We believe a yoga mat can change a life.
Our Mat Grants Program provides certified yoga teachers and therapists with supplies to kickstart yoga outreach projects. We supply and ship free mats to support projects that focus on:
Accessibility
Offer yoga to individuals who might otherwise never have the opportunity to practice
Equity
Challenge inequities and expand access to health promoting practices, especially in communities that have faced systemic oppression
Health
Share the transformational benefits of yoga with populations that face physical and mental illness
Community
Want to create a long-term impact in a community facing hardship
“Thank you so much for the mats we were able to gift to kids at a teen grief camp! One girl stood up and taught the whole group tree pose, and another brought her stuffed animal on the mat to practice with her. Everyone felt supported and we could not have held the class without your support!”Jill Ipolito, Founder and Director of Uprising Yoga, Mat Recipient
“I started a yoga class in the town close to me after a series of horrific gun related suicides or accidents involving our young people. Since we received the gift of your mats, yoga has helped so many. One girl came just after her mother-in-law died by suicide. She showed up to her mat with tears, but she came to her safe place. This is the power of yoga.”Alecia Helmes, School Psychologist and Mat Recipient
“This gift allowed me to tear down one of the barriers facing the deaf community when it comes to finding accessible yoga.”Beatrice Bachleda, Deaf Yoga Instructor and Mat Recipient
Our Impact
Since 2015, we have shipped nearly 25,000 mats to help yoga teachers lead classes for prisoners, veterans, and people facing physical and mental illness.
Who Can Apply
Before you apply for a mat grant, make sure that you meet these criteria:
Certified Yoga Teacher or Therapist: In order to apply, you must have completed a 200+ hour yoga teacher training or your yoga therapist certification.
Permanent US Shipping Address: At this time, we are only able to ship mats within the US and Canada. Please note, we cannot ship to a non-permanent address and we are unable to ship mats to Puerto Rico or P.O. Boxes.
Yoga Service Project: The mats must be used for a service project; that is, they cannot be used for a for-profit venture such as a conference, festival, or teacher training.
What We Support
We support projects which include four key elements:
FAQs
Bear with us! Mat applications are reviewed weekly and we do our best to respond to applications as soon as possible. Please note that supply does vary throughout the year. Due to the number of applications received, we sometimes have to turn down eligible projects.
We are pleased to accept applications from certified yoga teachers and yoga therapists. You can apply on behalf of an organization, or you’re welcome to apply on behalf of yourself as well. Many of our mat grant recipients are volunteers who feel inspired to lead yoga classes in their local community.
Yes, we do not accept applications from:
- For-profit organizations; including conferences, festivals, and teacher trainings
- Individuals who have not yet received their yoga teacher or yoga therapist certification
We also unfortunately cannot provide mats for the following purposes:
- Individual use
- One-off events
- Equipping private yoga studios
- Projects which require shipping outside the U.S
- Reuse or resale
- Conferences or festivals
You can increase your chances of receiving a mat grant by proposing a clear and impactful project. In particular, we are interested in providing mats for projects which:
- Provide an ongoing yoga program that continues for at least a year
- Offer innovative solutions to integrate yoga into the everyday life of the populations served
- Invite new students to the yoga practice for the first time
We have provided mats to support projects such as:
- An ongoing yoga class for a community affected by gun violence
- Yoga classes for the deaf community
- Ongoing classes in a local jail
- A new yoga program for a community center on a Hopi Reservation
- Yoga classes to raise funds for those displaced from their homes
If your application is successful, you will be notified of your award via email. Your acceptance email will include details about the anticipated shipment timing, and confirm which of our partners (lululemon or Gaiam) will be assigned your mat order.
Yes, we will ask you to complete an online delivery confirmation form within 1 week of receiving your mats and an online impact report within 6 months of approval. We love receiving testimonials and pictures from our mat grant recipients, so please do keep track and share how your mats were used.
Yes! There is no limit to how many mat grants you may receive.
You should apply for as many as you need. Our supply varies throughout the year, so we cannot fulfill all requests, but we will do our best.
Our Partners
We work with strategic partners to distribute yoga mats for startup or growing yoga outreach projects.
