A collaborative yoga relief initiative supporting Nepal earthquake recovery in 2015
After the devastating earthquake in Nepal in April 2015, Leslie Brown and I co-created Yoga4Nepal as a way for yoga communities to respond together.
Leslie brought personal connections to Nepal and led the identification of organizations already doing trusted relief work there. I focused on outreach, social media, event coordination, and campaign development. Together, we created a simple invitation for studios, teachers, and practitioners to turn their existing communities into a source of direct support.
At the center of the campaign was the National Day of Yoga for Nepal on May 19, 2015, inviting people across the country to host donation-based yoga classes and community gatherings in support of earthquake relief.
At a Glance
2015
Co-created by James Kapicka and Leslie Brown
National Day of Yoga for Nepal, May 19
Donation-based yoga classes and community events
Five relief organizations
More than $14,000 in documented donations
How It Worked
Donation-based yoga classes were the starting point, but participation was intentionally flexible. Studios could dedicate one class or an entire day, organize yoga in the park, kirtan, or another community gathering, or simply give their existing community a clear way to contribute.
The shared purpose mattered more than creating identical events. Participants were invited to gather their communities, raise awareness, and direct donations to organizations already working in Nepal.
Sac-Sierra Yoga helped amplify the campaign locally, while outreach, social media, and media appearances helped extend the invitation beyond the region.
James Kapicka promoting Yoga4Nepal on Fox 40 Sacramento.
Direct Support
Yoga4Nepal did not collect donations into a central campaign account. Instead, donors could choose among five organizations already providing relief and longer-term support in Nepal: American Red Cross, Save the Children, Right4Children, Next Generation Nepal, and Ama Foundation.
Contributions were directed electronically to the organizations rather than collected as cash or checks, helping us maintain accountability and transparency while keeping the connection between donors and relief organizations direct.
Leslie’s connections to Nepal helped guide the selection, with attention to organizations that had established work on the ground, reliable ways to receive funds, and experience responding to the needs created by the earthquake.
The final documented total was more than $14,000. Because many people donated directly without identifying Yoga4Nepal, we could not track the full amount raised through the campaign.
Earthquake recovery efforts in Nepal, 2015.
What Stayed With Me
What stayed with me was how quickly people responded once there was a clear way to help. Studios and teachers created different kinds of events, but everyone was working toward the same purpose: getting support to people in Nepal.
What mattered was not that everyone participated in the same way. The purpose was clear enough for people to choose how they could contribute and still move together toward something shared.