Welcome to the Africa Yoga Project community! There are so many opportunities to join us from abroad, but even more exciting opportunities to come and work with us right here in Kenya!
Become a certified yoga teacher! - Teacher training is April, 2017
Join a Seva safari - be of service in Kenya and provide skills trainings at the AYP academy as a group
Become an AYP ambassador - Fundraise for AYP as an individual and come to Kenya to learn from AYP, and provide training at AYP Academy
We can't wait to welcome you to Kenya - Karibu! (Welcome!)
Falling in love with Kenya has nothing to do with the tangible aspects of the experience, I fell in love with Kenya because she taught me to be the person I have always wanted to be, igniting my truth, accelerating my teaching in a way I didn’t think was possible.
AYP Teacher Training gave me the ability to see the courage, the beauty, the work, the rhythm and the joy of Kenya in my own soul. The motherland pulls back hard because it is there, on her soil, with her people, I have found the strength to the be teacher, leader, sister, daughter, wife, friend I always wanted to be. The paradox is not lost on me, even though I am there to teach, assist, educate…it is the people of Kenya that have taught me how to live my life. ON FIRE.
Laura Tropea
I am falling in love with this place, these people, but I am really falling in love with myself
"What is happening here, every emotion has been sparked in this one short yet long, perfect day. We started our morning with a Safari ride, where I got to see animals that I dreamt of seeing when I was younger right in front of me. We then went to the Masai village, to help put the finishing touches on a school being built in the community. What followed was a ceremony on a pile of cow dung. I am not making this up. I am still laughing over this, happiness bubbling out of me. A group of 100 people jumping up and down over and over, in a big pile of poop. In a strange way it was perfect, an experience I am not sure I will know how to put into words when I go home. Tonight, I climbed to the top of the dinner tower and stared at the stars, naming the stars after people in the training. To remind myself that we are all bright lights in this world, when we part ways in 2 days they will still shine on in my heart. That I can look up and remember everyone and this time, very romantic novel vibes but that is what Kenya is doing to me - I am falling in love with this place, these people, but I am really falling in love with myself."
- 2017 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training participant.
Rising Voices Seva Safari July 17 - 28, 2019
Rising Voices Seva Safari will be hosted by Ashley Spence and Gioconda Parker of Wanderlust YogaAustin. Join us for a 10-day journey to empower you to raise your voice, speak your truth and find your tribe. Our community will begin long before we land in Africa, as a Seva Safari begins with Seva. We’ll work as a team not only to raise the funds we commit to raise, but also to form a connection that will carry us across the globe!
Africa Yoga Project is excited to announce our “Rising Voices” Seva Safari. This 10-day journey to Kenya offers personal growth, opening the hearts and minds of participants while creating a sustainable impact on our local community in the process.
Rising Voices Seva Safari will be hosted by Ashley Spence and Gioconda Parker of Wanderlust YogaAustin. Join us for a 10-day journey to empower you to raise your voice, speak your truth and find your tribe. Our community will begin long before we land in Africa, as a Seva Safari begins with Seva. We’ll work as a team not only to raise the funds we commit to raise, but also to form a connection that will carry us across the globe!
Once there, our family will join forces with the AYP family to create a team. Together we’ll venture into Nairobi and in neighboring villages to invite people everywhere to speak their truth and share their experience. We come together to listen, to learn, to heal and to grow. We come together to laugh, to sing, to dance, to shout. We come together to celebrate life as it is, wherever we are in the world.
What is the cost of a Seva Safari? USD 1,750 program fee for all participants USD 4,000 fundraising for participants 18 and older USD 2,000 fundraising participants 17 and under
Are you ready to experience travel, service, yoga and community like never before? Then join this 10-day trip led by friends of AYP, Ashley and Kelsey.
The promise of our Seva is this: we will engage authentically with the local community to foster empowerment and friendship. We are excited to deepen our relationship with our friends at AYP and get to know those within their community, as well as those within the city of Nairobi. We promise to show up passionate, engaged, and ready for yoga, adventure, and whatever else this Seva has to offer, and whatever we can offer in return.
Are you ready to experience travel, service, yoga and community like never before? Then join this 10-day trip led by friends of AYP, Ashley and Kelsey.
The promise of our Seva is this: we will engage authentically with the local community to foster empowerment and friendship. We are excited to deepen our relationship with our friends at AYP and get to know those within their community, as well as those within the city of Nairobi. We promise to show up passionate, engaged, and ready for yoga, adventure, and whatever else this Seva has to offer, and whatever we can offer in return.
Who should come: Anyone! This trip is open to anyone with a love of yoga, of travel, of connection, and of being of service to others. The core of our group will be coming from Balanced Yoga in Columbus, OH and we would love to have others join us, to expand our yoga community past the walls of our studios.
