Annual Report, 2025 - YB Dallas
Among the many activities we did in 2025, here are the ones in chronological order.
1. January - Yoga Teacher Training
Since Yoga Bharati Dallas's inception 3 years ago, we have trained over 60 adult students to prepare them for the RYT-200 certification. In 2025, 14 students completed the Yoga teacher training program.
2. February - Dallas Suryathon 2025, a free event
Suryathon is an annual tradition at Yoga Bharati Dallas, where all Yoga Bharati members and community members come together to perform Suryanamaskars to their capacity and complete 108 rounds. Music, encouragement, and practice variations, such as neck and back pain and chair ones, are provided. So far, we have completed 2023, 2024, and 2025 (3 years)
3. March - Yoga Retreat @ Siddhayatan Retreat Center
For the second year in a row, the Yoga Bharati Dallas chapter has hosted a 3-day residential family retreat at the Chinmaya Mission Retreat Center and Siddhayatan Retreat Center. Retreat focused on yoga training for students, providing in-person, hands-on learning of yoga tools and techniques, such as advancing in asanas, pranayama, and meditation; cleansing techniques such as Neti and Dhouti; yogic games; bhajan; and karma yoga, while building camaraderie with fellow yoga students and learning directly from the Gurus.
4. April - Science-Based Yoga Retreat in Princeton
For the second year in a row, Yoga Bharati has been conducting a Yoga retreat based on Science and Research. The spring workshop focused on Pain management, neurology, weight management, and mental health. Dr. Sunil Thummala, Dr. Sejal Mehta, Dr. Preeti Malladi, and Dr. Saravanan Chokalingam spoke at the retreat. Dr. Saravanan's talk and presentations on Yoga and pain management were the highlights. Dr. Saravanan is a physical therapist and a trained yoga therapist. In his practice in Detroit, he combines both physical therapy and yoga therapy to bring the best of both modalities. The goal of the Retreat is to bring aspects of evidence-based yoga as a CAM, supplementary modality.
https://youtube.com/shorts/ImLx05bl5JU.
5. May - Teen Resilience Workshop | Presented at the NAMA conference, DFW
Our Executive Director, Savita Joshi, was invited to speak at the NAMA Ayurveda conference in Dallas on the role of yoga therapy in integrative healing.
To raise awareness of the upcoming Summer youth yoga teacher training, we offered a Teen Resilience Workshop, online and in person. Close to 10 youths attended the workshop.
6. June- Children's Summer Yoga Camp | International Day of Yoga 2025
For the third year in a row, YB Dallas volunteers and staff conducted the Summer Kids Camp. This year, more than 15 balayogis attended the camp. Camps are a time to bond, get deep into yoga and mindfulness techniques, and learn life skills such as healthy living, cooking, and eating habits. This is also a time to meet community experts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbOMmc0zhus
This year, the International Day of Yoga was held in 2 places. One was at Bhartiya Nivas, a lifestyle and community living in Dallas. Yoga, yoga dance flow, and speeches by a panel of doctors and yoga practitioners to raise awareness of the therapeutic aspects of yoga. Dr. Sunil Thummala, a neurologist, and Dr. Sejal Mehta, MD, Psychiatry, were on the panel.
For the second year in a row, we also held the International Day of Yoga at India Bazaar in Plano, with more than 50 people practicing yoga together. Thanks to Collin County Commissioner for endorsing the practice of yoga in the community by inaugurating the event.
7. July - Youth Yoga Teacher Training
This year, 10 Yuva Yogis completed their 100-hour training online, including a 4-day residential Retreat in Frisco. A few of them joined from California and other parts of Texas, taking advantage of the hybrid option. Some drove and flew to attend the residential retreat.
8. August - Youth Yoga Teacher Training Annual batch began | Kids/Youth/Adults In-person Yoga Classes in Frisco
August marks the start of the school year, and so does our term for Kids and Adults Yoga classes. This year, our yoga class offerings extended to the parents. While the children take yoga classes, their parents will attend a separate session for free. Bala (6-11yrs) and Yuva (12+ yrs) yogis will continue classes for the entire year to make it an Annual program. Children's classes are unique because they progress through five levels, including yoga practices and yoga philosophy.
9. September - Began classes for the residents of Bhartiya Nivas in Dallas
Yoga Bharati began providing biweekly chair yoga sessions for the residents of Bhartiya Nivas. Residents range in age from 55 to 95 and vary in their level of yoga practice. Our trained and certified yoga teachers curate the yoga practices to their varied needs. Classes focus on breath awareness, balance, subtle muscles and joints, and meditation techniques. Our theme-based yoga offerings include ample philosophy, laughter, and class engagement.
10. October - Emotional well-being and healthy habits workshop | Mindfulness session for TIAA @ ASCEND conference | Swami Bodhananda's events on Patanjali Yoga Sutras and Panchatantra workshop
The 2025 focus was on Emotional well-being. Thanks to Aadhar, an organization for mental health and awareness, for partnering with us to bring this workshop to the local community.
TIAA allowed us to provide a wellness session for ASCEND conference attendees. A small chair-based introductory corporate yoga session was given to more than 300 attendees.
11. November - December - Children's Winter Camp 2025
The last two months of the year are mostly spent on reflecting on what went on in the year, what our learnings are, organization sustenance, innovation, growth, and overall, how we can contribute to the health and well-being of the local and global communities at large.
In November, we interacted with local non-profit My Possibilities to work on improving the health and well-being of serving adults with disabilities such as Down Syndrome, Autism, Asperger’s, Prader-Willi, head injuries, and more.