Community Impact

YogaCare's approach was developed based on published quantitative and qualitative research with community class participants who continue to inform our responsive model (Moscoso et. al., 2019).

We have provided over 10,000 visits to over 1,500 yoga students across Chicagoland since 2012.

Citywide Access to Free Community Yoga

Map YogaCare Services 2017 - 2020.png

YogaCare reaches almost half of the 77 Chicago community areas citywide and additionally serve multiple surrounding suburbs.

The top 5 communities served in Community Yoga Programs and Partner Programs from 2017-2020 include the following:

  1. West Town

  2. Englewood

  3. South Chicago

  4. Austin

  5. Washington Park

We are continually expanding our reach to new neighborhoods and deepening relationships with existing partner communities responding to emerging needs.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

YogaCare reaches many diverse community residents across Chicagoland - 94% are people of color (2020).

YogaCare programming is based on the needs of partner organizations, patients, community members, and staff in communities that have little to no access to yoga.

In response to these needs, YogaCare programs are deeply embedded in partner communities with teachers who are trained to address the reported health needs of medically underserved community members. Yoga teachers and scholarship program alumni have extra training in trauma-informed practice, arthritis, culturally responsive yoga, plus size yoga, consciousness around power/privilege/oppression dynamics, and yoga for mental health and physical health conditions. 

Reaching People With Limited Resources

Most are low income, with 54% below 200% of the poverty level and 67% on Medicare in 2020.

Alleviating Physical Pain

Top pain areas reported by students over time in raw numbers 2014-2020

Addressing Physical & Mental Health Challenges

Cumulative numbers of students over time who reported these health challenges 2014 - 2020

We recently achieved 94.6% satisfaction ratings of YogaCare classes, and 100% recommend the class to others.

Yoga Teachers Trained

Through our Scholarships & Training Program since 2016, we have awarded 22 scholarships for 200-hr yoga teacher certification programs.

The impact of alumni is truly catalyzing by creating jobs for new yoga teachers primarily in communities on the South Side, West Side, and Northwest Side of Chicago with the majority of trainees being Black, Latinx, Indigenous people of color.

Support our continued impact throughout Chicagoland.