When I decided I wanted to teach yoga, I chose the Beyond Asana Teacher Training, largely because it includes this unique opportunity for service and travel. As I deepen my yoga practice and prepare to share myself and my knowledge with students, it seems important to examine my relationship with the world and engage in service in a way that is entirely new for me.

In February 2013 I will travel, along with the other students in my training program, to Nepal to begin building a school in an impoverished village. We will be living with host families and working alongside members of the community. I am excited for the opportunity to connect with people whose lives are so different and removed from mine that it is easy to forget or ignore their needs and suffering.

In the rural areas of Nepal, children have limited or no access to education, largely due to a lack of facilities. In some villages the closest school is too far to access by foot or is across a river that is impassable during the rainy season. In others, class is held outdoors or in mud huts so school is not held during the rainy season. Many girls do not have access to education because their families don't consider it worthwhile to send them to school. buildOn requires that the village promises to send girls to be educated in equal numbers as boys. Currently, 49% of students in buildOn schools are female. BuildOn also offers to help set up an educational program for adults in the village. These programs are designed and run entirely by community members and buildOn, according to the individual needs of each village.

Any donation, large or small, will help provide this great resource to a community in need. Donations are tax-deductible and all of the money raised in this campaign goes directly to the project- $2,000 for travel and $3,000 for the school and adult education program.

Your encouragement, prayers, and donations are greatly appreciated throughout this process. Thank you, thank you, thank you!