Community Service and Outreach
One of the goals of HYF is to ensure that the healing benefits of Yoga are accessible to all who seek them. We are actively working on our outreach programs and have developed programs

• Compass Community Services
  They provide housing, education and employment services to San Francisco's homeless and at-risk families. The agency's four programs support more than 3,000 parents and children each year in their efforts to achieve stability and self-sufficiency. Their family programs are Connecting Point, Compass Family Center, Clara House, and the Tenderloin Childcare Center (TLC).

  This fall we are conducting a "Stress Management" Class as part of their services for their Positive Parenthood Project.

  • How are we doing?
    HYF believed that the program would help participants connect to themselves and their children and help them cultivate the resources to better handle the stresses of their everyday lives, both during pregnancy and post-partum. We believed that by supporting the mothers (and Partners), both her state of wellbeing and that of her child would be affected. As the mother's are able to learn and develop the skills self-awareness and stress reduction, they are better able to connect with their child, and be more available and attentive to their child's needs to promote healthy attachment and child development.

    We have seen tremendous results. We gave them simple and easy breath and movement tools to use not only in the class but in their every day lives at their living situations, on the bus or wherever they might need them. They gave us feedback that they were able to find time while with their children to employ these tools either while playing or doing day to day chores. One of our most successful stories was a father who participated in the program.

    Case one Supplied By Compass Community services Positive Parenthood Project:
    Client M came to the "Stress Management" group in early 2008. At the time he was residing in a drug treatment program with his wife and newborn daughter. He had spent many years of his life living on the streets and abusing narcotics. Once he found out he had a child on the way, he was determined to turn his life around. He entered treatment with his wife who delivered a healthy and happy baby girl. M was faced with many life stressors, being a first time parent, being newly sober, trying to figure out how to support his family with a substance abuse history, a permanent disability (he had lost an eye long ago), and a criminal record. M took to the techniques offered in the class like a duck to water. He attended every session he could and was able to incorporate yoga practices into his every day life. Now, nearly a year after he began the class M is working a full time job and is about to move his family into a clean and safe apartment. He attributes a lot of his success to his participation in this class. He states that the class helped give him the calm and sense of peace he needed to tackle providing a good life for his baby girl.

• Commonweal Cancer Help Program
  Commonweal is a nonprofit health and environmental research institute in Bolinas, California. Founded in 1976, Commonweal conducts programs that contribute to human and ecosystem health - to a safer world for people and for all life.

  Healing Yoga Foundation is also very proud to be a part of the Commonweal Cancer Help Program. Kate Holcombe will be a part of their week long retreats teaching yoga as a tool for healing .

  We have seen such success in supporting Cancer patients, HYF and Commonweal will be starting day long retreats in San Francisco Starting in 2009.

  Find more information on the Commonweal Cancer Help Program.

• Health and Urban Housing Clinic
  Healing Yoga Foundation provides support to HUHC as part of their "Self Care" program to support employees.

• Holy Family Day Home (HFDH)
  HYF started a two classes a week with HFDH this fall. Holy Family Day Home is the oldest pre-school in San Francisco and supports low-income and families in SF's Mission district. This project is funded by HFDH.