Over three years ago Janakinath, or JD as he is affectionately known, was diagnosed with Colon Cancer. Since that fateful day he has had numerous operations, chemotherapy sessions and other medical treatments. The most amazing thing is that he calls this entire course of events his “greatest gift.”

Having studied, practised and lived the wisdom of the Bhakti-yoga tradition, JD was able to digest this very difficult situation in a way that made him healthier, happier and wiser. Ancient wisdom helps us to excel on all levels –  physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually. “Nothing happens by chance” he says, “everything is an opportunity to grow and find deeper meaning and happiness in life.”

In 2019, JD founded the Smiling Soul charitable initiative. The vision is to oragnise well-being events, in the form of retreats, courses and socials, as a fundraiser to support people affected by cancer. “I received so much love, care and support over the last three years” JD says, “and now I want to give something valuable back to show my gratitude.”

Five areas of our life are crucially important:

• S – Service and contribution
• M – Mindset and resilience
• I – Identity and strengths
• L – Love and relationships
• E – Energy and health

We run workshops that help us better understand:

• Our body: Physical health, yoga, ayurveda
• Our mind: challenges with the mind and how to master it
• Our psycho-physical nature: strengths, character development
• Our relationships – connection with others
• Our unique Contribution to society: Giving back, Duty, Service, Purpose, Dharma

There are no set charges for the S.M.I.L.E retreat – we’d like to facilitate you to take a break and retreat to re-calibrate your goals and purpose in life. It will be a day packed with yoga, meditation, workshops, fun social activities (treasure hunts, mind Olympics). At the end of the day we invite you to make a charitable contribution towards Smiling Soul, which we will utilise to offer the same experience to Cancer patients.