Building a Legacy of Transformation through Love, Dedication, Effort, and Commitment
Yoga Pura Vida Through The Years
The Yoga Pura Vida organisation is the result of the tireless efforts of its founder, Dharmajyoti, and the generous support of many kind-hearted individuals who believed in this vision and helped bring it to life.
Born as a movement in 2012, Yoga Pura Vida emerged with the aim of creating a non-profit yogic organization inspired by the ancient wisdom of yoga. The foundation is dedicated to providing support and empowerment to children, youth, and vulnerable individuals of all ages.
From the very beginning, our mission has been to make a positive impact on underserved communities, using classical yoga as a tool for transformation and holistic well-being. Our journey started in Africa, planting the seeds of change and compassion.
Today, Yoga Pura Vida stands as a Non-Profit organisation, a living testament to the transformative power of yogic values, empowering individuals and their communities.
2010 – 2012
Dharmajyoti gave life to the Yoga Pura Vida movement, inspired by a decade of immersion in yogic practice in Indonesia and Pakistan, as well as yogic studies in India, and the inspiration received from the masters of the Saraswati lineage: Swami Sivananda, Swami Satyananda, Swami Niranjanananda, and Swami Satyasangananda. This event marked the beginning of a visionary project, focused on using classical yoga as a powerful tool to transform the lives of vulnerable populations, promoting integral well-being, resilience and social inclusion in disadvantaged communities.
2013
The project began in West Africa, where free yoga classes were offered in Malawi to young people in the community. Dharmajyoti expanded his work through workshops in Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa and Tanzania. During this journey, he noticed that yoga was not reaching local populations, which motivated him to launch his first project in Kikokwe, a small town in Tanzania with just 700 inhabitants. There, he introduced classical yoga to children and young people, sowing the first seeds of a transformative practice that would, over time, change lives and strengthen communities.
2014
In Kikokwe, a solid foundation for the practice of classical yoga was established. A training course in Hatha Yoga enabled the first 3 local instructors to be trained, who quickly began to share their knowledge and teach within their own communities and nearby villages. In addition, free classes aimed at children and young people not only brought yoga closer to the new generations, but also encouraged the emergence of community leaders committed to promoting this transformative practice, thus strengthening the social fabric and promoting collective well-being.
2015
Yoga’s expansion continues to grow through outreach workshops and continuing education programs that combine progressive yoga learning with the development of computer skills for local instructors. These initiatives have brought the practice of yoga to schools, orphanages and non-governmental organizations, consolidating its presence in various institutions and, most importantly, benefiting hundreds of children and young people. With each new action, yoga not only transforms individual lives, but also fosters stronger, more inclusive and resilient communities.
2016
Through an innovative yoga training course designed specifically to teach children and young people, the Yoga Pura Vida Foundation trained 7 new local instructors and four expatriates committed to teaching yoga. This effort allows the practice of yoga to continue to expand significantly in Tanzania, reaching a greater number of schools, institutions and communities in regions such as Arusha, Pangani, Bagamoyo and Zanzibar. With this initiative, the positive impact of yoga is reinforced by promoting well-being, social inclusion and personal development in various areas of the country.
2017
The spread of yoga in Tanzania continues to grow through workshops and classes in schools, institutions and various communities. Instructors are beginning to teach classes in hotels and to expatriates, establishing themselves as respected professionals. A volunteer from the YPV movement, she starts teaching classes in the Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi, with the aim of finding potential candidates to be trained as yoga instructors.
2018
Through a new course that awards scholarships to participants from countries neighboring Tanzania, yoga continues to expand across Africa, reaching Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, and more communities within Tanzania, as well as the Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi. This effort establishes a strong foundation for yoga in diverse social settings, benefiting everyone from elderly genocide survivors to children with autism, those undergoing chemotherapy, those experiencing homelessness, caregivers in hospitals and refugees of all ages..
2019
Yoga continues to expand strongly in East Africa, driven by the ongoing training of local instructors through specialized workshops. These instructors, trained with a holistic approach, play a vital role in introducing yoga to new communities, organizations and institutions. Their work not only expands the reach of this transformative practice, but also promotes physical, mental and emotional well-being in various areas, contributing to sustainable development and strengthening communities throughout the region.
2020
Despite the global challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Yoga Pura Vida Foundation’s projects continue to advance in Africa, strengthening communities and offering support to those who need it most. Meanwhile, in Spain, plans have begun to be developed to implement innovative yoga and art therapy programs in Madrid.
2021
YPV expanded its impact through a training course in Sierra Leone, which trained 23 new instructors committed to bringing yoga to vulnerable groups. This effort focused especially on addressing the needs of homeless children and youth, prisoners, psychiatric patients, and marginalized communities. Additionally, yoga was introduced to schools and impoverished areas in various regions of the country, creating opportunities for personal and community transformation through this integrative practice.
2022
The first training course is offered in Spain, and awareness and outreach workshops are held in Africa. This year, YPV makes its first mark in Madrid by expanding its reach to vulnerable groups of adolescents, institutionalized elderly people, and older African refugee women. YPV obtains a grant from the Community of Madrid for a Yoga and Art Therapy project with the Complutense University of Madrid.
2023
Yoga Pura Vida strengthens its commitment to the expansion of yoga in Africa through two training courses in Tanzania, in which 14 new local instructors were trained. At the same time, work was intensified in the Dzaleka refugee camp in Malawi, with the implementation of a course that trained 11 new instructors and the development of campaigns to spread the benefits of yoga. In addition, outreach initiatives were carried out in the villages near the camp, extending the transformative impact of yoga to rural communities in Malawi and strengthening their overall well-being.
2024
In Tanzania, new progressive training courses were conducted for instructors, strengthening their skills and fostering the growth of yoga in local communities. Meanwhile, in Malawi, initiatives were strategically expanded to reach even the most remote villages in Dowa district, bringing the benefits of yoga to hard-to-reach areas and promoting holistic well-being in marginalized regions.