Indian Women Find Opportunity with Yoga Gives Back

Yoga is a gift from ancient India, embraced by the West. Today, however 76% of India's population—800 million people—live below the poverty line of $2.50 a day.

Non-profit organization Yoga Gives Back has a mission to mobilize the global yoga community to empower women in India to build sustainable livelihoods.

Inspired by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Dr. Muhammad Yunus’ revolutionary micro financing breakthrough, Yoga Gives Back supports micro credit programs in India which lend small loans to women in particular, who have no access to capital. Additionally, the organization developed “Sister Aid” programs where YGB directly funds education, vocational training and micro credit programs for struggling mothers, girls and orphans. Women are the best poverty fighters—the most effective return on investment for development dollars is an investment in women. With $25 a month, mothers can start their own businesses; girls and orphans can go to school.

DharmaSmart.com is a new online store that serves the yoga community with “Purposeful Living Essentials.”  The company has designed a special cuff bracelet for yoga practitioners to wear in support of the work that Yoga Gives Back is doing.  The cuff retails for just $25 and $10 goes straight to Yoga Gives Back.

The cuffs will be featured at the second annual Global Day of Support “Thank You Mother India” to be held on Saturday, September 29^th in Malibu, California.  For more information about the even, to to http://www.yogagivesback.org/tymi

Those who want to contribute to Yoga Gives Back through the purchase of one of these original cuffs may find them online at: http://www.DharmaSmart.com.  DharmaSmart co-founder Lissa Coffey says: “We are big fans of what Yoga Gives Back is doing to help the women of India to build their own businesses and to educate their children.  It is an honor to have this opportunity to give back to a country and culture that has given us so much valuable ancient wisdom.”

A Whale of a Mother's Day

We enjoyed a chilly Mother's Day on the beach in Malibu, CA yesterday, with people huddled in their tents and blankets while my son and I built our sand castle and fortress. All of a sudden, everyone was up and running to the shoreline. pointing and yelling. I looked up and saw the dolphins, then the large shadow of a gray whale broke from beneath the water and "spyhopped" showing us her nose. They were all so close to shore, just beyond the breaking waves, that it only took a few moments for the crowd to begin murmuring their questions and concerns about the health and well being of the whale. And all of a sudden, there was not one, but two whale tails in the air almost simultaneously. Mother and calf, perhaps? We watched and waited; they seemed to be moving just fine when they wanted to, which put our minds at ease. They swam back and forth in the seaweed-heavy area for a half hour before moving north, rolling and diving, eating and playing. I alternated watching these majestic creatures while my son dashed among the shallow waves, and I felt that rare gift of being at one, not only with nature, but mothers of every kind.