Anahata International

Anahata International is an international nonprofit organization, based in Washington DC, serving vulnerable communities locally and abroad through compassionate action to promote healing and social change.

Our intention is to empower people to work through trauma and improve their quality of life, and our mission is to share the physical and mental health benefits of yoga and holistic wellness services with individuals in need who would not otherwise have access to these services.

Believing that every person deserves a path to wellbeing, we work in partnership with community-based organizations to build strong ongoing programs in trauma-affected areas around the world.

We are currently in the middle of a 2-year project to help bring the benefits of yoga to those living in the midst of conflict in the West Bank.

In July 2011, we we traveled to Ramallah to conduct a 9-day Teacher Training for 16 women from Bethlehem, Nablus, and nearby villiages. They were mothers, sisters, teachers, nurses, homemakers, community leaders, and students – and now they can all say that they are yoga teachers.

The training was the first of its kind in the West Bank. In an environment rife with conflict and complexity, these women are working hard to bring inner peace and healing to their communities.

All of our 2011 trainees have been active since the summer, introducing yoga to their school systems and local health organizations—some of them teaching up to 8 classes per week. Two graduates are working to open local community yoga centers in their towns and villages to share the benefits of yoga with even more people. 

We remain close with our 2012 graduates, offering support and helping to provide them with everything they need to continue their work. We are committed to returning to Ramallah in 2013, to support our graduates’ with continuing education to deepen their knowledge and help them to be better prepared to use yoga therapeutically. We will also be working to set up a mentorship program for continued ongoing support from the US.

We need to raise 20,000 for the second phase of this project by April 2013. Please do what you can to help!