{"id":3375,"date":"2020-06-18T06:00:47","date_gmt":"2020-06-18T10:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/?p=3375"},"modified":"2023-02-20T16:54:38","modified_gmt":"2023-02-20T21:54:38","slug":"celebrating-international-yoga-day-with-yoga-gives-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/culture\/celebrating-international-yoga-day-with-yoga-gives-back\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating International Yoga Day with Yoga Gives Back"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><p class=\"intro-paragraph\">Yoga made me realize that my body is a temple. I am responsible to take care of it so that I can serve others. This was a profound awakening. It also made me realize that practicing yoga is not a selfish act but rather essential if I want to continue to serve others.<\/p><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/yogagivesback.org\/international-yoga-day\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3377 aligncenter lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IYD2020_YGBWebsite_v4-FB-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"500\" height=\"282\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IYD2020_YGBWebsite_v4-FB-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IYD2020_YGBWebsite_v4-FB-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IYD2020_YGBWebsite_v4-FB-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IYD2020_YGBWebsite_v4-FB-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IYD2020_YGBWebsite_v4-FB.jpg 1280w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 500px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 500\/282;\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><strong>What is yoga to you? <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>YOGA is the anchor and light in my life, which totally changed my life. I was a documentary film maker for most of my adult life for nearly 30 years, producing TV programs for Japanese National Public TV on current affair issues. Once I found yoga, it changed my life. I eventually quit my job to dedicate my life for Yoga Gives Back. YOGA grounds me to the core on a daily basis with meditation and asana practices. Slowing my breath and clearing my head is the most important effect of YOGA in my life. It teaches me mind-body connection and therefore, it makes my goal of living well fundamentally meaningful.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><strong>How did you get started with yoga?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>My friend took me to my first yoga class almost fifteen years ago, which was Kundalini yoga with Gurmukh at Golden Bridge, near my home in Los Angeles. I was very happy to find that YOGA offered not only physical but also spiritual practice as a goal. I got interested in learning more about YOGA and started exploring various different classes for a few years, till I found Ashtanga Yoga which totally hooked me into more regular asana practices as well as a deeper spiritual journey.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><strong>What impact has yoga had on your life? <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Yoga made me realize that my body is a temple. I am responsible to take care of it so that I can serve others. This was a profound awakening. It also made me realize that practicing yoga is not a selfish act but rather essential if I want to continue to serve others.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><strong>How have you seen yoga impact the lives of others?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I continue to receive yoga practitioners\u2019 messages expressing how grateful they are for yoga in their lives and therefore want to give back to India. This shows how YOGA is impacting many lives around the world. YGB is shared now in more than 20 countries, with more than 150 Global Ambassadors (including Kino and Tim) and hundreds of volunteers, raising awareness and funds for YGB\u2019s mission. YGB\u2019s growth shows YOGA\u2019s impact in many lives.<\/p>\n<h2><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3395 aligncenter lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_6406-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"505\" height=\"378\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_6406-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_6406-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_6406-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_6406-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_6406-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_6406.jpg 1280w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 505px) 100vw, 505px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 505px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 505\/378;\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><strong>Can you tell us more about<span style=\"color: #bfa565;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/span><strong style=\"color: #bfa565; font-size: 23.072px;\"><a style=\"color: #bfa565;\" href=\"https:\/\/yogagivesback.org\/\">Yoga Gives Back?<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/yogagivesback.org\/\"><span style=\"color: #bfa565;\">Yoga Gives Back (YGB)<\/span><\/a> is a Los Angeles based nonprofit organization, which engages global yoga communities with gratitude to give back to Mother India, for the gift of yoga we have received.<\/p>\n<p>We raise awareness and funds to empower underserved women and children in India. YGB is unique in uniting all yoga practitioners regardless of branch or school with one simple cause, GRATITUDE. I am proud that we have been able to reach out to yoga communities in more than 20 countries which support nearly 1400 underserved women and children in Karnataka and West Bengal, India through micro loans and education funds.