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 January 2009
Power of Movement - Yoga Challenge to Beat Arthritis
Be part of the world’s largest yoga challenge in support of arthritis research.
On Sunday, February 22, 2009, thousands of participants and volunteers will take part in Power of Movement - a yoga fundraiser in locations across Canada. Register today to improve the lives of millions of Canadians by being proactive about your own mobility.
Power of Movement is the largest collective yoga fundraiser in the world! The nationwide event brings Canadians together from coast to coast in ten mass yoga sessions in Victoria, Nanaimo, Vancouver, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax to raise money for critical arthritis and autoimmune disease research. Additional events will take place in many other communities across the country.
Thousands of Canadians are expected to participate in the third annual and much expanded inspirational fundraising event. Canadians can visit www.powerofmovement.ca to register online, raise funds, find a local participating yoga studio, and read expert tips on nutrition, training, and much more.
The Power of Movement Story
It all started in 2005 when Dorna Chee made a phone call to the Arthritis & Autoimmunity Research Centre (AARC) Foundation in Toronto with an idea.
A yoga teacher, Dorna had turned to her yoga breathing exercises to help her get through a long stay in hospital after being diagnosed with lupus, and she wanted to share her experience with other people who might benefit from yoga to manage an autoimmune illness.
She found a supportive listener in Erin Moraghan, who had recently started working at the AARC Foundation.
Erin was so inspired by Dorna's story - her long road to being diagnosed with lupus after nearly suffering kidney failure, and how yoga helped her stay strong - that she joined forces with Moksha studio owner Tracey Dos Anjos, and together they developed the concept of Power of Movement, a way to bring yoga into the lives of people like Dorna, who live with arthritis and autoimmune conditions, and to raise money for critical arthritis research in Canada.
In its first year, the team behind Power of Movement aimed to bring 100 people in Toronto together to practice yoga at the same time and place, with the goal of raising $10,000 for research. The event shattered their expectations, with 250 people participating to raise $50,000.
Now, after two years, Power of Movement has raised more than $115,000 for arthritis research in Canada.
The small seed that Dorna's phone call planted has now grown into a movement about movement. With the immense support of presenting sponsor Abbott Laboratories and countless volunteers and staff, Power of Movement is going national on Sunday, February 22, 2009. Our mission is to connect and inspire people across Canada by one simple idea: moving for arthritis research.
None of this would ever have happened without the courage and spirit of Dorna Chee, who is doing well and is now a happy mom of a beautiful baby, Violet Kiwi. It's an inspiring story that reminds us that the smallest action can lead to meaningful change.
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