Yoga Gives Back, co-hosted by Korea and Japan – Seoul (from left: Kikumi, Jeong Se-mi, Akanuma Naomi, Tsuchimoto Kyoko, Kim Lee-hyun, Hiki Park, Min Da-hye, Kwak Ji-hye) © Guest Reporter Min Dae-sik
I live each day practicing yoga, running a yoga studio, and connecting with people through yoga to create peaceful energy. Yoga has given me infinite possibilities and many questions and answers about how to live and what kind of person to become. That’s why I have received so much through yoga, and I will achieve even more through yoga in the future.
Kim I Hyun – YGB Ambassador
The first ‘Yoga Gives Back’ Korea-Japan event was held in Korea as a relay class by six renowned instructors from both Korea and Japan, including Japanese ambassadors Kyoko Tsuchimoto, Hikibak, Naomi Akanuma, the first Korean ambassador and CEO of Yoga Kula Kim Lee-Hyun, along with Jeong Se-mi and Min Da-Hye, whose influence is gradually expanding in Korea with their passion for yoga.
Yoga Gives Back is a non-profit global yoga community that operates under the slogan, “Change your life for the cost of one class.”
They explain, “Yoga unites us. India has given the world the eternal gift of yoga, yet many women and girls in India are left without its benefits. Our classes will support women and girls in underprivileged areas of Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. ‘Yoga Gives Back’ aims to build a community of yogis to give back to the birthplace of yoga and connect us all as a global family.”
Since 2008, Korea’s first ambassador, Kim Lee-Hyun (Joint Representatives of Yoga Kula—Kim Lee-Hyun, Kwak Ji-Hye, and Kim Se-i), has been hosting the Global Yoga Mala Project, a large-scale donation event for yoga practitioners who pray for world peace and freedom through yoga practice and deliver love to underprivileged and sick children.
The proceeds from the event have been used to support children in need domestically and internationally. These various donation activities led to his being invited by YGB as the first and only ambassador in Korea.
YGB said, “We would like to thank Ambassador Kim Lee-Hyun, Yoga Kula, and the Japanese ambassadors for joining us to express their gratitude for India, the mother country of yoga, through the second Korea-Japan joint event held in Korea.” They added, “Your active participation and donations will help YGB help many underprivileged mothers and children in India this year. If we come together, we can do a lot.”
Ambassador Kim Lee-Hyun said, “I live each day practicing yoga, running a yoga studio, and connecting with people through yoga to create peaceful energy. Yoga has given me infinite possibilities and many questions and answers about how to live and what kind of person to become. That’s why I have received so much through yoga, and I will achieve even more through yoga in the future.”
While saying, “I go to India every year and receive divine energy there, I don’t remember much about what I did for India,” he said, “If all the proceeds from the Global Yoga Mala Project are used to help children in need in Korea, this time, through YGB, I decided to use all the costs of my yoga classes a few times a year to help underprivileged women and girls in India.”
He continued, “This time, in particular, we prepared this event together with the Japanese YGB Ambassador teacher. India has generously given the world the eternal gift of yoga. However, many women and girls in India cannot benefit from yoga. The tuition for our participating classes will be used to support underprivileged and disadvantaged women and girls in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.”
In particular, “Yoga Gives Back aims to create a yogi community and connect us all as a global family to give back to the birthplace of yoga with gratitude,” he said. “Our goal for the next event is to discover like-minded ambassadors in Korea and hold the event in Japan.”
He added, “I am also infinitely grateful to Hyundai Department Store for sympathizing with the good intentions of this event and providing the venue and promotion free of charge, which allowed us to conclude this meaningful event successfully.”
Ms. Yoo Bo-mi, who participated from Incheon, said, “This was my second time participating in the event, following the first held in Korea. I was happy to be able to take quality classes from six renowned top masters from Korea and Japan and especially participate in unique classes taught by Japanese ambassadors. It was a great experience.”
