Two fund raising events were held by Kiyomi Takahashi to help support the relief efforts in Japan. Both were a huge success! The proceeds went towards the Japan Red Cross as well as the Animal Landau Refuge where they save the pets that were left on the street. Both events warmed up with Hatha, continued with a Kundalini yoga set, a Kundalini Yoga healing meditation, and sent collective healing energies to Japan.

The first event was held on April 23rd at Happy Me Yoga in Redondo Beach, and the second event was held on May 14th at RakSa in Culver City. With total attendance at 63 people/yogis/supporters, Kiyomi was able to raise nearly $2,000! Manduka happily assisted the event by donating mats, mat bags, and towels.

To learn more about Kiyomi Takahashi and Yoga for Japan, go here.

On March 19th, the first Los Angles Rocks! Operation Shanti Yoga Fundraising Event was held in Hermosa Beach. Garth Hewitt, Manduka Ambassador, started the campaign with the intention of organizing the Los Angeles Yoga Community around a common theme, giving back and making a different in the community that might be described as the birthplace of our modern yoga practice with the building of an orphanage in Mysore, India.

Raising over $8,000 for the campaign, the first event was a huge success and was well attended by the South Bay Yoga Community. The first 20 people to arrive received a Manduka eQua Hand Towel and were entered to win a Manduka gift set. Approximately 100 people participated in the yoga class, which had live music and which was followed by an auction, raffle and after-party with DJ Michael “Jammerz” Callon. Garth Hewitt taught a portion of the two hour yoga class with some of the South Bay’s most well known and beloved teachers included: Genevieve Fischer, Greville Henwood, Angela Kukhahn, Suzy Nece, Julie Rader, Jo Tastula and Marla Wedge.

To learn more about Operation Shanti, go to http://www.operation-shanti.org

The Puerto Rican Cultural Heritage House in Manhattan sponsored the Urban Male Leadership Academy at Baruch College during it’s Health Week Intro to Yoga Program. With the goal of introducing yoga to male students, the event was a huge success. Manduka supported the effort by donating 25 mats to help with the facilitation of the program. Norma Lecaroz from Cultural Heritage House shared, “with a total of 20 students, the response was positive and their evaluation sheets showed the interest from the triangle pose, to the breathing, and relaxation exercises. It felt reassuring that young men can do well to learn to release stress in a positive way.”

To learn more about the Puerto Rican Cultural Heritage House in Manhattan, go to http://www.lacasapr.org/index.html

The Alliance for Greater Well-Being is non-profit organization in Spokane, WA whose mission is to “transmit and integrate the vital practices that inform and inspire healthy, mindful living into contemporary life.” By teaching “Skills for Greater Well Being”, such as asanas, mindfulness meditation, and other tools for a healthy lifestyle, the Alliance hopes to reach and motivate under served populations.

The Alliance now uses Manduka mats for the yoga classes offered at local Spokane prisons, community centers, shelters, and high schools.

To learn more about the Alliance for Greater Well-Being, go to www.allianceforgreaterwellbeing.org.