into her background.

The Yoga Room

E: It is just over a year old and I love what it is growing into. I wanted to create a smaller, more intimate yoga space in Cape Town and offer authentic yoga, i.e slow it down a bit, allow space for meditation, breathing, just being. My aim is to make it as inclusive as possible and it’s wonderful to know that many of our clients started doing yoga here for the first time. It really is a studio that caters for all shapes, sizes, and ages. Our teachers are also very experienced which allows us to focus on individual attention and guidance. It has been a great experience so far to build this studio right in the heart of the community.

The first time I did yoga was at a gym in London. The class was taught by a woman well into her 60’s – I was fascinated by her energy and walked out of class feeling great.  It took some time to build up a practice though, but now it is a great way to tune into myself. To really get in touch with my mind and body. I did my training in New York at the renowned ISHTA Yoga School where I found my spiritual home – their teaching philosophy of focusing on the individual and drawing from the teachings of Hatha, Tantra, and Ayurveda inspires me.

Physically it’s made me much stronger and being an asthmatic since birth it has helped me tremendously to learn how to breathe properly. I’ve seen countless times at the studio how much benefit people get from being in a calm space, away from the rush of  life, focused on breathing and moving and tapping into themselves

Elsa, what advice could you provide the beginner yogi, or perhaps someone that has never tried it?

E: I realise it’s daunting to start something new and it seems there is an expectation that you need to look or be a certain way to do yoga. But you really don’t need to live a certain lifestyle, chant, say ohm or be able to touch your toes to start a practice. It really is not about that! So my advice would be to find a beginners class and try to stick to a routine, come a few weeks in a row and slowly build up the confidence to get to know the different poses and breathing techniques.

The diversity of our classes – it ranges from Gentle Yoga for the older practitioner to moms & babies yoga.

The Yoga Room

You can check out the class schedule here 🙂
♡
Yoom Yogi
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Blogging, Cape Town, Health, interview, lifestyle, Yoga, Yogi

GET UNRAVELED | Yoom Yogi

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As part of the CELEBRATE SPRING with 30 Days of Yoga Challenge by Yoom Wellness, my experience at Unraveled was unforgettable. The classes were strong, vibey and filled with energy.

Situated in Cape Town’s ever-popular Bree Street, Unraveled Yoga provides their own signature style of Vinyasa classes, much needed for the ultimate fulfilling day. Maya Pratt, the founder, gives us some food for thought:

My aim for the studio is to merge the beautiful and chaotic qualities of city life to the essence of yoga – finding your peace/stillness/tranquility within the mayhem of everyday life.

 

Our aim for the Celebrate Spring Challenge was to create awareness around yoga. How has yoga benefited you?

M: As a person, it has opened up a space to be totally present and become more aware of how my body works and moves. I’ve always liked to be active, in different ways, and yoga was a great addition that also brought a mindful component to movement. Now I am an instructor and a practitioner and love finding the balance of enjoying my yoga and being able to share it with others.

 

What advice do you have for someone that has never tried yoga?

M: You’ll never know until you try – pick a studio, pick a class time, commit to it and show up. Do that again and again and you’ll definitely find a sweet spot. Of course, it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but love it or hate, you will learn something about your body or about your mind and you can always take that with you.

I regret going to yoga – said no one ever!

You can check out the class schedule here 🙂
♡
Yoom Yogi
Bloggerinspo

 

Blogging, Friendship, lifestyle, Mind, Poetry

For a friend

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Endless laughter, reunited again,

We party like rockstars, you and I girl – fame.

Friendship is like wine, it gets better with age,

With our passion for red, we’d have a whole farm by this stage.

It’s always an adventure, we have been through so much,

Through the toughest moments, we still stayed in touch.

You and I girl, lets conquer, wine glass in hand.

Forever till the end, together we shall stand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blogging, Cape Town, Change, Health, lifestyle, Meditation, Mind, Yoga, Yogi

Live to Learn | SELF TAUGHT YOGI

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Loosen up your mind before you loosen up your body.

I am a self-taught Yogi as of 2 years now (and growing) and it has had a powerful impact on my life both physically and mentally. I started yoga during an emotional stage in my life where I was struggling with, okay I’ll be honest here, a break-up, and I felt that I needed to switch off for an hour or two each day.

I had always seen others doing yoga and I assumed it was never for me. Turned out, I was just clueless! There is more to yoga than you know, it healed me and helped me through one rocky road. So grab a mat and listen up!

Yoga is EPIC. Heres why:

  1. You don’t have to practice it alone. Get your pets involved or your friends, get a yoga buddy!SELF TAUGHT YOGI
  2. Insomniac? Me too! Don’t be a night owl. Yoga is extremely calming and helps us relax our muscles. After a few weeks, it can make a dramatic improvement on sleep.
  3. Kick the depression. The practice of mindfulness in meditation is proven to increase serotonin levels and give you a boost!
  4. Back pain can be treated through yoga if done correctly. Please note that professional advice and classes are highly advised for this as back pain can be worsened in some cases.
  5.  Cure that hangover. There are poses such as fish and plow that can improve metabolism and create more balance in the body causing you to feel more refreshed.
  6. Those that suffer from Arthritis can practice yoga to maintain strength and flexibility.
  7. You can yoga it up ANYWHERE. Literally. Tarryn Hardwicke
  8. Health and wellness, in general, is improved. You are guaranteed to start feeling better mind, spirit, and body.
  9. FACT: Dating apps ranked those who mentioned “yoga” in their profiles, most attractive. BELIEVE IT, BABY.
  10. It has the ability to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol. Stress included. These factor in heart disease.

