New Partnership

Urban Family Foundation has partnered with the Black Yoga Teachers Alliance Inc. (BYTA), a non-profit collective of teachers who share a love of healing and wellbeing. The BYTA represents the broad expansiveness of the African Diaspora.

BYTA has created "Yoga As A Peace Practice", an activist movement with goals of cultivating compassion and health for individuals, families and communities.

This new partnership is offering free community events that include the Heart of Yoga Peace Project along with the curriculum from BYTA’s "Yoga As A Peace Practice." The Heart of Yoga teaches a simple yet profound practice of breathing and moving in a way that is appropriate for each individual regardless of their age, health or circumstances. An individual’s practice can serve as an inner refuge and sanctuary where daily peace is cultivated.

This new partnership takes yoga off the mat, out of the studio and into the lives of everyday people to transform and elevate their experiences of self-awareness, self-care and self-love. Through this, we will undoubtedly make a positive impact on the world in which we live.

BYTA's curriculum is designed to enable individuals to take action by offering yoga, meditation practices and yoga-based lifestyle philosophies to those who have been subjected to a life of violence and victims of violence. The curriculum has been created to measure the efficacy of yoga to heal violent and self-sabotaging behaviors, and to develop strategies for mindful living to improve quality of life.

"Yoga As A Peace Practice" is designed for these special populations:

  • People who live in stressful environments where violence and abuse are prevalent;
  • Professionals who provide education, health and counseling services to the underserved and abused such as counsellors, teachers, social workers, mentors, and civil servants;
  • People who perpetrate violent and abusive behavior against others, with special focus on violence within public and private institutions.

THE HEART OF YOGA PEACE PROJECT & YOGA AS A PEACE PRACTICE
These are free events.
Space is limited, so registration is suggested:

September 30 & October 1, 9am - 6pm
MINKA Brooklyn: 3FL, 1120 Washington Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11225, USA

An invitation-only dinner will be offered the evening of May 19 for community leaders to discuss their unique role and strategies for implementing these tools to create the most peaceful communities possible. We would love to know how we can serve you by understanding the needs of your community, and offer you these tools for establishing peace where it is most needed.

Whether you are a leader in your community who can bring these tools to your existing community, or an individual who is desiring peaceful changes and actions to begin right here, right now, please join us. We promise this can help the healing.

Urban Family & Heart of Yoga are dedicated to providing these skills to the local and global community. Since 2000, Mark Whitwell and local yoga teachers have successfully implemented the Heart of Yoga Peace Project in the Middle East.  

All three organizations are 501c3’s nonprofit organizations.