5 Ways to Include Yoga in Your Non-Profit Organization Programs
If you are part of a non-profit that serves the underrepresented and underserved, helps people who have experienced trauma, or that offers wellness programs for people of varying levels of health and ability, you may be looking for classes to add to your programs and services. If you haven’t considered including yoga and meditation, read on! But before we go into how yoga can enrich your programs, let’s define yoga and how it has evolved in the west.
What is Yoga?
Yoga is an ancient mindfulness practice that originated in India. The form of yoga that is most commonly practiced in the west is called Hatha Yoga. It involves movement – positions known as asanas - as well as meditation and breathing techniques that promote mental and physical well-being. The word yoga is a Sanskrit word that means “union” because the overall philosophy of yoga is about uniting body, mind, and spirit.
In the west, yoga is known more as a generic term for any type of yoga that teaches physical poses - with the added benefit of enhanced inner peace, increased physical energy, and reduced stress and anxiety. We feel this quote sums it up perfectly:
“Although yoga has its origins in ancient India, its methods and purposes are universal, relying not on cultural background, faith or deity, but simply on the individual. Yoga has become important in the lives of many contemporary Westerners, sometimes as a way of improving the health and fitness of the body, but also as a means of personal and spiritual development.” – Tara Fraser
As professionals in the health, wellness, and mental health sectors have noticed that there are numerous advantages of yoga that complement their own therapies and practices, yoga has evolved into hybrid forms such as restorative yoga and trauma-informed yoga.
How to Include Yoga in Your Non-profit Programs and Services
There are many creative ways to include yoga in your non-profit programs and activities. Let’s go over some of the ways you can introduce yoga to the community you serve:
1. Get yoga training and certification – One easy way to introduce yoga to your community is to get trained and certified in yoga yourself. There are yoga schools that offer teacher training intensives as well as online courses. If your non-profit helps clients who are victims of trauma or other mental health issues you can also receive specialized training in trauma-informed yoga.
2. Organize yoga classes and workshops- Invite a certified yoga teacher to conduct regular yoga classes or restorative and/or trauma-informed yoga sessions as well as meditation classes at your organization or school.
3. Offer donation-based yoga and meditation classes – You could teach or invite a certified yoga practitioner to teach donation-based yoga and meditation classes at your organization. Not only will you be making yoga available to those who may not otherwise be able to afford it, but a percentage of the donations can also go to your or another charity.
4. Plan wellness retreats that include yoga – If your organization offers annual or semi-annual wellness retreats, consider adding yoga and meditation to your daily schedule. The great thing about yoga is that it can be taught to virtually anyone of any age or ability.
5. Conduct outreach programs – An effective way to expand your presence is to conduct community outreach programs at schools, colleges, libraries, and other organizations. Including some yoga, breathing and meditation exercises are a great way to engage your audience while introducing your charity and its programs.
We hope these points have inspired you to look into adding yoga to your existing programs. Yoga will not only bring health and well-being to those you serve, but it will also help maintain and grow your cause.