Take a deep breath. Push play. Release.
We’re very happy to introduce you to our friends at Yogis in Service.
Inaccessibility to yoga–Whether its transportation, time, child care or financial strain– is unfortunately extremely common in spite of the enormous boom in practitioners across the country. Yogis in Service seeks to bridge the gap and offer free yoga community-based, family friendly classes either on location (eg. homes, hospitals, schools) or in their cozy studio located on the East side of Buffalo. Their classes are trauma sensitive and they are currently enrolling the first Trauma-informed 200-hour yoga teacher training in Buffalo, NY that will begin in January 2017. Catherine Cook Cottone, Kathleen Engelhardt and Leslie Rothschild are leading the YIS teacher training.
From the Team
The tools of yoga can support every individual across the lifespan, and we continue to adapt the process to meet the needs of every person. Through these tools, Yogis in Service believes that we are empowering, inspiring, and developing our communities.
Yogis in Service is a non-profit organization located in Buffalo, New York. Nearly 100% of our donations go directly to providing yoga, for free, to our community (our costs are our insurance and web page). This includes FREE sessions of yoga at many different locations throughout Buffalo, NY all year (spring, summer, fall/winter). We pay all of our teachers a competitive rate. Our teachers attend monthly meetings to learn and develop their skills.
Yogis in Service began informally in 2013 when Pastor Gary Steeves met Susan Fain of Power Yoga Buffalo to talk about bringing yoga to the East-side of Buffalo. From there a group of us (Catherine Cook-Cottone, Alexis Asquith, and a group of University at Buffalo Students and local yoga teachers) provided yoga at the church’s summer camp for the neighborhood classes and a Saturday weekly yoga class emerged. The class was run by teachers from Power Yoga Buffalo until April 2014 when a group of University at Buffalo students took it over. A small group from the neighborhood kept up the Saturday Class class getting tips on Facebook from Alexis Asquith, a Power Buffalo Teacher who moved to California. In the fall of 2014, Catherine Cook-Cottone a yoga teacher form Power Yoga Buffalo and professor at University at Buffalo began working toward creating a more formal not-for-profit initiative to create access to yoga. In 2015, Yogis in Service was born. Today, the YIS studio stands in the place where the summer camp classes and all of the Saturday classes have been held since 2013- Resurrection Village associated with Resurrection Lutheran Church.
EVENTS
108 Scholarship Sun Salutations
Lafayette Hotel Grand Ballroom ( 391 Washington St, Buffalo, NY 14203)
June 21st, 2016 (6-9pm) International Yoga Day and the Summer Solstice. 108 Sun Salutations led by Catherine Cook-Cottone, Kathleen Engelhardt, and Leslie Rothschild with live music. We’re raising money for three YIS scholarships (valued at $9,000.00) for the Yogis in Service Teacher Training. Two for our East-side YIS studio and One for a University at Buffalo Student. Teacher training begins 1/2017. Doors open at 5:15 PM. Program begins at 6:00 PM and will last until we are done. Break at 54 Suns. YIS merchandise, raffles, and music. Remember: Yoga mat, towel, and water (you must hydrate). Bring your best friends and your love of yoga. Bring your credit card and cash for raffle. You can buy your tickets here.
Yogis in Service – Facebook
Yogis in Service – Instagram
