SEVA

Health Thru Yoga is committed to the yogic practice of seva. 

Seva are selfless acts of service.

Throughout the year Health Thru Yoga provides a variety of opportunities for students and teachers to contribute their time, energy or other resources to helping others or to be helped by others.  We have provided details of past efforts to reach out and help others below and we welcome new opportunities to directly help individuals in need or through organizations who provide assistance.  For example, from a workshop on stress reduction offered as seva to the staff of the Ward Home, Inc. in Mt. Lebanon we became aware of the need for sponsors of the Ward Home youth during the holiday season.  This year we plan to adopt one of their resident teens for the December holidays.

Health Thru Yoga Community

Health Thru Yoga offers a scholarship program to provide financial assistance to students who are unable to afford yoga classes.  The scholarship program was initiated by a student who was grateful for the contentment that yoga had provided and who wanted to express their gratitude for yoga by making it available to others who may not have been able to attend classes otherwise.

Students are invited to participate as sponsors or as recipients.  Scholarships are offered to those with a demonstrated financial need for the duration of a session (ie spring, summer, fall, winter) and may be offered on the basis of full or partial tuition.  Scholarships are provided as a gift to recipients who are willing to make a commitment to attend classes on a regular weekly basis during a session.

Sponsors - Students who have benefited from their yoga practice and who desire to help others experience yoga for the first time or maintain their practice during times of financial need can contribute funds to the program as scholarship sponsors. 

Recipients - Students (including newcomers) who would like to begin or maintain a yoga practice but are challenged by financial circumstances may apply for full or partial scholarships.

Sponsors and recipients may remain fully anonymous to others.

Pittsburgh Community – and on-going

Community Gardens – Health Thru Yoga sponsors a garden plot in Bethel Park near the intersection of West Library Ave and South Park Road.  Volunteers plant and care for the perennial and annual flower garden as part of the LRT Beautification program for the pleasure of LRT commuters and others who drive or walk along this route. 

Northside Common Ministries -  Health Thru Yoga volunteers prepare and serve a healthy, appetizing and nutritionally balanced dinner to residents of this community shelter four times a year.

Adopt-a-Family -  During the Christmas holiday season,  Health Thru Yoga sponsors a family through the Holiday Adopt-a-Family program operated by the Pittsburgh Salvation Army.  Volunteers buy, wrap and deliver Christmas presents for members of the sponsored family.  In addition to the presents, contributions are also accepted in the form of gift cards (ie Giant Eagle, Walmart, Target etc).

Tags and Gift Bags -  Health Thru Yoga volunteers recycle used Christmas cards and create holiday tags and gift bags which are sold during the holiday shopping season. Proceeds from the sale are donated to local charities.  In past years, donations were made to the Northside Common Ministries and the National Aviary.

Health Thru Yoga teachers provide workshops and classes to non-profit organizations teaching yoga breathing, meditation, asanas (including seated poses using chairs), and relaxation as a means of stress reduction.

World Community

Women for Women International -  Health Thru Yoga sponsors women in third world countries through Women for Women International.  Volunteers contribute the cost of subsistence living expenses to a designated woman and her family while she receives training to become financially self-supporting.  The organization encourages an exchange of written correspondence between the sponsored woman and her sponsors creating a personal bond.  To date, Health Thru Yoga has helped 4 women from the Republic of the Congo receive training and support who have ‘graduated’ from the program. 

We have provided help to those affected by natural disasters including the following:

-         providing school bags, supplies, and household items to an agency providing relief to people in the US and third world countries

-         donating money to Doctors without Borders following the tsunami which devastated southeast Asia a few years ago

-         collected contributions, household items, and clothing for the Red Cross/Salvation Army relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina

-         participated in the March of Dimes Walk-a-thon

-         collected donations for local yoga students whose homes were damaged by devastating winds and storms

How do I participate?

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, donating your time to a project or if you want to recommend a scholarship recipient or an organization for a workshop, please contact Lesli by phone (412) 292-5167 or email singingyogi@aol.com.