Mohanji Centre of Benevolence hosts soul soothing session

IOL News

16-05-2025

The Mohanji Centre of Benevolence in Nonoti celebrates its third anniversary this month. Since its inception it has been an integral part of the community, providing them with physical and spiritual nourishment. Community members are also taught skills like farming and sewing.
The Mohanji Centre of Benevolence is celebrating its third anniversary this month with a special fundraising initiative in support of its ongoing outreach in Nonoti, KwaDukuza, on the KZN North Coast.
Mohanji acharya (teacher) Yastheel Phalad said the initiative will take the form of a restorative workshop titled 'Sacred Unfolding: Rejuvenate. Realign. Restore.' Hosted in partnership with Manifest Yoga Studio in Umhlanga, the event promises a soul-nourishing afternoon of stillness, healing, and connection.
Phalad, who will co-facilitate the workshop with Milica Bulatovic, invited the public to join in the experience. 'The biggest thing people are facing now is mental wounds. There's so much happening in the world that people can't cope,' he said.
He noted that while physical ailments can often be treated, emotional and psychological distress, like anxiety and depression, are far more difficult to heal. 'Body stuff we can heal, but I think wounds of the mind are so much harder.'
Since 2022, the Mohanji Centre has focused on nurturing inner peace and stability among the residents of Nonoti, believing that emotional balance leads to personal and communal transformation. 'When you're stable and conscious on the inside, your outer world reflects that. The way you interact with people, the way you respect yourself and others , it's a holistic view.'
Phalad said in the current climate of global unrest, people are increasingly on edge. The workshop, he explained, is designed to provide a space where people can reconnect with themselves and others. 'The main aim of the programme is to help people go into that inner safe space with like-minded people who all want to improve themselves and to remind them that we are all exactly where we're meant to be.'
Over the past three years, the Mohanji Centre has not only served meals twice a week to more than 400 people in Nonoti but has also equipped community members with vital skills like sewing and farming, helping them become more self-sufficient.
The workshop takes place this Saturday from 1pm to 4pm. The cost is R150 per person, and those interested in attending can contact Phalad at [e-mail].