<\/p>\n<p>YGB is also unique in connecting our global supporters directly to the fund recipients in India through regular updates of their stories with photos and videos on social media and regular news letters, so global supporters can see how everyone&#8217;s contributions are truly making tremendous difference in our recipients\u2019 lives.<\/p>\n<p>We also offer dozens of short documentary <span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><a style=\"color: #bfa565;\" href=\"https:\/\/omstars.com\/yoga-gives-back\">YGB FILMS<\/a><\/span> which I have been filming and producing since 2007 to share how so many lives have been transformed with their dreams coming true. We empower ourselves by empowering others. That is a truly wonderful lesson.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><strong>What has been the most inspirational moment you\u2019ve experienced in the world of yoga?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I have been most inspired with the incredible response Yoga Gives Back has received since the start in 2007 from so many yogis around the world. This is the testament that the world of yoga is filled with compassionate souls that can make a real difference in this world if we can come together.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><strong>What is the single most defining issue facing the global yoga community today?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Yoga has unfortunately become a symbol of capitalism. Many yoga businesses accelerate consumerism and competition rather than introducing and emphasizing compassion or the real goal of YOGA to be united with all and relinquish the self-centered ego. I am always so grateful for our sponsors like Omstars who continue to believe in our mission and share it with their own community. YGB has been blessed that a growing list of yoga and wellness businesses support our mission. Their support has been critical for our sustainable operation.<\/p>\n<h2><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3396 aligncenter lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_1539-300x234.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"505\" height=\"394\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_1539-300x234.jpg 300w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_1539-1024x800.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_1539-768x600.jpg 768w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_1539-1200x937.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_1539-320x250.jpg 320w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_1539.jpg 1229w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 505px) 100vw, 505px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 505px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 505\/394;\" \/><\/h2>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><strong>What do you feel is your dharma&#8211;your life mission?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>My life mission is to engage One Million Yogis throughout the world to grow YGB into a more sustainable nonprofit organization that can empower thousands or millions more underserved women and children in India to empower themselves and build sustainable livelihoods.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><strong>Are there any current projects or upcoming events that you are able to share with our community?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cInternational Yoga Day\u201d Global Campaign is taking place over the weekend of June 21. While many of us are blessed to have yoga practice that sustains us at this difficult time, many women and children in India are struggling for their lives due to enormous stress added by the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown and the catastrophic Cyclone Amphan (May 20) in West Bengal. India\u2019s COVID-19 nation-wide lock down has caused 500 impoverished mothers of YGB\u2019s micro loans programs in rural villages of West Bengal to lose their jobs and daily income. Many of 700 young girls under YGB\u2019s education programs are facing their family\u2019s financial pressure to drop out of school and get married.<\/p>\n<p>Cyclone Amphan hit the rural villages outside of Kolkata very hard. Many of our 1200 fund recipients in the region lost their homes. They need to rebuild everything. India has generously given the world the eternal gift of yoga. It is our goal to create a community of <span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><a style=\"color: #bfa565;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/explore\/tags\/onemillionyogis\/\">#OneMillionYogis<\/a><\/span> to give back especially at this time. Host, take a class, or simply donate whatever you can. I am grateful that so many YGB Global Ambassadors have expressed their support and are hosting or donating classes to inspire many yoga teachers around the world to do the same.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/yogagivesback.org\/global-events-calendar\/\"><span style=\"color: #bfa565;\">Check YGB Global Calendar for all class listings<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/yogagivesback.org\/global-events-calendar\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3400 aligncenter lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_FinalCollageimage001-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"503\" height=\"506\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 503px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 503\/506;\" \/>\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/omstars.com\/live-classes\"><span style=\"color: #bfa565;\">Live Classes with Omstars Teachers<\/span><\/a><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>Our goal is to raise $50,000 with this global campaign to ensure our assistance to urgent relief needs to rebuild lives as well as YGB\u2019s micro loan and education programs to empower under-served women and children. Are you in? It\u2019s easy.