Giving Back to Community

"From its inception, The Yoga Barn was founded with an intention to give back and create community. Compassion in action is the focal point of everything we do at The Yoga Barn."
– Charley Patton, Co-Founder of The Yoga Barn


 


Ultimately, yoga is a practice of self-inquiry. It teaches us to look inwards and question the values that we hold in the center of our being: who are we and what is our life purpose? For people on this path of self-discovery in Bali, The Yoga Barn fulfills and facilitates that journey through yoga, dance, meditation, detox and various wellness treatments. Our hope is that people who visit The Yoga Barn will resonate with the community ambience we have created and are inspired to give back and enhance their communities when they return home.

We do not take our good fortune for granted, we appreciate the Balinese community in which we live and feel so grateful to have this beautiful space in Ubud, Bali. We feel called to give back to our local community and to the world as a whole.

Ensuring our operations respect and take actions for our natural environment The Yoga Barn has recycling policies in place that focus on the Reduce - Reuse - Recycle method. All of our rubbish is collected and separated on-site ready for management by a reputable recycling company in Bali ensuring reusable and recyclable materials do not end up in landfill.  Our yoga studio's no longer use disposable cups and we encourage our guests to use refill bottles with additional ones available for purchase at our reception desks.

1) How we give back

Community is an intrinsic part for anyone who finds themselves on the yogic path. We realize the need to protect our planet and to take advantage of the gifts we have been given, to work towards being of service to others. We give back to our community here in Bali through daily free ‘community classes’, charity fundraising events and health education and free daily yoga classes for staff.

Bali ReGreen

COMMUNITY CLASSES

Every week we offer free classes for the community which is our way of saying thank you! Classes may include yoga, meditation, community circles and lectures on health, astrology or spirituality.

These classes are offered "by donation" so that guests who wish to contribute and can afford to do so can give at their personal discretion. All proceeds from community classes throughout the year are donated to local charities or causes or as emergency relief funds.


 

CHARITY FUNDRAISING EVENTS

Throughout the year, we host events to raise money and awareness for a variety of charities and NGOs based in Indonesia. Our regular annual fundraising events include:

1st January, New Years Day
21st June, World Yoga Day

Donations are collected through fundraising concerts, dedicated class and ecstatic dances, Monday movie nights and more…

SOME OF OUR CHARITY EVENTS

standing with water protectors worldwide heart of haze estatic tribal fusion dance for the dayaks world yoga day june 2017 kumare Loving Celebration



Sign up for our monthly newsletter to learn about our upcoming charity events and other important updates.

STAFF TRAINING

We have various programs and education schemes that we provide for the wellbeing of our staff at The Yoga Barn. These include mosquito eradication programs, recycling information, daily staff yoga classes and diabetes screening and awareness seminars.

2) Organizations we support

Bali has many challenges that most people visiting the island might not be aware of. These include: high levels of trash and plastic waste, areas of low rainfall and limited water supplies, the endemic of HIV & AIDS amongst young people and high mortality rates for mothers giving birth.

I Made Gunarta and Meghan Pappenhem, both co-founders of The Yoga Barn, have also launched two charity outreach programs: AYO! Kita Bicara HIV & AIDS (Hey! Let’s talk about HIV & AIDS) – an HIV & AIDS awareness and education program and Bali ReGreen – a bamboo reforestation program.

Learn more about these NGOs and other partner charities we have supported over the years:

ENVIRONMENTAL

Bali Regreen

Bali Regreen is a sustainable environmental project which aims to fight land degradation in Bali’s driest areas whilst also educating and training the people who inhabit the land. It is an exciting project supported by BaliSpirit Festival, Yayasan Kryasta Guna and the Environmental Bamboo Foundation to help the poorest communities in North East Bali and provide long term economic and ecological benefits.


TRI Hankerchiefs

TRI is dedicated to supporting indigenous-led causes, especially raising international awareness about deforestation and supporting those fighting deforestation in Indonesia. TRI raise money for these causes by making and selling hankerchiefs from recycled fabrics.


