We are proud to claim fourteen years of bringing authentic yoga, ancient wisdom and modern research. As a volunteer-managed global community, we work to foster yoga with its therapeutic applications and life transforming effects. We bring yoga classes for general wellness, yoga teacher training courses for students who want to teach yoga, and yoga therapy to heal those with chronic ailments.
Achievements
Yoga Bharati has trained over 500 yoga teachers that now volunteer in local communities to offer holistic and research-driven approach to yoga. Just this year, we have delivered about 5000 class-hours of FREE or affordable yoga sessions in our communities, including special classes for kids, seniors, stress management and therapy. We continued our expansion, adding more public classes in Sunnyvale, Milpitas, South San Jose, and the Pleasanton Tri-Valley in the SF Bay Area.
RYS-300 Accreditation Approved - Our Advanced Yoga Teacher Training program was approved for RYT-300 and we are now officially registered as RYS-300. This is yet another feather in the cap for our high quality holistic yoga education that combines western scientific methodology and rational thought with classical and traditional yoga and spirituality.
Stop Diabetes Movement - Yoga Bharati actively participated and helped in the Stop Diabetes Movement along with Sewa International this year. More than 15 of our teachers took training and helped with the movement. Over 50 Bay Area participants benefited from this movement.
Yoga for Cancer – We have announced a FREE three month active support for Cancer using Yoga Therapy for people who are undergoing or taken Chemo/Radiation to help them achieve a better quality of life and to move toward normalcy. We conducted free education sessions on yoga for cancer and more than 10 cancer patients have taken yoga therapy from us this year.
Yoga for Seniors - We gave a 2 month workshop on Yoga for Seniors at a huge discount to encourage seniors to practice yoga. We also gave yoga therapy to seniors at discounted rates. More than 202 seniors took advantage of our offering at various organizations that Yoga Bharati partners including Priya Living.
IAYT Accreditation Applied - Our Diploma in Yoga Therapy program is now under accreditation by International Association of Yoga Therapists. This is yet another milestone for our volunteers who have taken tremendous pain in completing the exhaustive paperwork and curriculum as required by IAYT. We expect to be IAYT school by the mid of 2017.
Yoga Therapy
Yoga Bharati has committed to building a world-class research culture that can scientifically validate the benefits of Yoga Therapy, and to bringing authentic Yoga Therapy to our community.
Our Main Center: We have well established facility in West San Jose close to Cupertino, Saratoga, Santa Clara and Sunnyvale. We offer yoga for wellness, yoga therapy, and Ayurveda services in association with Yogaksema USA in our center.
Visit our center at: 20445, Prospect Rd, Suite #1, San Jose
Yoga Therapy classes for special groups – we have yoga therapy classes running continuously in Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Milpitas and Fremont. This year, we have conducted workshops on Yoga for back, neck, shoulder and knee pain, diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, obesity and metabolic disorders, vision disorders for children and teens, prenatal and postnatal workshops.
Yoga Yajna (Yogathon) 2016 – we conducted Yoga Yajna in both winter and summer this year. The theme of the closing ceremony was group practice of 108 sun salutation cycles (yajna) and Om chanting. More than 300 people from age 3 to 75 years participated in Yoga Yajna this year.
Yoga Centric Lifestyle Intervention Program (LIP) – Yoga Bharati launched LIP, an integrative therapy for people with various ailments from back pain to anxiety to cancer rehabilitation under the guidance of Dr. Naveen Visweshwaraiah of Yogaksema Bengaluru, India, Ayurveda trained experts — Vathsala Bhat, and Sachin Deshmukh.
Yoga Teacher Training 2016
More than 25 students from age 13 years – 60 years took Yoga Instructors Course (YIC) aka Yoga Teacher Training this year. It was a year long course, with 3 month intensive course from March to May 2015 and a yoga retreat at Sivananda Ashram.
Yoga Therapy Training
More than 30 students have signed up for Yoga Therapy Training and some are pursuing diploma in Yoga Therapy. This is a 2 year course aimed at training the yoga teachers to address people with different chronic ailments and empower them towards management and healing of their disease conditions.
