Practicing Karma Yoga Through Social Impact

Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu

As a yoga student, teacher-in-training, and someone passionate about service, I have found alignment between my personal practice and my professional mission. In my day job, I’m the founder and CEO of Bridging Gaps, a nonprofit that supports refugees and people from marginalized communities to build their own livelihoods through social entrepreneurship, long-term mentorship, and our signature pay-it-forward microloans. It’s beautiful, challenging, sometimes chaotic, and deeply human work—filled with constant movement, from projects and events to travel, meetings, and grant applications. So when I finally carved out the space to begin my Yoga Teacher Training, I knew it had to be something flexible, supportive, and aligned with my values.

That’s how I found YogaRenew—and I’m so glad I did.

Being able to do my YTT online and at my own pace has been a gift. It has allowed me to deepen not just my knowledge of yoga, but also my personal practice, in a way that fits into the rhythm of my life. I’m currently doing both the YTT and the Yin Yoga Certification Program, and it has been a wonderful and grounding experience.

One of the many things that deeply resonated with me is the exploration of yoga philosophy, especially karma yoga. In Mark Stephens’ Teaching Yoga, he defines karma yoga as “the yoga of service,” literally translated as the path of “union through action.” He writes that it involves acting without consideration of desire or selfish need—and that idea really stayed with me. Years ago, I spent time at a yoga retreat where karma yoga meant helping in the kitchen or sweeping floors. Today, learning more about it, I expanded my definition of it to bringing microfinance to refugee settlements, co-creating community-based programs, and holding space for others to lead.

I see the work we do at Bridging Gaps as an expression of karma yoga—work done not for personal gain, but out of deep care, compassion, and solidarity. And now, yoga is becoming an even more intentional part of that work.

I see the work we do at Bridging Gaps as an expression of karma yoga—work done not for personal gain, but out of deep care, compassion, and solidarity. And now, yoga is becoming an even more intentional part of that work.

As we gear up for International Day of Yoga 2025, I’m incredibly excited to share a new initiative a group of Bridging Gaps Fundraising Fellows has launched, called Bridging Hearts and Minds, which will run through June.

This global campaign brings together yoga, mental health, and social impact. The funds raised will support our first-ever yoga session in the Bidibidi Refugee Settlement in Uganda, where my co-founder Malish is based. It’s the beginning of a vision to make yoga more accessible in underserved communities—especially those recovering from conflict and displacement. And for those who feel a connection with the practice, we will offer microloans to help them begin their own journeys as yoga teachers, sharing yoga with their wider communities in ways that are rooted in local context and culture.

If you’d like to be part of this movement, we invite you to:

• Offer a donation-based yoga or meditation session in support of the campaign
• Share our initiative within your network
• Take part in our online sessions and workshops
• Sponsor a yoga teacher trainee in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement
• Or simply connect with us, exchange ideas, and send positive energy

To me, yoga is many things—movement, mindfulness, devotion, community. It’s about connecting with our bodies and calming our minds, but also about connecting with each other and the world around us. And in today’s uncertain, often overwhelming times, we need that connection more than ever.

That’s why I’m so grateful to be part of the YogaRenew community. This journey has already brought so much clarity and grounding—and I’m even more inspired to bring these tools into my daily life and the mission I hold close to my heart.