A New Home for Be the Change Yoga
Donation protected
For over 5 years, Be the Change's donation-based yoga studio has served as a space for self-discovery, sanctuary, self-care, healing, health, creativity, connection, and community.
Our donation-based model has meant we never turn anyone away due to lack of funds. We want all people to have access to the transformative practice of yoga and our impact in the community reflects that intention. What we've given to our community has been based on a system of trust and mutuality, trusting that folks will give what they can. We are there for people in their greatest time of need to offer health & healing, and we hope our community can support us now that we ourselves are in a place where we need help.
We've been grateful for our space in the heart of downtown San Jose, however now are rent has doubled and we have been pushed to find a new location. Thankfully we've found a wonderful new space only 1.5 miles away from our current location, at 947 Park ave. We are raising funds to make this transition possible...so that we can continue to serve San Jose in a new home.
There is a lot of work to be done to make the new space fit to be a yoga studio:
- painting
- new ceiling
- electrical/light fixtures
- building a front desk
- building shelving for props and benches
- deep cleaning
- seating/landscaping of front patio
- new signage
- building deposit
We are asking our community to support us, so we can continue to be a place shining compassion, healing, wellness and sanctuary in San Jose.
All contributions from $10-$10,000 are valued. If BTC has meant something to you or served you in some way, we ask you contribute if you can, or spread the word if you are unable to donate! $10 is small in the grand scheme, but will go a long way with the power of the people, which is what we are built on!
We are deeply grateful for your support, and know that your contribution will continue to serve many others who will benefit from the power of yoga and healing in community!
CommUnity Happens Here <3 Checkout our pictures at the end of this story!
Over the last 5 years we've:
(this is in the studio itself, not including our community outreach programs)
- held weekly donation-based yoga classes (25+ per week), offering our community a diverse array of quality classes to practice consistently
- welcomed over 120 different yoga & wellness teachers through our doors to teach classes and workshops, supported a regular core of 20+ different yoga teachers who teach/taught with us 1-4+ years
- offered diverse classes such as Kundalini, Kundalini Yoga en Español, Body Positive Yoga, Prenatal yoga, Trauma Informed Yoga, Yoga for Trauma Release, Sound Healings, and more to make yoga not only accessible financially, but also inviting for a wide range of backgrounds
- hosted over 20 fundraiser classes for a variety of causes such as Standing Rock, SJ Flood Relief, Planned Parenthood, Hip Hop 4 Change, JW House, Africa Yoga Project, The Dancing Cat, Friends of Roots, Cancer Carepoint, Black Mama's Bail Out, and much more, in addition to joint donation-based classes with Veggielution, Our City Forest, and Local Color
- hosted teacher trainings, including an affordable/sliding scale teacher training, trauma-informed yoga trainings, Yoga for 12 Step Recovery, Yoga in Action, and trauma informed yoga for youth trainings
- served as space for community gathering from monthly women's circles, men's circles, healing space, reiki shares, changemaker nights, nonviolent communication, radical self-care, and many more community building workshops
- mentored 12 different interns offering stipended internships in marketing, community outreach, social media, facilitating, and story telling, including all-access to yoga classes and resources for 4 different youth interns from underrepresented backgrounds
- offered regular part-time work to 2 people experiencing homelessness for 1-2+ years ea, and hosted annual drives for clothing/supplies for people on the streets for the last 4 years
- offered free unlimited yoga memberships and wellness support to 6 different youth experiencing homelessness through partnership with Bill Wilson Center
-served as the hub and foundation of our community outreach programs: Conscious San Jose, Free Yoga in the Park, Woke Teens yoga and mindfulness camp for at-risk teens, Yoga on the Farm, and off-site yoga programs for at-risk youth
- engaged 7 different artist partnerships to showcase local art, 10+ different musician partnerships, and 15+ different local health/wellness business showcases
Our donation-based model has meant we never turn anyone away due to lack of funds. We want all people to have access to the transformative practice of yoga and our impact in the community reflects that intention. What we've given to our community has been based on a system of trust and mutuality, trusting that folks will give what they can. We are there for people in their greatest time of need to offer health & healing, and we hope our community can support us now that we ourselves are in a place where we need help.
We've been grateful for our space in the heart of downtown San Jose, however now are rent has doubled and we have been pushed to find a new location. Thankfully we've found a wonderful new space only 1.5 miles away from our current location, at 947 Park ave. We are raising funds to make this transition possible...so that we can continue to serve San Jose in a new home.
There is a lot of work to be done to make the new space fit to be a yoga studio:
- painting
- new ceiling
- electrical/light fixtures
- building a front desk
- building shelving for props and benches
- deep cleaning
- seating/landscaping of front patio
- new signage
- building deposit
We are asking our community to support us, so we can continue to be a place shining compassion, healing, wellness and sanctuary in San Jose.
All contributions from $10-$10,000 are valued. If BTC has meant something to you or served you in some way, we ask you contribute if you can, or spread the word if you are unable to donate! $10 is small in the grand scheme, but will go a long way with the power of the people, which is what we are built on!
We are deeply grateful for your support, and know that your contribution will continue to serve many others who will benefit from the power of yoga and healing in community!
CommUnity Happens Here <3 Checkout our pictures at the end of this story!
Over the last 5 years we've:
(this is in the studio itself, not including our community outreach programs)
- held weekly donation-based yoga classes (25+ per week), offering our community a diverse array of quality classes to practice consistently
- welcomed over 120 different yoga & wellness teachers through our doors to teach classes and workshops, supported a regular core of 20+ different yoga teachers who teach/taught with us 1-4+ years
- offered diverse classes such as Kundalini, Kundalini Yoga en Español, Body Positive Yoga, Prenatal yoga, Trauma Informed Yoga, Yoga for Trauma Release, Sound Healings, and more to make yoga not only accessible financially, but also inviting for a wide range of backgrounds
- hosted over 20 fundraiser classes for a variety of causes such as Standing Rock, SJ Flood Relief, Planned Parenthood, Hip Hop 4 Change, JW House, Africa Yoga Project, The Dancing Cat, Friends of Roots, Cancer Carepoint, Black Mama's Bail Out, and much more, in addition to joint donation-based classes with Veggielution, Our City Forest, and Local Color
- hosted teacher trainings, including an affordable/sliding scale teacher training, trauma-informed yoga trainings, Yoga for 12 Step Recovery, Yoga in Action, and trauma informed yoga for youth trainings
- served as space for community gathering from monthly women's circles, men's circles, healing space, reiki shares, changemaker nights, nonviolent communication, radical self-care, and many more community building workshops
- mentored 12 different interns offering stipended internships in marketing, community outreach, social media, facilitating, and story telling, including all-access to yoga classes and resources for 4 different youth interns from underrepresented backgrounds
- offered regular part-time work to 2 people experiencing homelessness for 1-2+ years ea, and hosted annual drives for clothing/supplies for people on the streets for the last 4 years
- offered free unlimited yoga memberships and wellness support to 6 different youth experiencing homelessness through partnership with Bill Wilson Center
-served as the hub and foundation of our community outreach programs: Conscious San Jose, Free Yoga in the Park, Woke Teens yoga and mindfulness camp for at-risk teens, Yoga on the Farm, and off-site yoga programs for at-risk youth
- engaged 7 different artist partnerships to showcase local art, 10+ different musician partnerships, and 15+ different local health/wellness business showcases
Organizer
Taraneh Sarrafzadeh
Organizer
San Jose, CA
