Yoga Gives
When preparing to open Yoga Matters in 2011 a personal objective of ours was to create an entity that would participate in community where charitable purposes are concerned. We are very conscious of our personal social responsibilities and that the essence of Yoga, even when you are running a business, is not all about how much money you can take in and we wanted to ensure we had a healthy mix of teaching for free and for charity as well as being sustainable as a business.
Within a quarter of opening we ran our first charity class. About a year later we set up ‘Yoga Gives’ as our formal way of committing and announcing our commitment to making sure we continuously ‘give back’ to our practitioners, ‘give back’ to our wider community. We do this by offering up our teaching services, covering the overheads, offering the space and offering up the class fees taken.
We also make ourselves and our classes accessible to those practitioners who may be going through a financially stressful period of time so they don’t do without their much needed/essential Yoga classes. These circumstances are discussed with those practitioners privately and on individual basis. This is very personal and we usually know the practitioners as existing and committed to Bikram Yoga practitioners (this is an intensely private and confidential matter between us and the practitioners). We do not take recommendations from others on this front. All the individual has to do is reach out to us.
We value our own years of experience in teaching Yoga and the time and money spent on gaining our qualifications in order that we can work in a ‘helping people’ profession. It is fact that there are still many out there who don’t consider teaching Yoga as ‘real work’ and that they don’t consider that our overheads and ‘dues’ must be priority for us. We are always ready and willing to challenge such assumptions and the ‘fantasy’ beliefs about what we do. We have been approached many times over the years by different organizations asking us to offer ‘blanket’ free or discounted Yoga classes within their particular sphere of activity and in this regard we are glad that we stepped up from the very beginning of our own community’s birth (2011) to take control of how WE deliver OUR free services to the community. We have to earn our living too and the business side needs to remain sustainable as we will not be able to keep our doors open for our very deserving dedicated Yogis if we are not ourselves sensible in our free offerings and so ‘Yoga Gives’ has been a gift in helping us manage our social responsibilities and our contributions to community.
We are very happy (our class schedule permitting) to offer our services to teach mass Yoga classes outside of the YM environment where we would turn up and teach groups in order for the charity to raise funds but with us giving our time and instruction for free where the charity/individual would undertake to do all the organizing and primary marketing of such an event.
Once a quarter we hold a charity class on a Friday evening towards the end of the month. Once a cause is selected permission is sought from the relevant organization for the charity class event. Practitioners will be given about a month’s notice before each event and information will be made available at the studio to heighten awareness of the cause. All class fees taken are calculated at the end of the class. Any additional kind donations are always gratefully received, although they are not asked for, required or expected.
In the interests of transparency, anyone wishing to inspect the records are welcome to do so at any time. Monies are immediately sent to the charity and a receipt is displayed as soon as it is received.
These classes are very rewarding for all concerned; practitioners can come to class, work hard, feel good and know that their class fee on the evening will be contributed by Darren & Trisha to local worthy causes.
Yoga Matters will do its very best to fill these classes to maximise possible funds raised and therefore in this regard, please note:
- any concessions or guest passes are not valid during charity events; if a charity event occurs during a ‘challenge’; challengers will be asked to make up the difference between their discounted class fee and normal class fee for that night only
- the usual booking policy will absolutely be enforced i.e. if practitioner does not show up their class fee is forfeit (in this circumstances going to the charity)
- practitioners are asked to sign up at reception and pay in advance for these classes if they would like to participate in what promises to be a very synergistic class
Namaste Trisha & Darren
PREVIOUS CHARITY CLASSES, BENEFICIARIES, AMOUNTS RAISED:
RUNNING TOTAL of class fees and donations to good causes so far… £10,477.55
27 ?
26 Grace Trust October 2026 £276.50
25 Lily McGarry’s gofundme (with Aston) April/May 2025 £3,840.00
24 British Red Cross Ukraine Crises Appeal March 2022 £656.50
23 Jersey Side By Side Bailiffs Ukraine Appeal March 2022 £656.50
22 Jersey Trees for Life February 2020 £179.00
21 Jersey Pain Support Charity October 2018 £339.58
20 Headway Jersey June 2017 £237.59
19 Jersey Trees for Life March 2017 £251.89
18 CRY (Care & Relief for Young) Jersey October 2016 £181.69
17 Jersey MS Therapy Centre July 2016 £181.90
16 Mind Jersey April 2016 £210.79
15 The Sanctuary Trust January 2016 £266.05
14 Jersey Womens Refuge September 2015 £230.10
13 Jersey Africa Project May 2015 £217.10
12 The Grace Trust February 2015 £325.08
11 Jersey Stroke Association November 2014 £235.90
10 Jersey Childrens Charity May 2014 £218.62
9 Samaritans Jersey February 2014 £235.12
8 Jersey Autism October 2013 £146
7 Vallatur Orphanage India July 2013 £192.57
6 Parkinsons Jersey April 2013 £255.82
5 Jersey Macmillan January 2013 £212.25
4 Jersey Ostomy Society October 2012 £183
3 Hope for John July 2012 £167
2 Jersey Childrens Charity March 2012 £80
1 Children In Need November 2011 £156
Offsetting with Trees for Life:
- since 2020 annual subscription £50: running total £350