I began my yoga journey with this lovely lady Adriene

Maybe you too could benefit from her videos, however, I would suggest starting off with classes! I hope that you join this journey, it truly is beautiful.

♡

Tarryn Hardwicke

Article, Blogging, Career, interview, lifestyle, music, musician, Travel, Videography

SAWLEAD GROUND in SA

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Sawlead Ground is a promising Cinematic Progressive Trance duo from Tel-Aviv, Israel.
Maor Nachum & Ram Erez, both graduates at BPM College, always working hard on fresh tunes, exploring different sounds and genres, taking their music to the edge.

Maor Nachum, currently in Cape Town (sadly not for long) brought heat to the dancefloor at Anomaly’s event Anomaly ft Sawlead Ground Maor Dane Stirrat Brett Aitken Venture last week Friday.

Sawlead Ground has been releasing music for more than 2 years on some of the biggest
labels in the scene – Spin Twist Records, Blue Tunes Records and Alien Records, collaborating with artists such as 4i20, Modus, Unicode and more. Some of their EP’s have reached #1 place on Beatport’s Top 10 Psy-Trance Releases Chart.

Interview by Tarryn Hardwicke

What were the first inspirations that drew you towards making your own music and overall joining the music scene?

SG: As a kid, I went to a lot of trance parties and always imagined myself on stage playing and blasting the dancefloor.

What has ultimately been your most memorable festival/party and explain why?

SG: Definitely, EQUINOX Experience Festival here in South Africa! The production, the amazing venue, the incredible vibe of the people, the togetherness. It’s the best we have experienced. After our sets, we even stayed for the whole festival and just couldn’t stop smiling.

Which musicians inspire you and your career?

SG: Daft Punk, The Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Stephan Bodzin, Captain Hook, Freedom Fighters, Modus… the list goes on!

Where would you say that you see yourself 5 years from now? 

SG: Traveling the world, playing and spreading our/my music. I might even decide to live outside of Israel for a bit. Who knows. Maybe I can get an apartment here in Cape Town! 😛

Do you have any advice for any upcoming musicians that are joining the industry? If so, please share it with our readers. 

SG: Think out of the box! Don’t stop exploring, producing and promoting your music. Always make music that you love. Play your music to your closest friends – they are the best critics!

You mentioned that you love our Mother City, Cape Town. What has been your most epic experience thus far? 

SG: Cape Town is for sure one of the best cities we have been to! The best experience was at Boulders Beach when one of the penguins decided to taste my Israeli flesh…….:P He did what?!

We love your videography! Please, could you tell us more about it! 

SG: We love being creative and finding the humor in every situation. Through these videos, we can connect with the crowd in a different way showing them another side of us. If nothing else, the film shooting days are sooo much fun! It’s a gas. We do everything from taking footage to editing it ourselves and always add our extra own special touch to the tale.

Do you have any tracks or videos that you are working on at the moment?

SG: We are always producing and thinking about new music and videos. We are working on a series of 2 – 3 episodes (depending on the footage) of the shows we played in ANOMALY & UNDERGROUND SOUND, plus some of our personal experiences from your awesome country. On the music front, we have made a couple of new Sawlead tracks with a fresh vibe. More deep and melodic but still powerful and groovy! We are almost ready to launch those so keep an eye on our pages for more info. SG aside, I’m also starting my own solo project exploring different types of electronic music production with no boundaries. Lately, techno has been resonating with me which inspired a couple of exciting tracks I have in the oven.

WOW! Exciting stuff. Are there any upcoming festivals/parties that we can get amped for?

SG: Yes there are a few parties down the line but cats out the bag… EQUINOX Experience 2019…say no more! 😉

Tell us, what is your SPIRIT ANIMAL  and why?

SG: Probably a dog, absolutely love them and I’m quite a sucker for a scratch on the back of the head 😛

 

 

art, Blogging, Career, design, Environment, lifestyle, Sustainable Design

Welcome to the life of a Designer Pt 2

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REMEMBER WHY YOU STARTED

Design is a powerful journey – embrace it and wear your passion. Step out of your comfort zone and stop trying to be perfect. Remember that dreams are never too big.

CONTINUE TO GROW

The world is ever-changing and always introducing the bigger and the better.  As a designer, you can never stop learning. Below are a few pointers on how to stay in the loop with trends, programmes, news, the business!

YouTube tutorials, as well as online courses, are useful for learning new programmes. Alternatively, you can read top design magazines such as VISI, HOW, Icon, Architectural Digest, Dezeen and the list goes on! Following social media is a no-brainer, especially in this day and age and being involved in the design world. Then it’s up to you whether you want to follow or lead!

