How to Find Your Zen With Yoga and Volunteering

10 Reasons Why Volunteering can help find your Zen

• Deepening Your Practice: Forget expensive gym memberships, or pricey online courses. Staying at a Workaway project allows you to consistently practise yoga, deepening your understanding of postures, alignment, and mindfulness techniques. 
• Teaching Experience: Yoga Teacher Training is tough and expensive. By volunteering first, it provides valuable teaching experience before you commit to a course. Allowing you to test drive your dream career before spending the money or time doing your YTT.  If you’ve already qualified as a yoga instructor, having volunteer teaching experience will improve your ability to guide and assist students in so many ways. 
• Adaptability: Whether you’re teaching or attending yoga classes, volunteering means you get to experience diverse settings and groups of people. This will enhance your adaptability, as you learn to modify classes for different needs, languages and abilities. 
• Building Confidence: The best way to boost your confidence is by surrounding yourself with like-minded others who share your passion. Sounds like volunteering, huh? Being surrounded by a yoga community means you can ask questions, share tips and attend or teach class - all of which will allow your confidence off and on the mat to flourish. 
• Mentorship: The industry is saturated with all kinds of coaches, and courses, so it can feel overwhelming at times. Volunteering creates opportunities for those money-can’t-buy types of mentorship. Best of all, these mentorships soon become friendships when you join Workaway.
• Networking: As well as mentors, you’ll also be exposed to a network of fellow yoga instructors, practitioners, and wellness professionals, opening doors to future collaborations, communities and fitness friends for life. 
• Building a Portfolio: Dream of designing yoga studios as an interior designer? Have an eye for wellness photography or blogging? Perhaps you want to become an instructor? Volunteering allows you to build a portfolio of diverse experiences, helping you to stand out in the crowd when searching for paid opportunities.
• Personal Growth: Taking a gap year can be one of the best investments you’ll ever make. Even if it’s only for a month, volunteering can be a transformative personal journey, helping you develop qualities like compassion, resilience, and gratitude. 
• Making a difference: Volunteering allows you to make a positive impact on individuals and communities, contributing to their physical and mental well-being. By volunteering, you contribute to making yoga more accessible to individuals who might not otherwise have the opportunity to practise. 
• Continued Learning: By volunteering and doing yoga abroad, you’ll be exposed to new approaches, techniques, and yoga philosophies. This will heighten your knowledge of the yoga world and inspire your continued learning. 

Best Destinations for Travelling Yogis

India - The Birthplace of Yoga

Bali, Indonesia - Island of Serenity

Thailand - Tropical Bliss

Nepal - Yoga in the Himalayas 

Mexico - Yoga on the Pacific Coast

Costa Rica - Pura Vida Yoga

Peru - Yoga in the Andes

Morocco - Yoga in the Desert

Spain - Savasana in the sunshine

Greece - Yoga by the Aegean Sea

Types of Volunteering Projects for Yoga Lovers

Schools and Educational Centers 

• Teaching Yoga in Schools: Teaching yoga to children can help them develop physical fitness and mindfulness skills from a young age. This is why the ancient practice is slowly becoming more popular in modern curriculum. Simply set your host type to school and search “yoga” 
• Youth Outreach Programs: Volunteering with charities and NGO’s is ideal for those who want to use yoga to empower at-risk youth or in underserved communities. This is usually through youth outreach programs, workshops and more. 

Community Centres 

• Local Community Classes: Volunteers are needed to teach yoga classes at community centres, libraries, or recreational facilities. This approach ensures that yoga is accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial situation. 
• Specialised Classes: If you’re passionate about social impact projects, why not volunteer with specialised yoga classes. These are usually aimed at specific groups like seniors, individuals with disabilities, children or those dealing with mental health challenges.

Tourism/Hospitality

• Youth Hostels: If you want to combine your passion for partying and practising yoga why not volunteer in a youth hostel? Many hostels need support with activities to keep guests entertained. It’s also a fun way to stay in unique accommodation around the world when travelling on a budget. 
• Glamping/Camping sites: As well as hotels, many camping and glamping sites (like this one in Turkey) offer yoga workshops to guests. They are in need of volunteers who can support these workshops while embracing the unique backdrop of the great outdoors. 

