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Life after the Tsunami

Samadhi Eye Pillows-the story

Samadhi Eye Pillows are hand-tailored in South India By Women Survivors of the Tsunami

Though only the third anniversary of the tsunami just passed, for many of us, it seems like ages ago or almost as if it had been just a bad dream. But countless survivors still face a harsh daily reality of struggling to get by in lives that seem to have been overturned by fate. Though it seemed a cruel destiny to befall these people, we can see from the new life that has sprung from it, that it may have been a blessing in disguise for some as previously their whole existence was relegated to a life dependent on the sea and their catch of the day whereas now a whole realm of possibilities has opened up.

Amma’s humanitarian organization the MA Math has been providing multi-faceted career opportunities for the fisherman and their families, to break out of the generational mold that has kept them narrowly confined.

Starting with New Threads

One of the many memorable tsunami-relief efforts that spontaneously sprung from Amma’s compassion and example was put into action by the Amritapuri Ashram tailors. Two days after the tsunami, after returning from their own evacuation, ashram residents quickly started stitching whatever clothing they could for the neighboring village survivors. As the tailoring department on the ground floor had been completely flooded, they brought all the sewing machines upstairs into the temple to sew.

A place to worship with hearts and minds became a place of worshipping with hearts and hands. The residents joined together to stitch new clothes for the hapless villagers, many of whom had been left with only the clothes on their backs. Everything else had been washed away or saturated with putrid seawater, rendering the few belongings they had left useless. When Amma returned from visiting the refugees, though it was late into the night, she sat down to sew with them.

Due to the devastated state of the survivor’s minds, Amma understood many of the fishermen were too frightened to return to the sea to earn their living. Being the daughter of a fisherman, she knew how dependent their lives were on the sea and could relate to their plight. She started formulating plans to help them earn new livelihoods. Amma had learned sewing as a child and knew it was a viable skill that the women could easily adapt into their lifestyle. She immediately organized sewing classes to commence in the temporary shelters the ashram built in the first five days after the tsunami.

Lighting the Lamp of Hope

As part of an extensive tsunami survivor rehabilitation project, Matru Gramam, (or Mother’s Village), collectives were created throughout Southern India by Amma. The collectives empower village women to support their families while serving to inspire their creative talents.

Swamini Krishnamrita Prana, one of Amma’s senior women disciples, inaugurated the starting of the tailoring classes with the traditional Indian lamp lighting ceremony. This lamp of hope that she lit for the tsunami women with the blazing flame of Amma’s love that even a massive flood could not put out is still burning on through the various Matru Gramam projects.

The women who attended the tailoring classes found joy again in throwing themselves into learning something that diverted their minds from their recent tragedy while empowering them with the promise of a new life to unfold. They were eager for the opportunity to also have a chance to obtain monetary support for their families instead of relying solely on their husbands to fulfill all their needs. With their new skills, they could become self-sufficient. They were all smiles as they began their new journey, empowered by Amma’s aid, which unlike other groups offering assistance came with no-strings-attached.

To keep them gainfully employed, Amma’s ashram started commissioning items to be sewn by them and along with competitive wages, offers all of them free medical care. Although the ashram has limited need for tailored items from outside sources, they are always trying to come up with ways to provide continual employment for these women. And in a larger effort to keep these survivors employed, volunteers for Amma’s charitable mission have recently started marketing the eye pillows to larger conscious companies who care to offer their consumers products that make a difference. Gaiam, Inc just carried the Samadhi Eye pillow in their Holiday 2007 catalog and other companies are also interested.

Relief never felt so good to so many.

One of the ideas that developed out of this venture to sustain the tsunami survivors was the creation of the Samadhi Eye Pillows. Centered around the use of the opulent textiles woven with silk and gold jari, (a thread of spun gold) for which India is renowned for, these luxurious eye pillows are filled with organic flax seeds and lavender to encourage deep relaxation of the eyes and the whole body.

Now you can rest easy knowing that you are simultaneously helping others as you do so.

Lay back and experience for yourself this deep Inner Calm as you apply a silk Samadhi Eye Pillow over your eyes. The weight of the flax seed creates the perfect pressure to soothe your tired eyes while the silk fabric gently caresses your face like a mother’s soft touch.

Since Vedic times, gold has been known to transmit divine healing energy.

As your eyes are connected to your whole nervous system, they affect and guide the flow of prana, or chi (vital energy), throughout your body. Rejuvenating your eyes can revitalize your whole body. In our stimulating society, we often tend to overstrain our eyes through computers, driving, etc. which can actually cause energy to leak from our vital organs, especially the liver. Using an eye pillow to aid relaxation is one way to rest deeply enough to regenerate our internal energy.

Soothing for stress, nervous tension, headaches & migraines, sinus congestion, insomnia and/or eyestrain, Samadhi Eye pillows are also a great meditation aid for the relaxation lying down pose after yoga.

For puffy eyes, try COLD THERAPY. After putting pillow in a zip-loc bag, place it in the freezer until desired temperature before applying.

For relieving sinus pressure, try WARM THERAPY. Take satin pillow out of outer Silk Sheath and place pillow in clean microwave for 30 seconds before applying.

All proceeds from the sales of Matru Gramam products directly benefit the villagers who make them.

Click here to purchase a Samadhi Eye Pillow.

- Devi dasi

Disaster Relief Efforts

Tsunami Relief Efforts