CovidResponse
A number of initiatives have been created to help during this lockdown period from Volunteering to support our communities and frontline key workers, to supporting our own personal physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing.
Contents:
HSS (UK) Activities
Supporting the community (SEWA)
Indian National Students Association (INSA)
& Friends of India International (FISI-UK)
Useful resources to help during COVID-19
Physical and mental wellbeing
Learning and development
Useful digital resources
HSS (UK) Activities
Over 63 shakhas have adapted and are making use of the internet to continue activities to promote and nurture the values of Sanskar, Sewa, and Sangathan. For further information on your local eShakha please email info@hssuk.org.
Daily morning E-shakha
Monday to Friday 8.00am – 9.00am
A great way to start our day with Ish Chintan, Namaskar Mantra, Dhvaj Pranām and Prārthanā and Yoga
https://hssuk.org/zoom
AKSHAYA TRITĪYA AND VISHWA SHANTI YAJÑA
Bauddhik and Shareerik challenges for Bāl / Bālika
Children’s workbook with a range of Bauddhik and Shareerik challenges to complete whilst at home
Supporting the community (SEWA)
Sewa Day Initiatives
Sewaday have initiated numerous activities to help the current situation. Here is a summary of all the things you can get involved in:
Help a Neighbour
Providing food deliveries to vulnerable people in the community who are unable to travel or have funds to purchase food. Many families in the UK are unable to afford food or are in a position that they can’t leave their house. Sewa day is out ensuring people have the basic necessities to continue to survive.
Spread some Joy
Looking after the mental wellbeing of our isolated elderly is of paramount importance. Sewa Day launched the ‘Spread Some Joy’ campaign to encourage children to help play their part, by drawing pictures and writing letters for the elderly. These creations are then photographed and sent digitally to care home to help brighten up someone’s day! Bringing generations and communities together.
Care for the Carer
Sewa Day is operating Sewa kitchen to prepare meals for our NHS heroes 7 days a week. Sewa kitchen produces 250-300 meals every day and is supplying them in Middlesex hospital. If you wish to support this initiative, you can donate directly to Sewa Day using this just giving link below. The plan is to provide to more hospitals cover the coming weeks.
Sewa Day Helpline
Sewa Day have set up a helpline to support anyone in need. This will be forwarded to a local team who can follow up and provide assistance where necessary.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sewaday
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sewaday
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sewaday
Indian National Students Association (INSA) & Friends of India International (FISI-UK)
Information for Indians and Indian students in the UK regarding the Coronavirus outbreak has been provided by these two organisations. Please click here for more information.
https://www.facebook.com/INSAUK/
http://insauk.org/
If you are a key worker, please register http://yog-kulam.org/form.html and kindly circulate to any key workers you may know.
🙏🏼 Yog-Kulam will be holding a series of weekly seminars to support key workers during these challenging times.
The sessions will include a range of breathing and yoga exercises to create a sense of calm and balance.
Useful resources to help during COVID-19
VHP Funeral Support
The World is facing unprecedented times due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outrage inflicted upon humanity. As a result of this it is expected that there will be an unusually high number of unwarranted deaths, including that of Hindus.
Services to perform the Last Rites will be stretched and families will be under severe strain to contain their grief as well as to give their beloved departed family members the sacred Last Rites required according to Hindu Dharma.
Under such difficult times, Vishwa Hindu Parishad UK (World Council of Hindus) is offering its Last Rite Services to those who wish to avail themselves, with all humility and dignity. Acknowledging there are diverse Hindu beliefs, VHP offers a Minimum Common scriptural text that satisfies Hindu Funeral Rites.
The VHP UK (Yorkshire) has published a booklet called Hindu Funeral Rites in Conjunction with the Bradford Metropolitan Council Community Enterprise Section to enable anyone who wishes to avail themselves of this publication.
Please download the booklet here.
Last Rite Services
Click on the link below for a range of audio recordings of last rite services in different languages that one may download and choose to play in the crematorium. They are available free of charge and will also be publicised through the Funeral Directors, temples and community groups.
CLICK HERE FOR THE AUDIO FILES
Physical and mental wellbeing
Lunchtime E-Fitness
Tuesday to Thursday 1.00pm to 1.45pm
Working from home? Need to stretch? Burn some serious energy with lunchtime fitness (cardio, strength building and yog for spine alignment)
https://hssuk.org/zoom
Suryanamaskar Yagna 2020
It’s back! This April we are challenging everyone to perform daily suryanamaskars as a family. Suryanamaskar is a well balanced set of postures that will stretch all the muscles in the body and keep the body and mind healthy.
https://hssuk.org/sny
Chair Yoga
Monday and Thursday 11.00am – 12.00pm
Perfect for the elderly and those who are physically less able
https://hssuk.org/zoom
If you are a key worker, please register http://yog-kulam.org/form.html and kindly circulate to any key workers you may know.
🙏🏼 Yog-Kulam will be holding a series of weekly seminars to support key workers during these challenging times.
The sessions will include a range of breathing and yoga exercises to create a sense of calm and balance.
Learning and development
Online book clubs
Run a local online book club. Watch video for ideas and book recommendations.
Watch video below
Tattva Creative Writing Webinars
The Tattva team have started webinars to empower CREATIVE WRITING DURING CRISIS. These are available FREE and anyone can connect to the sessions. Please have a look on their social media channels for the latest updates. Here are the first 3 sessions
Guided free-write with BananaSharma.
https://www.facebook.com/TattvaAuthorship/videos/211649613472488/
Guided free-write with author Devika Jina.
Find out more: https://www.facebook.com/TattvaAuthorship/videos/235199147554799/
Guided free-write with author Vivek Sharma.
Find out more: https://www.facebook.com/TattvaAuthorship/videos/540120666878698/
https://www.facebook.com/TattvaAuthorship/
www.tattva.org.uk
VM Book Club & Vichaar Manthan
VM Book Clubs have been established for quite some time. During this lockdown period, we want to extend an invite to you. If you are interested in literary exploration and have an open mind, please let us know, we would love to host you virtually. For more information and to register your interest, please visit: http://vichaarmanthan.org/bookclub
Look out for new virtual Vichaar Manthans once a fortnight, live-streamed on our Youtube: http://youtube.com/c/VichaarManthan
Let others know to follow this page and keep up to date with our website http://www.vichaarmanthan.org
Useful digital resources
A list of digital resources with fitness routines, recommended reading, movies and series to watch online based on Hindu and Bhāratiya history and culture.
https://hssuk.org/digitalresources