IY Travel Impact Program
We believe that yoga and travel have the power to transform both ourselves and the world around us. This has been our mission statement since 2008 and is the foundation of our IY Travel Impact Program. In addition to promoting global perspective and cultural enrichment, we feel it is imperative that travelers give back to the people and places we visit.
One of International Yoga's differentiating values is our strong commitment to our partnerships overseas, many of whom we have been working with for over a dozen years. We work closely with them to identify local organizations and projects that support their communities, economic goals and environmental preservation initiatives. Every International Yoga retreat includes a meaningful donation to a local organization or non-profit. Please see the details for your specific retreat to learn about how we create positive impact wherever we travel.
"International Yoga empowers retreat participants to give back, supporting Yoga Gives Back’s mission to uplift underserved women and children in India, the birthplace of yoga. Through its generosity and commitment to Seva, International Yoga embodies the true spirit of Karma Yoga, inspiring meaningful change."
— Kayoko Mitsumatsu, Yoga Gives Back
"Thanks to International Yoga and its travelers, we’ve transformed our Peruvian mountain community by building a kindergarten with modern facilities and providing school supplies and shoes for children. During the pandemic, we installed satellite internet to ensure learning continued. We are forever grateful to Pachamama and International Yoga for making this possible."
— Valentin Baca, Valentin's Pachamama Journeys
NON-PROFITS WE SUPPORT
Funding education through tourism is at the heart of ABOUTAsia — it's the very reason they were founded. With the firm belief that luxury travel can simultaneously change the lives of the world's most and least fortunate, all of their profits are donated to ABOUTAsia Schools, which to date supports over 50,000 children across 108 Schools in Siem Reap through targeted educational programs. By choosing to travel with IY and ABOUTAsia you are already helping to make a difference.
In partnership with the Mayan Mother's Fund, 100% of our donation will go toward buying food for local Mayan women in Santa Cruz La Laguna whose families are in the greatest need of financial support. 21 years after the end of a civil war that took the lives of 200,000, and estimated 95 % lost by the indigenous peoples in Guatemala, little has been done to bring justice or economic opportunity to the indigenous Maya. Most of the eight million indigenous Maya people who live in Guatemala suffer from poverty. Poverty affects indigenous Maya women the most. One in three indigenous Maya women has no access to health or reproductive services. More than 70% of their children are malnourished.