<\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #464b4f;\">Host one class:\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #464b4f;\">a- <a style=\"color: #464b4f;\" href=\"https:\/\/yogagivesback.org\/international-yoga-day\/\">Register your event<\/a><br \/>\nb- Download Event Tool Kit<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0(<span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><a style=\"color: #bfa565;\" href=\"https:\/\/x0u8sqkv5g-flywheel.netdna-ssl.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/VERT_1.jpeg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">YGB logo<\/a>,\u00a0<a style=\"color: #bfa565;\" href=\"https:\/\/yogagivesback.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/FundraiserTemplate2020v11.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Flyer Template<\/a>,\u00a0<a style=\"color: #bfa565;\" href=\"https:\/\/yogagivesback.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/YGB_PR_2020.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Press Kit<\/a><\/span>)<br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"color: #464b4f;\">\u00a0c- Promote Your Event<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #464b4f;\">(YGB will post your event on<\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><a style=\"color: #bfa565;\" href=\"https:\/\/yogagivesback.org\/global-events-calendar\/\">Global Calendar<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #464b4f;\">and<\/span> <span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><a style=\"color: #bfa565;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/yogagivesback\/\">Social Media<\/a><\/span>)<\/span><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #464b4f;\">d- Use<\/span> <span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><a style=\"color: #bfa565;\" href=\"https:\/\/yoga-gives-back.networkforgood.com\/projects\/99046-ygb-international-yoga-day-global-campaign\">this link<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<span style=\"color: #464b4f;\">for direct donation or payment<\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"color: #464b4f;\">* If you use this link for all donation payments, make sure that your event\u2019s attendees mention the host teacher\u2019s name in this payment form.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #464b4f;\">Let\u2019s come together as\u00a0the force of<\/span>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/explore\/tags\/onemillionyogis\/\"><span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><em>#OneMillionYogis<\/em>!<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span style=\"color: #464b4f;\">Additionally, there are\u00a0<u>two<\/u>\u00a0other ways to have immediate impact:<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/yoga-gives-back.networkforgood.com\/projects\/25263-online-campaign\"><span style=\"color: #bfa565;\">Contribute\u00a0as little as $5<\/span>\u00a0<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #bfa565;\"><a style=\"color: #bfa565;\" href=\"https:\/\/yoga-gives-back.networkforgood.com\/projects\/25421-one-million-yogis-campaign\">Create a Personal Online Fundraiser<\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Thank you in advance for your contribution and support of the under-served women and children in India. Any inquiries, please write to <a href=\"mailto:info@yogagivesback.org\">info@yogagivesback.org<\/a>. Namaste.<\/p>\n<p class=\"grey-box\">By Kayoko Mitsumatsu, Founder of Yoga Gives Back.org<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-3406 aligncenter lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_5126-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"504\" height=\"504\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_5126-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_5126-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_5126-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IMG_5126.jpg 960w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 504px) 100vw, 504px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 504px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 504\/504;\" \/><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3378 aligncenter lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IYD2020_YGBLAYogaFB-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"504\" height=\"284\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IYD2020_YGBLAYogaFB-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IYD2020_YGBLAYogaFB-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IYD2020_YGBLAYogaFB-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IYD2020_YGBLAYogaFB-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_IYD2020_YGBLAYogaFB.jpg 1280w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 504px) 100vw, 504px\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIxIiB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciPjwvc3ZnPg==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 504px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 504\/284;\" \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yoga made me realize that my body is a temple. I am responsible to take care of it so that I can serve others. This was a profound awakening. It also made me realize that practicing yoga is not a selfish act but rather essential if I want to continue to serve others. What is &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3380,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1451],"tags":[1059,1058,1060,335],"class_list":["post-3375","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","tag-international-yoga-day","tag-kayoko-mitsumatsu","tag-live-yoga-classes","tag-yoga-gives-back"],"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/thumbnail_NishthaWomen20101-v2.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3375","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3375"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3375\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3417,"href":"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3375\/revisions\/3417"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/omstars.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}