As yoga becomes more mainstream by the day, partnerships between charitable organizations and Yoga-driven endeavors raise funds and consciousness, even with humor.
On November 16, the newly formed organization, Transforming the World Through Comedy, will launch a multiplatform global event to raise funds through comedy performances. This year’s catalytic philanthropy partner is the yogi-founded charity Off the Mat, Into the World.
The event will take place simultaneously in comedy clubs in three cities, Gotham in New York City, Zanies in Chicago, and The Hollywood Improv in LA. It will be streamed live from all three, and performing in Los Angeles will be Russell Peters, Marc Maron, Retta, Jeff Ross, and Ben Morrison.
Laughter has powerful healing and energizing properties; it releases endorphins and has been shown to lower the level of stress hormones found in blood. In recent years, individual comedians have raised their level of philanthropy in conjunction with comedy. Ben Morrison dedicates much of his stand-up to the raising of awareness of Crohn’s disease, which he suffers from. His show “Pain in the Ass” opens up dialogue about a taboo subject and helps ease the social stigma surrounding Crohn’s Disease. Mike Burton has created Dog Tag Comedy, which has sent rotation of two national headlining comics to Afghanistan every month over the past six years.
Comedian Craig Shoemaker recommends a guided laughitation, likening the process to meditation. Shoemaker has his own non-profit dedicated to raising awareness of the benefits of laughter, The Laughter Heals Foundation. Furthermore, Laughter Yoga (Hasyayoga), which began as a club in India founded by Dr. Madan Kataria in 1995 and has spread to 6,000 social laughter clubs throughout 60 countries, is gaining momentum. In India, thousands of Laughter Yoga Clubs meet every morning in public parks, and many members proudly report that they have not missed a day in five years or more. There are a variety of Laughter Yoga classes offered in Southern California.
Proceeds from the Transforming the World Through Comedy event will support Off the Mat and into the World, a leadership-generating nonprofit dedicated to bridging Yoga and activism. Through leadership training, community organizing, and local and global service projects, Off the Mat helps yogins use the power of Yoga to create positive social change. Programs benefiting from this fundraiser include Global Seva Challenge Haiti, Empowered Youth Initiative, and Project Springboard, a program which provides funds and training to project leaders.
Offthematintotheword.org
Transforming the World through Comedy. 16 Nov. Hollywood Improv in LA. Advanced tickets $35. Twtcomedy.com
Karen Henry is a publicist and an essential part of the LA Yoga team.
Karen Henry is an Associate Editor at LA YOGA who volunteers in a variety of capacities for nonprofit organizations and artists around Los Angeles. She practices yoga as a counterbalance to her daily impact sports and is a mother of four grown children who also practice yoga . Now, she’s working on teaching yoga and joy of life to the grandkids!