Meet your hosts:
Kelsey: is a yoga instructor based in Columbus, Ohio and split her time between working at Balanced Yoga, teaching yoga within the local community, and offering trauma-informed yoga to specific communities. She has lived overseas multiple times and has traveled quite a bit throughout the past ten years. Kelsey became acquainted with AYP through Leah at Balanced Yoga and knew instantly that she wanted to be connected more with the work AYP is doing, and be of service (and a witness) to the incredible empowerment that is happening in Kenya. Yoga, her pup, and her family make up her everyday life, and travel helps expand her thinking and grow her heart. She is so very excited to be a host for this trip and cannot wait to see what all you can create together.
Ashley became a yoga teacher in June 2017 and hasn’t stopped moving since. She teaches at Balanced Yoga, the YMCA and helped coordinate a free community class in the park during the warmer months. Ashley has a passion for help others, traveling and meeting new people. She had the fortunate opportunity to meet a few AYP members, as well as attended Baptiste Level 1 with Paige Elenson. Their passion, remarkable stories, and amazing abilities have been a huge inspiration and she can’t wait to join them in Nairobi.
What is the Cost of a Seva Safari? USD 1750 program fee for all participants USD 4,000 fundraising for participants 18 and older USD 2,000 fundraising participants 17 and under
“Look Forward, Give Back” Seva Safari + Y12SR Training and Certification
February 21 - March 2, 2019
In February, 2019, join the
“Look Forward, Give Back” Seva Safari with friend of AYP, Mary Tilson. This 10-day journey to Kenya offers personal growth, opening the hearts and minds of participants while creating a sustainable impact on our local community in the process.
Africa Yoga Project is excited to announce our “Look Forward, Give Back” Seva Safari. This 10-day journey to Kenya offers personal growth, opening the hearts and minds of participants while creating a sustainable impact on our local community in the process. Plus you will participate in and bring the powerful Y12SR (Yoga for 12 Step Recovery) training to 60 Africa Yoga Project teachers and experience this transformational program alongside them.
Yoga in Action
Whether you are a yoga teacher or complete beginner, here is an opportunity to experience yoga beyond the mat. The Africa Yoga Project empowers leaders in the community by training yoga teachers and providing community classes at the Shine Center. We will have the opportunity to take part in the classes, hear incredible stories firsthand from these local change-makers and visit their outreach projects.
Share Service
Something remarkable happens when we come together for the purpose of being of service to one another. Whether it’s sharing a smile or a conversation, building a school or painting a wall, planting a garden or cooking a meal, when our hearts and minds invest in service to others, we discover the gifts we have to give to this world. We invite you to rediscover your gifts through this unique journey of service in the heart of Kenya.
Share Connection
Connection is the unique quality that makes a Seva Safari experience one of a kind. The Africa Yoga Project has established an incredibly inspirational community of Kenyans and people from around the world. To be on a Seva Safari is to become a part of this amazing family. On this trip, you will connect with the Kenyan community, and create new friendships that will stay close to your heart forever.
Sustainable Travel
AYP supports conservation efforts in Africa to protect our wildlife, and will allow you to experience animals in the wild in a conscious way.
Combined Training and Certification
The Y12SR (Yoga 12 Step Recovery) Combined Training equips participants to hold Y12SR classes in their communities. This is a combination of the Y12SR Intensive and the Leadership Training. This training results in full Y12SR certification. The first section of the training focuses on the ‘understanding and application’ of yoga and the 12 steps. Here we will:
Explore the sources of addictive behavior
Investigate yogic and 12-step principles as a foundation of recovery
Recognize the symptomology of unresolved trauma and nervous system dys-regulation
Discover sustainable ways for self-regulation that enhance physical, mental and spiritual well-being
The second section of the program gives participants the tools to offer weekly Y12SR classes in their communities. In this section participants learn to:
Create safe, sacred, open, and inclusive space that welcomes all dealing with their own addictive behaviors or are affected by the addictive behavior of others
Use yoga and its practices to provide relapse prevention tools and sustainable ways to manage internal stress
Take advantage of teachable moments, help resolve ambivalence and work with those who may be struggling emotionally
Recognize the traps of projection, transference, countertransference, boundary violations and spiritual bypass
Develop a network of professionals including trauma experts and others in the addiction recovery treatment field
Nikki Myers is an accomplished teacher and practitioner. She is a Yoga Therapist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Certified Addictions Recovery Specialist, MBA, and Founder of CITYOGA School of Yoga and Health. Born from her personal struggle with addiction, Nikki is also the founder of Y12SR , The Yoga of 12-Step Recovery. Based in its theme ‘the issues live in the tissues’, Y12SR is a relapse prevention program that weaves the art & science of yoga with the practical tools of 12-step programs. Y12SR meetings are now available all over the United States and the curriculum is rapidly becoming a feature of addiction recovery treatment centers. Nikki’s work has been featured in the New York Times, Yoga Journal, Black Enterprise, The Huffington Post, Origin Magazine and more. She is honored to be a co-founder of the annual Yoga, Meditation, and Recovery Conferences at Esalen Institute and Kripalu Center.