Behind the Scenes

• Marketing/social media: As well as the physical side of yoga volunteering, there are many ways to volunteer behind the scenes. Workshops, retreats, teacher training programs and more all need marketing material. That’s where you can help! From photography to blog writing, social media to SEO, your skills on screen could benefit the yoga community by getting word out there. 
• Food prep/farming: Diet goes hand in hand with yoga. That’s why you’ll find many farmstay opportunities also looking for yogis. A farmstay project is a wonderful way to nourish your soul both inside and out. 

Different Types of Yoga & Where to Learn More

• Hatha Yoga: Hatha yoga is a gentle and foundational style that includes basic poses and breath control. It is widely practised in India, where yoga originated and probably the best choice for beginners. 
• Vinyasa Yoga: Vinyasa yoga involves stringing poses together using breath for a continuous flow of movement. It is more popular in the United States and Western countries and usually, the most commonly taught in yoga studios. 
• Bikram Yoga: Not so beginner-friendly but if you like to sweat it out, Bikram (or hot yoga) is for you! It consists of a series of 26 challenging poses practised in a room heated to a high temperature. It originated in the United States but can now be found all over the world. 
• Ashtanga Yoga: Ashtanga yoga is a rigorous and structured style with a specific sequence of poses. Some people would argue it is the most difficult yoga style because you need a lot of patience and discipline. It is most popular in India and its neighbouring countries.
• Iyengar Yoga: Iyengar yoga emphasises precision and alignment in poses, often using props like belts and blocks. It has a strong presence in the US and Europe. Although it focuses on slower movements, (think quality over quantity) it is very rewarding and great for building strength, stamina, and flexibility.
• Kundalini Yoga: Kundalini yoga involves chanting, singing, breathing exercises, repetitive poses and meditation. Its purpose is to activate your Kundalini energy. In Hinduism, Kundalini is a form of divine feminine energy believed to be located at the base of the spine.
• Yin Yoga: Yin yoga focuses on deep stretching and holding poses for an extended period while incorporating principles of traditional Chinese medicine. It usually focuses on the lower part of the body such as the hips, pelvis and inner thighs. It is popular in the US, India and China. 

Inspirational Projects to Share Your Yoga Skills

• Colombia: Passionate about food, animals and yoga? Teach yoga and meditation on a vegan farm school in Guatape, Colombia. No certification necessary, but experience teaching is preferred.  
• India: Volunteer alongside a YTT mentor so you can also learn yoga as you volunteer with vulnerable children. Through this school and NGO you can also experience local culture, hiking and outings in Dehradun near Rishikesh, India.
• Nepal: Dream of teaching abroad? Teach English to children while attending free yoga classes every day near the beautiful Chitwan national park, Nepal
• Nepal: Support with digital marketing at a traditional Yoga Ashram in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
• Croatia: Help with yoga and adventure retreats, at this paid volunteer position in Croatia.
• Greece: Help build and teach at a yoga retreat centre on Rhodes Island, Greece. As well as yoga teachers, they are looking for support with meditation classes, tai chai and more. 
• Montenegro: Support a Permaculture Farm & Yoga Retreat Community in the magnificent Kotor Bay area of Montenegro. 

How to Find the Perfect Exchange to Deepen your Yoga Practice

• Destination: Use the destinations above as your location in the host search box. You can then add the keyword “yoga” and see what projects pop up. 
• Keywords: Narrow your search further by using the style of yoga you have particular interest in as the keyword in the host search box. You could also use keywords such as: wellness, retreat, yoga community, yogis, yoga studio, mindfulness, meditation etc.
• Workaway Profile: Don’t forget to showcase your enthusiasm for yoga on your Workaway profile. Whether it’s photos of you in warrior pose, or listing a few of the styles you're interested in from above, this will help hosts know you are a genuine yogi and help your profile stand out from the crowd. It can also help hosts find you when they create their own search for Workawayers on the platform.