Imagine all the people living life in peace!

If you’re here, odds are you’re familiar with a quirky oasis in Downtown Los Angeles called Peace Yoga Gallery. You may have stopped in for a coconut, taken a yoga class, joined community in ceremony, or soaked in the visionary art adorning the walls of our humble temple. Perhaps — as so many stories go — you gave in to that calling one day after walking past for weeks (or years) and found exactly what you needed. Or maybe you have been one of the many friends who, over the course of the last sixteen years, have been integral in shaping the colorful community that has risen around and defined Peace. Invariably, you would have also come to know Cheri Rae, the ever-passionate conduit for this expression of unity and healing, who has been a bastion for live yoga, live food, live art, and live music in Downtown LA for over three decades. Whether you are a longtime friend or a stranger, we humbly ask for your help as Peace Yoga Gallery faces several existential threats that could destroy our ability to work for change. But we don’t want merely to survive these challenges — we want to thrive and expand our mission of peace within our community and beyond. To do this, we need your help.

Like many small businesses, Peace Yoga Gallery has been challenged by economic uncertainty and inflation. In addition, local obstacles like the unhoused crisis and abysmal access to mental health care have made operating a business a difficult undertaking in Downtown LA. We are called to rise to the challenges of these dark times and face the forces of oppression head-on. Our scrappy team — many of whom are volunteers — has shouldered every challenge thrown our way. While many other yoga studios and centers for healing were shuttered contending with the events of the last few years (a global pandemic, a recession, multiple wars, you know the rest), we have persisted. That said, the fight has become harder. Recently, our storefront has endured several destructive acts of vandalism. To make matters worse, our kitchen was cited by the health department for minor code departures. As many of you know, the kitchen has been the heart of Peace and a place of communion since its inception.

We submit this crowdfunding request to our community and all connected communities so that we can continue our work at a time when the mission of peace has never been more critical. We have several goals with the funds we hope to raise that will enable Peace Yoga Gallery to continue operations and expand its impact. First, we will allocate funds to support our talented crew and secure additional staff who can undertake business activities and bolster our schedule for yoga, healings, and more. Funds will also be used to address some much-needed repairs and resupply our aging yoga equipment so students can get the most out of their practices. We also plan to apply your donations to bring the kitchen at Peace up to code and expand its operational capacity. This expansion will be compliant with the Los Angeles Department of Public Health, enable us to resume our live food offerings, and give us an advantage in competing on food delivery applications. Lastly, we want to bring Peace into the modern age and optimize business operations with new POS systems, security measures, website updates, and other useful electronic integrations for students.

To our many friends and students, we’re eternally grateful for all you have contributed to the community at Peace Yoga Gallery for well over a decade. To those of you belonging to other communities with a shared vision and cause, we are also grateful for the time you have taken to consider our plea. If you are in a position to donate, any amount will help us in achieving our goals and strengthening our mission. If you aren’t able to donate, please consider sharing this page with your friends and family to increase our reach and engagement. Thank you for walking with us on this journey and aiding us in realizing the next phase of our evolution.