Recent ly I was reading one of my favorite Yoga blogs Rand(om) Bites.  There was a post about the Campaign called “Off the Mat and Into the World.”
 
This got me thinking about something every good Yogi should have: a favorite charity. Choosing a favorite charity is important and some amount of research is important too. I mean, you want to make sure that your hard earned money is making a real difference in the world. Here are a few tips and things to consider to help you choose your favorite charity so that you too can “take your yoga off the mat”.

 
  • Check out charities on the Better Business Bureau.
  • Find out how much money goes to the cause and how much goes to running the charity.
  • Find something that you really believe in. Do you love animals, worry about the homeless, want to aid foreign countries? There are so many different charities one is bound to tug at your heart strings.
  • Is your donation a tax deduction?
  • Also decide if you want to donate locally, nationally, or internationally.

If you do not have a lot of money consider donating time. Volunteering is a great way to take your yoga off the mat.

I definitely have a few favorite charities that I donate to. Here they are:

The Red Cross. This is a fabulous organization that has been around a very long time. I love the Red Cross for helping people in crisis. That is often when most people need help the most.

Heifer International. I love the idea that a cow, chickens, bees, or rabbits can make such a huge difference to people on other parts of the world. The gift of animal to a family can make a poor family into a middle class family! That is pretty powerful. Another nice thing is, the animal given by Heifer is not allowed to be killed for food or any other purpose.

Kiva. This is a website where you can lend money interest free to people in foreign countries to aid them in starting or expanding their businesses.

Yoga is far more than just stretching your body. It also about stretching or inner-self to make the world a better place.