Teaching Yoga At A Refugee Camp

What brings real happiness? Being grateful for what you have, striving for personal growth, creating personal connections, and helping others. Contrary to popular opinion, it’s not wealth, power, or the accumulation of things! I usually volunteer as a yoga instructor for one month a year, one year, I spent my month teaching yoga at a refugee camp in Serres, Greece. 

Volunteering is an excellent way to bring some happiness into your life. It directly benefits the recipients, sets a positive example for future generations, and is personally enriching in many ways.

Lifting Hands International

I volunteered through an organization called Lifting Hands International (LHI). LHI provides donated clothing and supplies to refugees, as well as language classes including; English, Greek, and German. They also offered music, yoga, fitness, and dance classes. And to help provide the refugees with a sense of community and well-being, coordinate many different activities for women, children and families. This includes; cooking, sewing, celebrations, art, and much more.

Although my main strength is teaching yoga, they also needed a fitness instructor and dance teacher, so I volunteered to teach those classes as well. In addition, I assisted, as everyone did, with other group activities and things needed to organize the volunteers lives.

It requires a ton of energy, and lots of work, but was worth it.

The Yazidi Refugee Camp

The refugees living in the Serres, Greece camp were 100% Yazidi refugees from nothern Iraq. They were the lucky ones that escaped the genocide of ISIS. 

Although news at the time was stating that ISIS had been defeated, the Yazidis still needed safe refuge and assistance, and still do today. Their lives were shattered by the atrocities forced upon them. Many lost family members, loved ones, their homes, and their belongings, not to mention personal horrors of slavery and brainwashing. With homes destroyed and continued political instability, their homeland is not safe.

As of March, 2019, there were 600 people living in the camp, with adequate facilities for only about 500. Plus, new people were arriving weekly. The last I read, the camp is still open, but now will be taking migrants from other camps in Greece as well.

Teaching Yoga, Fitness, And Dance

My role was to teach yoga, fitness and dance to the women, men, girls, and boys. This provides them an opportunity to leave their cramped caravans in the camp, and hopefully providing a few hours for them to forget their personal traumas. LHI created a safe space, within walking distance to the camp, to provide classes and activities.

Although LHI usually has 2 fitness instructors at a time, they only has one for the month I was there, me. I was teaching 15 classes a week, plus walking 40 minutes, to and from the camp, 3 times a day.

In addition, due to the language barrier, I had to actively demonstrate the class, I couldn’t just sit back and talk them through it. One day I figured it out and realized I was doing more than 30 hours of moderate to heavy physical activity a week. This didn’t even include other activities like going to the market, cooking meals, or cleaning the apartment I shared with 5 other girls, something we shared weekly.

It was good for my heart, my body, and my soul.

The schedule was pretty exhausting, but still very rewarding. I also became really fit, really fast. Overall, it was good for my heart my body, and my soul.

The Yazidi Refugees

The Yazidis I met were lovely people. It’s amazing how the people who have been through the worst, have the kindest hearts. Even though many have almost nothing, and live in less than ideal situations, like cramped containers. They regularly brought homemade bread, sweets, and food in appreciation for the volunteers. 

Some of the refugees were more engaged with our services than others. While there were refugees that never participated, others were engaged to the point of taking on volunteer roles themselves. This was usually in the form of teaching some of these classes themselves.

Two of the ladies I worked with (below) were very engaged in the process, helping to teach yoga and fitness classes with me, as well as other volunteer jobs. They (and third that is not in the photo) were amazing women. I’m sure that they will be actively engaged in the communities they end up in.

The Volunteer Living Situation

Most of the volunteers working here were in their 20’s or 30’s and were from all around the world. Some here just wanting to help, others exploring formal careers assisting refugees, or getting more involved with the asylum process through law or politics. Basically, they were all people with good hearts.

LHI owned a few apartments in town where the volunteers can stay for 5€ a night. A one month minimum stay is required. The apartments were basic, but appreciated after a long day working in the field.

In my apartment there were 6 girls, sharing 6 cots, among 3 bedrooms. The cots were the wire kind, with a thin mattress on top. This meant they squeaked any time someone moved. It was good that we were exhausted at the end of the day!

There was a group that rotated cooking responsibility for each other, but my last class didn’t end until 8PM. I only joined for a week before giving up, as my schedule just wouldn’t allow it. When I was in it, the food was very good as it ended up being an informal competition.

Summary of My Experience Teaching Yoga At A Refugee Camp

My experience teaching yoga at a refugee camp was rewarding on many levels. Beyond the physical and emotional gains noted above, my experiences made the world a tiny bit smaller for me, and a lot more love-able. I like this quote by Winston Churchill.

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”

Winston Churchill

I hope I cross paths with many of the people here that touched my heart. This includes both volunteers and refugees. For the refugees, I sincerely hope they all find safe, permanent homes, and can reconnect with family members in other countries. 

Overall, it was not always easy, and days were long, but there is true joy in adding a sparkle to someone’s eye, or a smile to their face…even if just for a moment.

If you’re interested in a role teaching yoga at a refugee camp, or volunteering with this group, contact LHI here.

Top Things To See And Do In Greece

Of course, on the mainland, you can’t miss the amazing ruins in Athens. You can also visit the magnificent Clifftop Monasteries Of Meteora, which is just a bus or train ride north of Athens. I stopped here in spring, when the flowers were in bloom, and it was simply stunning.

And with over 200 inhabited islands in Greece, the choices are endless. I hope to explore more of them in the future.

The Cycladic islands are located southeast of a Athens. Santorini, one of the most beautiful, is a top choice. Mykonos, another popular choice, is a known party spot with many beautiful beaches.

Naxos, south of Mykonos, is known for its less-touristy, less party, more traditional Greek charm, interesting ruins, and charming hillside towns.

Paros, just west of Naxos, has a must-see old fishing village on its northern coast and the lovely island of Anti Paros.

Ios, is just south of Naxos and Paros, an incredible little island with stunning sunsets, a popular party island for those in their 20’s (although it’s really perfect for all ages).

And south of Ios, is Milos, best known for the lunar landscape at Sarakiniko, but also with many other Interesting beaches with cliffs and caves to explore.

Crete, the largest island also offers a lot to see and do. From the stunning, remote beaches of Elafonisi Island and Balos Bay, to hiking snow-capped mountains, the Samaria Gorge and seeing ruins from ancient Minoan culture.

Top islands on the on the west side of Greece include Corfu, which offers many resorts along its sandy shore, and Zakynthos, with its famous, undeveloped shipwreck beach.

Or, if you’re planning a trip to Greece, see my Greece Travel Guide, for an overview of the top spots, how to get around, safety, scams, and more.

Safe Travels!

Julie

Want to learn more about me? See my About Me page to understand why I love traveling so much and my philosophies on travel.