Thanks to a crowd-funding effort, Yoga Fusion had the opportunity to reach out to the Global Yoga Community supporting the expansion of the benefits of yoga to conflict areas.

Given the volatility of the funding mechanisms of aid funds and development projects, Yoga Fusion is seeking support from the Global Yoga Community to create a connection, a purpose, and  synergies between yoga communities around the world.

Who better than those who experienced personally the benefits of yoga, to support communities in conflict areas to access the same – if not more meaningful – benefits? 

Given the high turn over of yogis from all over the world, Bali was selected as pilot project for this effort. It is at this point that Linda Germanis, Yoga Fusion Founder, contacted different yoga studios and yoga retreats in Bali to explore this possibility.

Between October and November 2014, The Power of Now Oasis, hosted Yoga Fusion for A Month of Yoga with Purpose.

This initiative created the opportunity to give yoga classes by donation to support the project and raise awareness about the importance of addressing trauma through holistic, accessible, and sustainable methodologies in conflict areas.

Then, at the end of November, Kura Kura Yoga Retreat  offered free accommodation, support, and advice to Yoga Fusion for a week during which the drafting and crafting process of Yoga Fusion’s Book started.

HEALS over HEAD, Yoga & Yap healed Me. Who heals War? is now being finalized and it will be available online starting from April 2015.

Both experiences helped immensely to understand how to better interact with the Global Yoga Community being able to speak to each individual in a personalized heartfelt manner. Despite the rationale behind this Bali mission is to define a fundraising strategy for the project, HOW resources are channeled, and WHAT is given back to those who are willing to be part of the Yoga Fusion journey matters.

It is thanks to this trip that a book that tells the story of how the project started was created. It is thanks to this trip, to the Power of Now Oasis, to Kura Kura Yoga Retreat, and to the people behind them, that the story of Yoga Fusion had the opportunity to come to the foreground, and that hopefully more and more yoga practitioners around the world will have the opportunity to share this journey, and share the dreams, challenges, and baby steps that are transforming a vision into a reality.

The idea of sharing the personal story behind the project – what makes this project different, so heartfelt, and so capable of involving volunteer efforts of institutions and individuals? – was suggested during Yoga Fusion’s presentation at HUBUD, a cooperative working space in Ubud, Bali.

Last, but not least, during this Bali mission Yoga Fusion was invited to present holistic alternatives to psychosocial support for recovery and risk reduction at UNESCO’s Workshop on Education in Emergencies, held in Manila in November 2014.

These months of Yoga with Purpose that rotated around the desire to involve the Global Yoga Community in Yoga Fusion’s journey highlighted the interlinks between individual efforts, private sector support, international relevance and recognition of holistic approaches to deal with trauma at individual and social level.

The passion, support, and interest demonstrated by the institutions mentioned in this article, the individuals behind them, and many more special people met on this journey are somehow the proof that there is out there a Global Yoga Community made of yogis and non yogis that share a dream, and that volunteered time and resources to support it.

Thank you very much to you all from Yoga Fusion!

What’s next? 

Look out for Yoga Fusion’s Book!

HEALS over HEAD 

Yoga & Yap healed Me. Who heals War?

COMING SOON IN APRIL 2015!