WHAT WE DO
Yoga for Humankind is a social enterprise training organisation and global community dedicated to embodied trauma-informed education and social change. Our mission is to nurture wellbeing, connection and a thriving world for all – ourselves, each other and the earth.
WE DO THIS THROUGH:
Offering
healing-centred personal and professional programs with a focus on embodied, trauma-transforming practice.
Nurturing
engaged community to learn, skillshare and co-create together; to remember our inherent worth, belonging and interconnectedness.
Paying-it-forward
we partner with and donate 10% of profits to community-based yoga and healing programs around the world. We offer scholarships and equitable access for all of our programs, to train global and local leaders in embodied trauma-informed practice and social change.
Our Approach
“When we heal our own trauma, individually and collectively, we don’t just heal our bodies. By refusing to pass on the trauma we inherited, we help heal the world. When, over time, enough bodies heal from historical, intergenerational, and personal trauma and learn to harmonize, that harmony can turn into a culture of resilience and flow.” – Resmaa Menakem
Through decades of study, practice and experience, we have created a trauma-transforming framework for our individual and collective wellbeing: a whole human, whole system approach that draws together and honours the intersections of trauma theory, social justice and embodied spirit-centered practice including yoga, mindfulness and earth-based traditions.
It is not just for yoga teachers, it is for everybody – and the thriving world we know is possible.
Our approach to trauma-informed yoga means there is something for everyone:
Why Trauma-Informed Yoga?
Our Story
Yoga for Humankind was founded in 2017 by Mei Lai Swan, an Australian-born and globally-experienced yoga teacher trainer, social worker and social justice advocate who recognised the vital need for education in trauma-informed, social justice and community-based skills for yoga teachers.
Our Impact
We are passionate not only about training facilitators, professionals and leaders in trauma-informed practice to take this vital work into their own communities, but also contributing directly to social change and wellbeing initiatives through partnerships and community building.
Here is a snapshot of our impact since our launch in 2018, and some of the community programs and partners we work with.
Learn more about our community partners by clicking on the logos below.
Our Team
Yoga for Humankind brings together a diverse global team of dedicated practitioners, educators and people with lived experience in the fields of trauma, somatics, social justice and spiritual practice.
Core Facilitators, Strategy & Operations
Mei Lai Swan – (she/her, Australia) Founder, Director & Lead Facilitator
Born on the unceded Indigenous lands of Australia, Mei Lai Swan is the Founder and Director of Yoga for Humankind, offering specialised trainings in Trauma-Informed Yoga and Embodied Social Change. Mei Lai has been dedicated to the paths of yoga, meditation and embodied practice for over 20 years. As a senior yoga trainer and certified trauma-informed facilitator, she now combines embodied healing practices with her professional background in social work, community development and non-profit management. With an undergraduate degree in International Community Development and a Master of Social Work, Mei Lai works with Indigenous, refugee and diverse cultural communities in Australia and around the world. Mei Lai is passionate about building community and making the richness and depth of the yoga teachings and practices accessible, relevant and empowering for every body, heart and mind.
Guest Facilitators
