A project of Circle Yoga Cooperative and the Give Back Yoga Foundation
Circle Yoga Connects (CYConnects) is a project of Circle Yoga Cooperative and the Give Back Yoga Foundation. Our mission is to increase access to yoga and mindfulness practices in the greater Washington DC area, and to make our yoga and mindfulness community as welcoming and inclusive as it can be. We do this by:
- Offering accessible yoga classes through established organizations that provide services in low-income and historically marginalized neighborhoods;
- Supporting teachers who are living or working in communities with limited access to yoga and mindfulness; and
- Providing scholarship support and reduced rates for Circle Yoga offerings to people experiencing financial hardship who want to practice or teach yoga.
You can help bring yoga and mindfulness to communities with limited access.
Background
Since its founding in 2003, Circle Yoga has made it a priority to provide scholarships to students who want to participate in trainings, classes, and summer camp at the studio but need financial support in order to do so.
In 2019, Circle Yoga partnered with the Give Back Yoga Foundation to create Circle Yoga Connects (CYConnects). Through CYConnects, we have been able to expand our scholarship program, raising more funds from students and other supporters each year. We have also built relationships with more local non-profits and community organizations, where we are supporting teachers who are sharing accessible yoga with people who have less access to these practices.
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Today, CYConnects continues to provide financial assistance to students participating in all aspects of Circle Yoga programming, through class scholarships, summer camp and training scholarships, and reduced rate classes and workshop rates.
In 2023 and 2024, Circle Yoga students and friends contributed more than $20,000 in direct support of the studio’s scholarship and outreach work.
For our 2024 Circle Yoga Summer Camp program alone, we raised more than $3,000 from 32 donors. This enabled us to provide support for every family who applied for a camp scholarship, awarding 12 camp scholarships in total. Through this experience, we have learned without a doubt that scholarships enrich camp for all involved and make our community stronger.
Also through Circle Yoga Connects in 2024, we have supported skilled teachers who are offering accessible yoga classes on a regular basis at The Children’s Inn at NIH, Stepping Stones Shelter, and McGee Library in Silver Spring. Past community outreach classes have been offered through Jubilee Housing in DC, Ernest E. Just Middle school in Prince Georges County, and H.D. Cooke Elementary School in DC. We are thrilled to be able to share yoga and mindfulness practices beyond the walls of Circle Yoga.
We are grateful to all who have been involved in building and supporting CYConnects. Thank you for helping to make it a powerful vehicle for spreading the benefits of yoga mindfulness, movement, and connection throughout the DC area!
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