This experience is suitable for any level of yoga and/or travel experience. The only requirement is to show up with an open mind and heart, in the spirit of giving. It is recommended that those below 16 years of age travel with a parent or guardian.
Meet your host!
Mary Tilson is an avid supporter of the Africa Yoga Project. After her first in-person experience attending classes at the Shine Center, visiting the outreaches in the slums of Nairobi and working with a Maasai village in Amboseli, she was sure it was an experience she needed to share with others. As a student of Nikki’s, it is an incredible honor to help bring the transformative tools of Y12SR to the community in Africa and our team of volunteers.
It is our goal to make life-changing travel experiences accessible to everyone with a willingness to say “YES!” If you’re curious, and want to find out if this is right for you email Mary to set up a call: info@marytilsonyoga.com.
What do former participants say about this program?
"I found that I have a different appreciation for people that may have less than me, and I learned that they are happy with what they have." - 2017 Family Seva Participant
"The most rewarding part of this trip was connecting with the other families on the trip, the trip leaders, the AYP community & everyone else we came across. This connection is forever!" - 2017 Family Seva Participant
Africa Yoga Project is excited to announce our 2019 summer service trip, Family Seva Safari, a 10 day service adventure that will open up the hearts and minds of your family and reinvigorate the connection that you have to one another and to this world.
Share Family Time flies. We’ve all said it. We are busy people with busy lives moving in a hundred different directions. We have created this Seva Safari to be an opportunity for family and friends to step away from the ordinary and into an extraordinary life changing adventure together. From morning yoga classes to afternoon service projects to evening wildlife game drives, this Seva Safari will spark the spirit of family fun, adventure and connection.
Share Service Something remarkable happens when we come together for the purpose of being of service to one another. Whether it’s sharing a smile or a conversation, building a school or painting a wall, planting a garden or cooking a meal, when our hearts and minds invest in service to others, we discover the gifts we have to give to this world. We invite you to rediscover your gifts through this unique journey of service in the heart of Kenya.
Share Connection Connection is the unique quality that makes a Seva Safari experience one of a kind. The Africa Yoga Project has established an incredibly inspirational community of Kenyans and people from around the world. To be on a Seva Safari is to become a part of this amazing family. On this trip, you will connect with Kenyan families, your kids will play with Kenyan kids and you will create new friendships that will stay close to your heart forever.
Who Should Attend Seva Safari Family? Seva Safari Family is for adults and children 8 years and older. This trip is open to families at any level of yoga and/or travel experience who seeks to unite family through service, adventure and connection. It is open to all with a desire to engage in physical giving, listening, leadership training, and a cultivation life skills needed for continued personal growth.
What do former participants say about this program?
"I found that I have a different appreciation for people that may have less than me, and I learned that they are happy with what they have." - 2017 Family Seva Participant
"The most rewarding part of this trip was connecting with the other families on the trip, the trip leaders, the AYP community & everyone else we came across. This connection is forever!" - 2017 Family Seva Participant
What is the Cost of a Seva Safari? USD 1750 program fee for all participants USD 4,000 fundraising for participants 18 and older USD 500* fundraising participants 17 and under (*this is exclusively for the Family Seva Safari, all other Seva Safaris require fundraising of USD 2,000 for participants 17 and under)
We will engage authentically with the local community and academy participants to foster empowerment and friendship. We are excited to deepen our relationship with our friends at AYP and get to know those within their community, as well as those within the city of Nairobi. We promise to show up passionate, engaged, and ready for yoga, adventure, and empowerment.
Africa Yoga Project is excited to announce our summer service trip, Yoga for EveryBODY, a 10 day service adventure that will open up the hearts and minds of your family and reinvigorate the connection that you have to one another and to this world.
The promise of the Seva: We will engage authentically with the local community and academy participants to foster empowerment and friendship. We are excited to deepen our relationship with our friends at AYP and get to know those within their community, as well as those within the city of Nairobi. We promise to show up passionate, engaged, and ready for yoga, adventure, and empowerment.