Youth Yoga Training and Practice:
Yoga Bharati has a unique focus on building youth ambassadors and lifelong yogis. More than 150 children in the Bay Area have taken our yoga classes with us. Youth have been showing increasing interest in yoga each year and we have trained abour 10 yoga teachers this year alone and over 50 youth yoga teachers overall. We bring awareness about health and well being at all levels of human personality and we also create opportunities for them to channel their energy and develop their leadership skills. We conduct spiritual parenting sessions for our parents so that the entire family participates in developing yoga as a lifestyle.
Bhagavad Gita for Children and Adults
Yoga Bharati offers Gita for children and adults as a memory and focus improvement program and also to inculcate spirituality into them. Parents are encouraged to participate along with their children for effective learning. More than 15 students benefited from this program this year.
Mommy and Me Yoga for Mothers
We have yoga classes for mothers from pregnancy to 1 year after delivery. This year, we conducted yoga for mother and baby. Here is a report of the workshop and the techniques for new mothers to stay healthy during the stressful days of parenting the new baby.
Yoga for Eyes (Children)
We conduct Yoga for Eyes for children, a Vision Improvement Workshop. More than 30 children participated in this workshop to improve their vision challenges such as Myopia, Hyperopia, Astigmatism and Lazy eyes. Some children participated simply to improve their memory, focus and concentration. Below are the significant results of the workshop we have shown earlier in 2014.
Clinical Results
Improved Vision – 20%
Headache Relief – 10%
Easing Burning Eye/ Eye Strain – 10%
Reduction in allergy symptoms – 20%
Improved Sleep – 20%
Improved Appetite – 10%
Subjective Results
Improvement in social skills & participation – 40%
Promote awareness of Yoga, Vedanta and Ayurveda
Yoga Bharati hosts prominent speakers in the fields of Yoga, Vedanta and Ayurveda.
In 2016, we arranged pranayama and meditation workshop and discourse by Shri N.V.Raghuram, Chairman of Yoga Bharati, Swami Tattwamayananda of Vedanta Society, Dr. Prasad Kaipa of Selfcorp among others.
We hosted "Crisis to Confidence" — a spiritual leadership development session, and "Meditation and its Application" session in the later part of this year (November 2016) by Swami Bodhananda Saraswati.
Active partnership with local organizations
Over the years, Yoga Bharati has passionately served the community and has created a niche position for itself in the local volunteer organization network. We consistently contribute and support local events in various roles – as specialists in yoga and also as enthusiastic participants. This year was no different.
Sevathon 2016: This was held in the month of June Yoga Bharati has been a key partner of Sevathon since it’s inception. This year Yoga Bharati conducted international day of yoga in San Jose California. More than 110 participants practiced Surya Namaskar and OM Chanting.
Yoga Bharati has taken an initiative to collaborate and work in various fields of yoga alongside the Center for Spiritual Enlightenment (CSE). We actively partner with CSE in their education program at their Meru Institute.
Roadmap for Future Events in 2017
In 2017, Yoga Bharati will work with greater resolve towards our goals, building on the momentum in previous years. In addition, we’re planning a few new projects that are outlined below.
Yoga Teacher Training 2017 – This year, we are likely to have Yoga Teacher Training in January and March 2017 in stages this year at Pleasanton trivalley area and Cupertino location.
Advanced Yoga Education Courses - RYT-300 and DYT - We plan to start our next batch of advanced courses in Yoga - both Advanced Yoga Teacher Training and Diploma in Yoga Therapy. The demand has been tremendous and we hope to meet this increased demand.
Yoga for Obesity and Metabolic Disorders – A three month workshop on yoga and lifestyle awareness for people with weight problems, pre-diabetes, diabetes, thyroid conditions and for dyslipidemia – the cholesterol issues and people at risk for heart disease . We plan to offer this workshop FREE for low income patients and a 20% quota is reserved for the low-income group.
Yoga Yajna 2017– We invite everyone to participate in Yoga Yajna like every year, and in addition we are also preparing and training for a competition of practicing Surya Namaskars and Aum Chanting.
Sevathon 2017: We will be partnering with Sevathon organization and organize Yogathon in big way in 2017.
Support Us
With your generous support, we at Yoga Bharati have been able to take up significant programs to promote Yoga in a holistic way. Your further contributions will strengthen our resolve and initiatives. Please see the link below for ways to contribute generously towards ‘Samājanidhi’.