Finding Home in a Community: Ra Yoga

Ra Yoga strives to put one thought into all of their yogis’ minds: I am home. For Amanda Martinez, Ra Yoga’s studio manager, home isn’t just the yoga studio itself—it’s the whole community.

Their community is a direct reflection of a foundation built on a culture of creativity, authenticity, and individuality. They strive to create a space of non-judgment, where all are invited to grow and share their yoga practices. Ra Yoga does more than offer an array of wonderful classes and training for teachers, they also give back to their community with great generosity and passion. “Everything we do is rooted in service, and our mission is to not only provide yoga to the masses but to give back to our community, too.”

Ra Yoga recently hosted a 90-day challenge among their studios, where yogis could choose to be on one of three teams, each team represented by a different charity. The teams’ charities were given donations based on the attendance of their yogis at the end of the challenge. In total, Ra Yoga was able to donate over $3,000 to the charities through more than 10,000 classes attended.

In addition to one-off challenges like this, they host annual food drives and offer donations to local businesses. This holiday season they are hosting “12 Days of Giving”—during which Colette’s Children’s Home, Laundry Love and Stack House will receive donations of food, clothing, and home goods for 12 days during the holiday season. 

For Amanda, giving back isn’t just about helping her community, it’s about seeing the effects of what happens next.  “Some days everything goes perfectly according to plan, and other days it seems like we just can’t catch a break. In the end, though, we hold firm in our belief that it is always in giving that we receive.”