Share Service
Something remarkable happens when we come together for the purpose of being of service to one another. Whether it’s sharing a smile or a conversation, building a school or painting a wall, planting a garden or cooking a meal, when our hearts and minds invest in service to others, we discover the gifts we have to give to this world. We invite you to rediscover your gifts through this unique journey of service in the heart of Kenya.
Share Connection
Connection is the unique quality that makes a Seva Safari experience one of a kind. The Africa Yoga Project has established an incredibly inspirational community of Kenyans and people from around the world. To be on a Seva Safari is to become a part of this amazing family. On this trip, you will connect with Kenyans who you will create new friendships that will stay close to your heart forever.
Who Should Attend Yoga for EveryBODY?
This trip is open to families at any level of yoga and/or travel experience who seeks to unite family through service, adventure and connection. It is open to all with a desire to engage in physical giving, listening, leadership training, and a cultivation of life skills needed for continued personal growth. Special interest in empowering others to work with individuals with disabilities would be welcomed!
Who are your hosts?
Melody Miller has been an avid supporter of Africa Yoga Project for many years. She attended her first Seva Safari in 2016 where she alongside a team created a three day academy workshop regarding business skills. Once there she knew she needed to come back. Melody has since returned to assist in Yoga Teacher Training in 2018 and will return again for the same program in 2019. Prior to becoming a yoga teacher Melody worked professionally with individuals with intellectual disabilities and has a passion for connecting every person to yoga.
This experience was life-changing for her and she is excited to host Yoga for EveryBODY in 2020 and sharing this work with others and the academy.
Melody Miller resides in Louisville, KY. She is a studio manager and teaches yoga at 502 Power Yoga, a Baptiste Affiliate yoga studio in Louisville, KY. When not doing yoga Melody can be found playing with her dogs, having a dance party, spending time on a stand up paddleboard, or sitting around laughing and having a great time.
What is the Cost of a Seva Safari?
USD 1,750 program fee for all participants.
USD 4,000 fundraising for participants 18 and older.
Africa Yoga Project is excited to announce our 2020 summer service trip, Family Seva Safari, a 10 day service adventure that will open up the hearts and minds of your family and reinvigorate the connection that you have to one another and to this world.
Africa Yoga Project is excited to announce our 2020 summer service trip, Family Seva Safari, a 10 day service adventure that will open up the hearts and minds of your family and reinvigorate the connection that you have to one another and to this world.
Share Family Time flies. We’ve all said it. We are busy people with busy lives moving in a hundred different directions. We have created this Seva Safari to be an opportunity for family and friends to step away from the ordinary and into an extraordinary life changing adventure together. From morning yoga classes to afternoon service projects to evening wildlife game drives, this Seva Safari will spark the spirit of family fun, adventure and connection.
Share Service Something remarkable happens when we come together for the purpose of being of service to one another. Whether it’s sharing a smile or a conversation, building a school or painting a wall, planting a garden or cooking a meal, when our hearts and minds invest in service to others, we discover the gifts we have to give to this world. We invite you to rediscover your gifts through this unique journey of service in the heart of Kenya.
Share Connection Connection is the unique quality that makes a Seva Safari experience one of a kind. The Africa Yoga Project has established an incredibly inspirational community of Kenyans and people from around the world. To be on a Seva Safari is to become a part of this amazing family. On this trip, you will connect with Kenyan families, your kids will play with Kenyan kids and you will create new friendships that will stay close to your heart forever.
Who Should Attend Seva Safari Family? Seva Safari Family is for adults and children 8 years and older. This trip is open to families at any level of yoga and/or travel experience who seeks to unite family through service, adventure and connection. It is open to all with a desire to engage in physical giving, listening, leadership training, and a cultivation life skills needed for continued personal growth.
Who are your hosts? The Kiddoo family has been avid supporters of Africa Yoga Project for many years. Julie attended her first Seva Safari in 2014 where she worked in a Maasai village in Amboseli. Once there she knew she needed to bring her whole family back to Kenya.
In 2017 all four of the Kiddoos attended family seva where they did service work at Flying Kites Orphanage. This experience was life-changing for them and they are excited about hosting Family Seva in 2020 and sharing this work with other families.
The Kiddoos reside in Vail, Colorado. They own Revolution Power Yoga, a Baptiste Affiliate yoga studio in Avon, Colorado. When not doing yoga The Kiddoos can be found skiing, swimming at the local pool, playing with their dog or sitting around laughing and having a great time.
What is the Cost of a Seva Safari? USD 1750 program fee for all participants USD 4,000 fundraising for participants 18 and older USD 500* fundraising participants 17 and under (*this is exclusively for the Family Seva Safari, all other Seva Safaris require fundraising of USD 2,000 for participants 17 and under)
