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A small foundation with a long practice behind it

Yoga Angels Foundation brings yoga, mindfulness and life skills to young people and communities that rarely have access to them. Our work began with children's classes in 1997 and has grown through schools, community centers and juvenile facilities in Jamaica and the United States.

Four women seated together on a low sofa with hands pressed together
A wellness session led by Yoga Angels.

Healing and growth through practice

Using yoga, music, movement, the arts and other wellness practices, Yoga Angels Foundation offers a holistic approach to healing and personal change. We design programs for children, young people and adults, and we have been developing and running them since 1997.

Life skills where they are needed

We are committed to teaching life skills to children, youth and adults in underserved communities. That means yoga classes, art, dance and music, seminars and workshops, delivered in the places where people already are.

Adults in a studio standing in a lunge with arms raised

What guides us

We go where yoga isn't
Our classes have run in schools, churches, workplaces and correctional facilities. We meet people in their own spaces instead of expecting them to find a studio.
We train local teachers
The best measure of a program is what keeps happening after it ends. Training people from the community is how the practice stays.
We work with the whole community
Young people, families, community members, and the police and correctional staff who work with them. Each group has a part in a healthier, safer neighborhood.
We keep it joyful
Music, drums, dance and art have always been part of how Yoga Angels teaches, especially with children.

The people our programs are for

  • Children and teens

    In low-income communities, through schools and youth programs.

  • Young people in custody

    In juvenile remand and correctional centers in Jamaica.

  • Families and neighbors

    Through community classes, workshops and family events.

  • Frontline workers

    Police, correctional and youth workers who carry heavy days.

How we got here

Yoga Angels has roots going back to 1997. The Foundation's programs were running for many years before it was formally recognized as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2022.

Earlier initiatives also included community peace events and a program bringing police officers and community members together. We will share more about these as we gather records.

  1. 1997

    Classes for children in Los Angeles

    Sandra “Subhadra” Griffiths starts teaching yoga to children. The work that becomes Yoga Angels grows from these classes, later reaching schools in the Beverly Hills and Los Angeles Unified school districts.

  2. 2000

    Training new teachers

    Subhadra begins training yoga teachers, work she has continued ever since.

  3. 2006

    Back home to Jamaica

    Subhadra returns to her native Jamaica, which becomes the center of much of the Foundation's community work.

  4. 2015–2018

    Wellness And Mindfulness in juvenile centers

    Yoga Angels brings its WAM program into Jamaican juvenile facilities, including South Camp, Rio Cobre and Metcalfe Street, as part of “A New Path”, a youth initiative of the Organization of American States funded by USAID.

  5. 2017–2018

    Eleven teachers certified at Rio Cobre

    At the Rio Cobre center in Spanish Town, WAM trains and certifies eleven teachers, so classes can continue without outside instructors.

  6. 2018–2020

    Keeping the program alive

    When “A New Path” funding ends, the Foundation keeps WAM running at Rio Cobre with its own resources, including occasional sessions during COVID-19, until it is no longer safe or affordable to continue.

  7. 2022

    Recognized as a 501(c)(3)

    The IRS recognizes Yoga Angels Foundation as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3), so gifts from US donors are tax-deductible.

Green hills and a coastal road in St. Thomas, Jamaica

Yoga Angels Foundation and Yoga Angels International

Yoga Angels International is a yoga and wellness education company that offers classes, retreats and teacher trainings. It was also founded by Subhadra Griffiths, and the two share a name and a history.

They are separate organizations. Yoga Angels Foundation is the nonprofit. Gifts made through this website go to the Foundation and support its charitable programs.