Cultivate Generosity Through the Practice

“The path for those who are climbing to spiritual heights is selfless action (that’s Karma yoga).” -Bhagavad Gita

Suzanne Cary, who graduated from our teacher training in 2009, has committed her practice to bringing yoga to underserved communities. In 2009, she went to Cambodia with Seane Corn and her “Off the Mat, Into the World” program, and raised $24,000 for that organization. Now, Suzanne is committed to being an ambassador for the Africa Yoga Project. AYP offers daily free Baptiste yoga classes for the slums of Nairobi to over 4000 students every week, and trains the locals to be yoga teachers, enabling them to not only keep the yoga spirit alive in their community, but also giving them a career. AYP also brings fresh water and food to those communities, feeding their bodies as well as their souls.

Since the yoga classes that AYP and the local yoga teachers provide are free, the Kenyans who are trained to be yoga teachers are paid by AYP, providing job prospects for a community that would otherwise have no outlets for employment. In return, a community in great need of stress relief and healthy routines gets the chance to cultivate a yoga practice. This creates a ripple effect of wellbeing and wellness.

Kim is always committed to supporting community outreach projects, and this is the one she has selected for 2012. With its connection to our community through Suzanne Cary as well as the outstanding change it has been able to bring about in Kenya, we want to give something back. So, on Saturday, February 11th from 6:30 to 8:30pm at Midtown, Kim will be leading a 2 hour workshop based on the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. The central message is that yoga is a path of action. Enlightenment comes when the yogi relinquishes the fruit of the actions and simply does work for the joy of working, takes action for the joy of action.

This is an all levels workshop, so please feel free to bring someone new to yoga. Kim will offer philosophy, practice, fun and deep relaxation. Donation-only, all funds raised will be matched dollar for dollar by Bank of America. So for every dollar you give, $2 will be going directly to AYP and 100% of the proceeds will be donated. This workshop is bound to fill up fast, so click here to register! Join us as we send a Valentine to Africa; we’ll see you on the mat!

“The person who works in the world without needing or expecting a reward is both a true renunciant and an action yogi. But the person who merely refrains from action in the world is neither of these. You cannot just discard worldly duties, but must do them to the utmost extent of your human capacity for excellence.” -Bhagavad Gita