Green Yoga Association

I was lucky enough to get to know several founding members of Green Yoga association.They were all inspiring and sincere about their mission.We have the utmost respect for the work they do and the influence they had on our lives. We hosted a celebration for Earth Day 2009 in Asheville n.c.to benefit Green Yoga and increase people awareness of their mission...We hope the dedication of their supporters and members will be influential on many generations to come.

The Green Yoga Association has helped bring the disparate worlds of spirituality and environmental activism together. By sourcing the innate ecological perspectives of yoga, Green Yoga has enriched the philosophical teachings of yoga, so that yogis everywhere may better understand the natural and necessary commitment to an ecological way of living. In just five or six years the Green Yoga Association has offered an outstanding number of projects to support planetary well being. These include three large conferences, a program to help yoga studios become greener with over a 100 participating studios around the world, local yoga study and support groups, Green Yoga teaching programs internationally, partnership with Yoga Journal to green the conferences, and a successful campaign to help people change from PVC yoga mats to more eco friendly mats. The Green Yoga Seva Groves project organizes donations for fruit tree planting to support permaculture, fresh local food, carbon sequestration, and a peaceful place to practice.

The Green Yoga Association is an amazingly effective nonprofit. In its short lifetime, our growing community has significantly impacted the mega Yoga "industry." Every endeavor of our nearly all-volunteer group is focused and professional with little waste. Our network has created action-campaigns that resulted in millions of Yoga practictioners cutting back on the purchase of yoga mats and water bottles that use non-renewable resources. The root of the work has been in shifting awareness and understanding through international conferences, teacher trainings, green studios, green sanghas, newsletter, and professional articles.

The Green Yoga Association is doing an incredible service to the community. An all-volunteer posse, the organization is a catalyst for eco-awareness and action among yoga enthusiasts and companies. GYA launched a massive shift from toxic to non-toxic yoga mats, and now is doing the same in the area of water bottles -- launching the shift from disposable plastic bottles to refillable nontoxic bottles. GYA is a beacon for deep eco-awareness and ACTION, making a difference year-round and around the globe.

The Green Yoga Association has been a leader in raising ecological awareness throughout the global Yoga community. By educating individuals and Yoga studios about "best practices" such as the eschewal of phthalate-laden sticky mats and by conducting week long educational retreats on the nature of Yoga and Ecology in 2005, 2007, and 2009, this organization has helped people become, in Gandhi's words, the change they want to be.

I have worked in volunteer capacity with this organization for many years. I am continually energized by the fantastic community that surrounds the Green Yoga Association. Born from a clear vision by founder Laura Cornell, this organization has established a firm foundation. I have witnessed amazing successes as we have... changed the way most yoga mats are manufactured; created a vibrant support network for Green Yoga Studios; and helped weave Green practices into the operation of Yoga Journal Conferences. I love this community and the work we are able to do.