BUILT ON GIVING 

CYC’s affordable yoga teacher trainings, free yoga education, and free practice opportunities are made possible through the generosity and commitment of a dedicated team of volunteers. These individuals - many of whom are long-time yoga facilitators and practitioners - contribute their time, energy, and expertise without receiving any monetary compensation. Their efforts are driven by a shared belief in the power of yoga to heal, empower, and transform lives, and a collective commitment to making this practice accessible to all.

Volunteers support every aspect of CYC offerings, including:

• Facilitating free yoga courses, retreats, and practice opportunities

• Facilitating and assisting with affordable yoga teacher training

• Offering mentorship to yoga teacher trainees and new facilitators

• Helping with program coordination and outreach

• Caring for and managing space setup, logistics, and communication

• Co-creating conscious community where folks feel welcome and a real sense of belonging

Each volunteer embodies the spirit of selfless service - offering immense love, commitment, and a reimagining of what a wellness and yoga space can be. They have a deep trust in community, commitment to equity, and a genuine understanding of the roots of yoga, where the practice was shared freely, as a way of life, not a product.

This volunteer-driven model reflects the communal, grassroots nature of CYC’s vision. It allows us to maintain integrity in CYC’s mission while keeping financial barriers low. More importantly, it builds a culture of care and mutual support, where the practice of yoga extends beyond individual transformation and into collective responsibility.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Our community-centered Board of Directors provides guidance and direction for Community Yoga Center and its offerings. Inga Buchbinder, Allison Hagen Kennedy, Tobias Moyneur, Cherie Robinson, and Kristin Varner approach this responsibility as stewards of yoga. They seek to lead through a love ethic and to relate to one another as anam cara - soul friends.

STEWARDS OF YOGA

We understand yoga as a gift. Our Board seeks to honor that gift by studying, practicing, and sharing yoga with wisdom, respect, and humility. We recognize the limits of our own understanding and the vastness of a tradition whose depth cannot be fully grasped by any one person. We understand that will not always get everything right, and remain committed to listening, learning, and responding to our mistakes with openness and care. Having experienced the many ways yoga continues to sustain and transform our lives, we feel a responsibility to care for what has given so much to us. Like caretakers nurturing something precious, we approach yoga with reverence, curiosity, and commitment. Our deepest aspiration is that our practice and sharing of yoga contribute to the well-being of everyone and everything.

GUIDED BY A LOVE ETHIC

Our Board is guided by what bell hooks describes as a love ethic: an orientation toward life rooted in the many dimensions of love, including kindness, compassion, joy and trust. For us, a love ethic requires more than warm feelings. Love is something we practice. We practice meeting life with awareness, honesty, and love. We turn toward uncertainty rather than closing ourselves against it. We make room for the whole of human experience - the pleasant and unpleasant, blessings and sorrows, joys and suffering - and practice responding with care. This love ethic also shapes how we co-create community. We choose collaboration over competition, relationship over hierarchy, and belonging over conformity. You are welcome to come as you are.

ANAM CARA

Anam cara is an Irish phrase meaning “soul friend.” In his book Anam Cara, John O’Donohue describes this kind of friendship as one that awakens possibility within us and offers a true reflection of who we are. Our Board members aspire to be anam cara for one another - soul friends joined by affection, trust, and mutual respect. We seek to meet one another with both truth and tenderness: encouraging growth, making room for vulnerability, listening deeply, and recognizing the privilege of participating in one another’s unfolding lives. This friendship is more than something we value personally. It informs how we hope to serve. We believe communities flourish when people care for one another, tell one another the truth with love, remain curious about what they do not know, and recognize that none of us walks the path alone. We practice yoga together because awakening, like life itself, is relational.

INGA BUCHBINDER

A radical voice, Inga speaks truth to power with the rawness of a brilliant badass. Her fierce honesty and compassionate heart make her a trusted friend. She’ll shine an intuitive light into your life, illuminating “what is” and igniting what binds you.

ALLISON HAGEN KENNEDY

Embodying the essence of Mother Nature, Allison is grounded in wild creativity. She has a patient and tender way of feeling into what’s most needed to nurture life. With a sense of fun and adventure, she’ll show you how to look fear in the eye and give it a hug. 

CHERIE ROBINSON

Like sunshine, Cherie radiates the warmth of love and light of wisdom. Her elegance and deep appreciation for life is contagious as she spreads joy like glitter in wind. She’ll inspire you to repel ignorance with ease and live intentionally with grace and gratitude.

TOBIAS MOYNEUR

Leaping tall mountains with a single bound, Toby is a real-life superhero. His open heart and true grit make the world a better place. With great integrity and courage, he’ll challenge you to do what scares you and celebrate the freedom you feel after doing it.

KRISTIN VARNER

Kristin likes connecting with others almost as much as she likes yoga. Forever following her heart, she’s committed to touching the depths of truth and love with unwavering resolve. She’ll take you with her if you’re willing.