Milestone: Over 1,000 Free Yoga Classes Served throughout Boston By Hands to Heart Center

Via Hands to Heart Center:

Boston, MA – Hands to Heart Center: Yoga for the People announces that since its founding in April of 2014 it has served over 1,000 free yoga classes throughout Boston.

The nonprofit and its all-volunteer teacher corps of over 120 yoga teachers serves Bostonians living with poverty and trauma in most neighborhoods of Boston. In addition to offering all classes free, Hands to Heart Center, as a yoga-service organization, focuses on leading yoga classes for under-served populations including incarcerated youth, adults and youth with intellectual and physical disabilities, veterans, recovery communities, students in high-poverty public schools, homeless adults and children, residents of public housing communities, survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and others.

In spring 2014, social worker/community organizer/teacher Susan Lovett began Hands to Heart Center.

Within a year, she mobilized over 50 volunteer yoga teachers, and in two years, over 120. Having recently become a top-rated organization on GreatNonprofits.org, Hands to Heart Center was founded in response to an unmet need: under-served communities needing the benefits of regular yoga and mindfulness practices without the high cost. A growing body of evidence shows that yoga alleviates anxiety, depression, stress and trauma. Practicing yoga regularly promotes health and wellness, increases capacity and builds resilience. Yoga can be done in any location, by any one, in any condition and many Boston non-profit organizations that serve people living with poverty and trauma see the need for yoga and mindfulness to be introduced to their clients, students and residents.

HTHC Volunteer Karen “Shanti” Ciaizzo Montserrat Aspirers Community Center HTHC Volunteer Mary Jo Germanos with students with students in Boston Public Schools Dorchester with students

After completing a 200-hour yoga teacher training, Lovett combined it with her 25-year career of social work within high-poverty neighborhoods and began teaching free yoga classes at the Lila Frederick Pilot Middle School in Dorchester. “I'm constantly excited,” shares Lovett, “by how many yoga teachers are willing to volunteer as well as by how many nonprofit organizations recognize the many benefits of yoga for their clients. Far and away, my favorite moments are when I teach or support a new HTHC yoga class and witness students' anxiety and/or resistance diminish after just one hour. This is consistent overall -- participants feel better after yoga classes, they return to our classes regularly, and often request additional classes.”

“There’s a double/reciprocal benefit to holding HTHC classes throughout Boston,” Lovett continues. “For the teachers, they feel proud and grateful to provide classes for people who, otherwise, wouldn't have access to yoga. For the participants, they often begin yoga practices and start enjoying the health benefits which they can take with them for life.”

“I have volunteered with Hands to Heart Center since 2014, shares volunteer yoga teacher Karen Caiazzo, “leading yoga classes for at-risk children at a Boston Public School in Dorchester. Teaching them about breathing techniques and showing them tools they can use when feeling overwhelmed or stressed goes hand in hand with the physical practice of yoga. The kids look forward to every class. This work brings me such happiness--sharing my love of yoga with others."

“Hands to Heart Center is a positive influence in the lives of my students,” shares Patrick Harris, Special Education teacher. “Most of them have experienced trauma of some kind. The majority live in poverty, some are homeless. It's a challenge to get them focused and calm, ready to learn. I noticed improvements in their attention span after only a few classes. They also act out less and follow attentions better during and after yoga class.”

HTHC volunteer teachers are required to be graduates of 200-hour yoga teacher training programs.

Some HTHC volunteer teachers are graduates of 500-hour teacher training programs, who also provide further specialty yoga teacher training workshops to HTHC volunteers including trauma-informed yoga, yoga for beginners, and yoga for youth. Since it began, Hand to Heart Center’s increase in volunteer yoga teachers has come solely from word-of-mouth, not recruitment, Lovett reports. “Developing a yoga practice naturally invites ideas of well-being, helping others, and paying attention to our surroundings,” she says. “So it was a likely fit that those involved in yoga teacher training – either as students or teachers – when learning of HTHC, were attracted to its mission.”

HTHC has also developed a Yoga Coach program - a 20-hour free yoga training that prepares participants to teach a safe, 60-minute yoga class with 8 basic poses. The Yoga Coach training is available to HTHC students and partner organization staff who agree to provide a minimum of one, free 8-week yoga class series in their community. Further, HTHC will continue providing free trainings for its volunteers, ensuring that students receive high-quality, customized yoga classes; as well as monthly volunteer gatherings for volunteers to connect, share resources and best practices, and socialize.

Image via Hands to Heart