SET GOALS

Firstly, as a designer, it is crucial to trust yourself and never doubt your capabilities. This applies to all fields of design. Have passion in your career and you will never refer to it as “work.” Secondly, you cannot achieve the desired outcome without setting a goal. It is important to know what you want.

DESIGN AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Part 1 strategised from specifically an architectural point of view. Fortunately, there are other sustainable alternatives such as the following:

  1. Reduce waste. Ask yourself whether your product will be durable and long-lasting, or will it be recyclable?
  2. Choose your materials wisely. Make use of renewable materials such as woods that can be restored by the planet quickly.
  3. Publish online. At this point in time, all eyes are online – you know, the place with all the memes? Print less and get connected!

ATTRIBUTES

As a designer, having a positive perception of yourself is the greatest asset. This helps with overcoming challenges, reaching your goals and avoiding doubt. Remember that you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it.

 

Wildetecture blog by Tarryn Hardwicke

Blogging, Change, lifestyle, Mind, Success

20 Simple Life Hacks

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Life can be made a lot easier simply by doing certain things, should you make the time and effort. It’s important to make the most of every day and be grateful for it. Check out a few points below that may be helpful in adding more light to your life!

  1. Make a bucket list
  2. Do something you have never done before
  3. Look at the stars
  4. Realise that you are amazing!
  5. Set a goal with a deadline
  6. Clean your home
  7. Write 20 things you LOVE about your life
  8. Exercise
  9. Stop complaining
  10. Wake up early
  11. Grow a plant
  12. Focus on giving, less on getting
  13. Find time for yourself
  14. Stop expecting others to make you happy
  15. Learn something new
  16. Travel
  17. Volunteer
  18. Face a fear
  19. Make a new friend
  20. Have trust
Blogging, Cape Town, interview, news, world, Yoga

Finding Freedom Inside Prison With Yoga

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I knew I was going to cover Yoga as a topic this week, however, I had no idea I would be blessed with the opportunity to speak to SevaUnite about the Prison Freedom Project at Pollsmoor Maximum Facility in Cape Town.

Yoga and Meditation assist in the relief of suffering and rehabilitates the mind, body and soul. It brings a state of acceptance. This can alleviate the pain of prisoners who have wronged others, or sustained severe trauma.

Men are getting up at 5am to find some space and quiet to practice yoga.

SevaUnite began in 2010, conducting a series of Yoga rehabilitative classes at Pollsmoor Maximum Facility in Cape Town to the admissions centre, male juvenile section and the women’s unit. There is a Mindfulness Correspondence Course also available for volunteers and following this, there’s a Teachers Training Course that they can enrol in, should a passion begin to blossom.

Lee-Ann Olwage Photography - Finding Freedom Inside
By Lee-Ann Olwage

Lee-Ann Olwage Photography - Finding Freedom Inside
By Lee-Ann Olwage

A SevaUnite Volunteer, Shale Tinkler, shares some insight into his journey with the organisation and his own experiences with yoga/meditation.

What role do you play in SevaUnite and how long have you been involved?

I have been volunteering with Seva Unite since mid-2016, teaching yoga to offenders at Pollsmoor.

How can we as the public get involved with SevaUnite?

To get involved as an instructor or by making a contribution towards expenses, contact Seva Unite via their Facebook page or email leela@sevaunite.org. donations of any unused yoga mats are also welcome.

Describe some of your most memorable experiences whilst working with the organisation.

My most memorable experiences mostly involve seeing the powerful impact yoga has had on those practising. Over a 90 minute session of postures, breathwork and relaxation, tense, guarded facial expressions and body language visibly soften and become lighter, more gentle and open.

Some practising have reported that yoga helps them feel more calm & peaceful and deal with anger and stress in a positive way. Others mentioned how they were able to gain deep insight into themselves and their past and gain hope and a more positive outlook for the future.

My very best though, was once, after a deep relaxation at the end of a class when I asked how everyone was feeling. One responded with “I feel like I’m not in prison anymore”. I think this illustrates yoga’s potential, even in physical confinement, to bring about a powerful sense of inner freedom.

Lee-Ann Olwage Photography - Finding Freedom Inside
By Lee-Ann Olwage

What inspired you to start Yoga/Meditation? 

I was introduced to yoga by someone close to me, thinking that it would be a good form of exercise. While it definitely has been hugely beneficial for my body, what really keeps me coming back to my mat are the profound benefits I feel in my mind and spirit. When I practice consistently I feel more peaceful, more cheerful and more connected to those around me and to life itself. Yoga has helped me learn self-discipline and continues to help me learn to know and love myself.

SevaUnite also helps collect unused/unwanted clothing, toys and household items and allocates it to those that are in need.

All photography was done by Lee-Ann Olwage: http://www.leeannolwage.com/

Check out more info on SevaUnite at http://www.sevaunite.org/

For some YOGA on Insta checkout my personal page: yoga_for_days

I hope you enjoyed this read and have a wonderful weekend! 😀