How Yoga is Transforming Communities

“Yoga has given me a greater awareness of myself, the cultivation of mindfulness, and inner harmony.”

Brirkellia Álvarez Franquiz is a lawyer, Hatha Vinyasa teacher (RYT 200), and the founder of Todos En Yoga, an initiative in Caracas, Venezuela, that brings yoga to communities with limited financial resources. She first encountered yoga at an event where she was captivated by the peace and focus of the practitioners around her.

Growing up with economic limitations, Brirkellia was drawn to social justice work. She has collaborated with international organizations advocating for human rights and sees yoga as a tool for resilience and empowerment.

Through Todos En Yoga, she has introduced yoga to communities facing high-stress levels and social instability. Her students report reduced anxiety, pain relief, and a stronger sense of solidarity. What began as a movement for physical well-being has blossomed into a supportive community that fosters empathy and connection among neighbors.

“Yoga gave me a calling, to develop myself through the capacity of yoga to serve in a multitude of methods in the world.”

Sowmya Ayyar is the Founder-Director of Prafull Oorja Charitable Foundation, a Bangalore-based NGO that trains yoga therapists to serve vulnerable communities. With a background in social work, she saw firsthand how yoga could be a powerful tool for both personal and collective healing.

Her introduction to yoga came through her mother and great-grandmothers, who were devoted to spiritual teachers and yogic practices. She later sought yoga for healing after experiencing trauma, finding refuge in restorative practices before pursuing teacher training.

Through Prafull Oorja, Sowmya has brought yoga to diverse communities, including children with special needs, prisoners, and rural women. Yoga helps children develop motor skills, supports survivors of trauma through therapeutic movement, and empowers marginalized individuals to reclaim agency over their lives.

Her work centers on the belief that yoga fosters unity and compassion. By equipping people with these tools, she hopes to create a world where individuals uplift one another with kindness and resilience.

“Introducing yoga to the communities I work with is like an introduction to the Self. The hardships of life make us forget to get in touch with the body, breath, and mind. Yoga brings back self-awareness and self-love.”

Based in Beirut, Lebanon, Sandy Boutros is a yoga teacher and the founder of Koun, an NGO dedicated to making yoga accessible to underserved communities. She first found yoga through her interest in psychology and philosophy, inspired by Carl Jung’s exploration of spirituality and consciousness.

After experiencing the transformative power of yoga during a retreat, Sandy knew she wanted to share it with others. When she returned to Lebanon, she noticed that yoga was primarily available to wealthier communities, leaving many without access to its benefits. She began volunteering in refugee camps and migrant centers, bringing yoga to those facing displacement and economic hardship.

Yoga helps her students reconnect with their physical bodies, find relief from stress, and regain a sense of personal agency. Through Koun, she partners with local organizations to offer trauma-informed classes in community centers and shelters, ensuring that yoga remains accessible to those who need it most.

“Yoga is a lifelong practice of deepening your connection to the breath to be fully present and aware: aware of your contribution to the present moment and aware of how you choose to develop your energies for the peace of all.”

Roxanne Sanchez, known by her native name Toh’tcho-OhLonē, Baby Hummingbird, Sister of WolfClan, Guardian of the North and Wisdom Keeper of the Earth, is a yoga teacher from New Mexico. She is deeply connected to her indigenous roots and yogic principles, which guide her mission to make yoga more accessible to her community.

Yoga found Roxanne through chronic pain and injury when she was 21. A friend suggested she try a yoga class, and from the very first session, breathwork and meditation helped transform her pain. Over the years, her practice became a way to manage her condition and deepen her connection to herself and others.

Seeing the need for healing spaces in her community, Roxanne chose to open a yoga studio in a rural area facing poverty, addiction, and historical trauma. She teaches yoga as a practice of unity and resilience, offering classes to Indigenous communities, people of color, and those seeking to heal from intergenerational trauma.

Yoga has allowed her community to embrace a new way of being together. Her studio serves as a safe, nonjudgmental space for movement, self-expression, and spiritual connection. For many in her community, yoga has been a bridge between traditional healing practices and modern wellness, allowing them to reconnect with their bodies and culture in an empowering way.