Ransel Buku

 

This program was founded in response to the devastating fires across the rainforests in Borneo which destroyed almost half of the 50-million-year-old rainforests in Kalimantan. Ransel Buku is an eco-literacy program that provides books to remote villages in Borneo and The Yoga Barn supports it through a monthly donation to cover a teacher’s salary at the center.


Ranu Welum Media

In partnership with Ransel Buku is Ranu Welum Media which is a group of young Dayak people supporting indigenous human rights, spreading awareness and trying to stop the fires from burning Kalimantan’s forests.



Borneo Nature Foundation (BNF)

 

The Yoga Barn assisted in raising funds and awareness for outreach programs OuTrop and Kopernick to aid relief efforts in the burning rainforest of Borneo in 2015, one of the worst environmental disasters in human history.



Bali Water Protection Program

 

Bali Water Protection is a crucial initiative and part of IDEP, an Indonesian NGO based in Bali. BWP works on reducing the water crisis in Bali caused by overpopulation, over-extraction of ground water and climate change. BWP works to build sustainable wells to recharge the ground water and work with the government and communities to change water regulation.


ANIMAL WELFARE

B.A.W.A. (Bali Animal Welfare Association)

Changing animals’ lives by changing the world they live in, BAWA’s programs are designed to tackle Bali’s animal welfare issues from all angles. Taking action to directly relieve pain and suffering, and working within communities to influence a positive shift in attitudes and behaviors, in order to stop animal mistreatment before it occurs.


Villa Kitty Foundation

Born in 2009 in a crowded corner of a dog shelter, Villa Kitty established its own premises as a refuge for Bali’s abandoned cats and kittens in March 2011. Caring for the lives of Bali's cats through offering cat & kitten rescue, sterilization & vaccination, and adoption & fostering opportunities for Bali's feline population.



HEALTHCARE AND EDUCATION

AYO! Kita Bicara Hiv & AIDs (Hey! Let’s Talk About HIV & AIDs)

AYO! was created in 2010 in response to the critical need for HIV & AIDS education in Bali. As of December 2016, Bali has over 9,000 recorded cases of HIV and almost 7,000 recorded cases of AIDS and hundreds more who live unaware that they have HIV. The AYO! program empowers teenagers to guard their own physical and emotional health and act with empathy towards others within their community living with HIV. AYO! has held over 6,000 workshops and is supported by the Ministry of Education, to take EduSpirit workshops beyond Bali.


Bumi Sehat Foundation

Bumi Sehat means Healthy Earth Mother, and is a community health education and natural birthing center which has saved and assisted thousands of mothers and babies in pregnancy and childbirth for over 20 years. It was founded by midwife, long time Ubud resident and CNN hero of the year 2011, Ibu Robin Lim, who operates two centers – one in Bali and another in post-tsunami Aceh, Indonesia. Bumi Sehat’s mission is to provide free access to quality healthcare to families and a safe and hygienic childbirth to traditionally under-represented populations.


Yayasan Solemen Indonesia - 'Solemen'

Yayasan Solemen Indonesia (‘Solemen’), an Indonesian non -profit foundation, provides direct support and funding for the disadvantaged and ‘diffabled’ (differently abled) in Bali. Established in October 2010, Solemen is one of Bali’s most trusted and visible charities. The Former Governor of Bali is Solemen’s ‘Pelindung’ (Guardian/Patron) and the charity is endorsed by the Bali Government Tourism Office and the Bali Hotels Association.

Solemen’s Outreach Programs benefit the poor, the disadvantaged, the ‘diffabled’, the homeless and the marginalised in Bali. Actively reaching people who fall through the cracks and not helped by the existing network of charitable organisations and government programs. They provide effective and targeted help where it will impact the most.


MORE PROGRAMS WHO ARE GIVING BACK

SOSA Scholarship Program

The School of Sacred Arts ran 200-hour Yoga Alliance approved yoga teacher trainings from 2010 to 2019 at The Yoga Barn offering scholarships twice a year for qualified Indonesian applicants to become certified as yoga teachers. Passionate about giving back and creating new professional and career opportunities this program was accreditated to international standards.

Overall 27 Indonesian teachers graduated the SOSA course, all of whom now teach throughout the island of Bali or abroad. Murni, Eka and Wine are teachers on The Yoga Barn faculty who benefited from these special scholarships.