December 7, 2022 • 39 mins
On this episode I am joined by Kayoko Mitsumatsu. Kayoko is the founder of Yoga Gives Back. In the last fifteen years, Yoga Gives Back has spread globally with 150 Ambassadors who are yoga teachers sharing YGB’s mission with their communities as well as raising funds with their events. They support women and children in India through scholarships and micro-loans. They are working with the pad project to help make sustainable menstrual products readily available and build a digital center.
YGB currently has an online auction filled with amazing travel opportunities, yoga classes, wellness products and more. It is currently expected to close on December 15th. You can bid on items here: Gala Auction 2022 (auctria.com)
YogaGivesBack – To Mobilize the Global Yoga Community
The Pad Project Launched at NGO NISHTHA in West Bengal! - YouTube
Yoga Gives Back | Facebook
Yoga Gives Back (@yogagivesback) • Instagram photos and videos
Filled Up Cup - Unconventional Self Care for Modern Women
Ashley (@filledupcup_) • Instagram photos and videos
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the Filled Up Cuppodcast.
We are a different kind ofself-care resource.
One that has nothing to do withbubble baths and face masks, and
everything to do withrediscovering yourself.
We bring you real reviews,honest experiences, and
unfiltered opinions that willmake you laugh, cry, and most
(00:21):
importantly, leave you with afilled up cup.
Ashley (00:32):
I am very excited today.
I have the founder of Yoga GivesBack Joining Me.
Welcome Kyoko.
Kayoko (00:39):
Thank you so much.
Ashley (00:41):
Can you let everybody who maybe isn't familiar with
Yoga Gives Back?
Tell us a little bit about it?
Kayoko (00:47):
Yes.
Thanks so much again Ashley forhaving me.
And so yoga gives back.
I studied this organization justa yoga student.
I'm not a yoga teacher, but Iwas just benefiting so much from
the practice of yoga.
I wanted to give back, I am adocumentary filmmaker as a
profession, and I was startingto practice yoga in 2007 in Los
Angeles where I live, and I wasjust feeling so great as many of
(01:11):
you know, how you feel after theclass of yoga.
You feel so happy and blessedand then so I thought, I was 47
at that time, and I thought,what do I do with myself?
I was so happy and healthy, youknow, like, what can I do with
this abundance of energy?
So I started talking to myfriends and teachers and long
(01:33):
story short, we create thismission.
That many people felt that youknow, to mobilize yoga
practitioners worldwide withtheir gratitude and to channel
that gratitude into empoweringIndia's women and children to
create sustainable lives.
So we are aware that yoga comesfrom India and we are.
(01:54):
Being blessed with that gift,but there is huge poverty issues
and especially women andchildren most affected in that
country.
So we wanted to give back inthat way.
In the last 15 years, we justcame together with sheer
gratitude for this gift of yogaand we've reached out to 30
countries around the world and150 ambassadors of yoga teachers
(02:17):
singing communities, all theseleaders or ambassadors who reach
out to their communities and dofundraising, we've been doing a
lot of global, like onlinegathering with these leaders.
That's been great.
We have been able to empowermore than 2,400 women and
children.
So we provide them with microloans, especially for
(02:39):
underserved women.
We give early education foryoung girls and orphans.
And last few years we have beenable to give quite a bit of
medical and food emergencyassistance during Covid.
We also created five yearscholarship for high education,
which provide scholarship sothat the disadvantaged young
(03:00):
people can get college degrees.
We are seeing hundreds of peoplenow graduating with degrees.
In the last 15 years, we've beensupported by hundreds of
volunteers and sponsors aroundthe world, and we also have been
invited to international yogafestivals in Hong Kong, London,
many cities in the world, wealso created our Humanitarian
(03:21):
Namaste Award which arepresented every year at the gala
for the first five years we didit in person, but last three
years it's been online.
The recipients, include MallikaChopra to David Lynch, Alanis
Morissette, Jack Kornfield,Trudy Goodman, the PAD Project
(03:41):
and also.
Nobel Peace laureate, Dr.
Mohamed Yunus who is the fatherof Microfinancing this year we
are very honored.
We just present this award toChristie Turlington Burns who,
inspired so many people with theyoga.
She was on the cover of timeMagazine, Vogue.
She also wrote an amazing bookabout yoga, but she's now
(04:05):
heading her own organizationcalled Every Mother Counts since
her complications during herfirst childbirth.
So she realized how manyactually women are dying At the
time of childbirth around theworld, so she created her
nonprofit organization calledEvery Mother Counts.
So I interviewed her she's justamazing woman, and anybody who
(04:27):
is interested, it's stillavailable as a replay so you can
watch it.
So how we do all this work inIndia.
So we work with threenon-governmental organizations
as partners in India.
Two are in Karnataka, which isnear Bangalore and Mysore area,
like orphanage girls home, andalso in a very poor villages.
(04:50):
We provide education scholarshipfor the youth and.
Another big organization is inWest Bengal, which is in
Calcutta area on the west sideof India.
That's where we provide about500 mothers with micro financing
and young girls.
We are creating digital centerfor young girls.
We also are creating the PADproject that I will talk about
(05:12):
and here is a little bit of asuccess story that I want to
share.
First thing we want to unlockmother's dreams, right?
So first trip to India for mewas in 2007 and I met this
skinny mom who just receivedmicrofinancing, and she told me,
I don't want my children to livelike me, which is very harsh,
(05:34):
sad comment.
But I realize ever since thatmeeting, all the mothers I met,
everybody said the same thingbecause their lives have been.
Miserable though they had neverhad opportunity for education or
respect in the community.
So with this microfinancing, shegot the sewing machine and her
(05:55):
financial situation got betterin the family and her two sons
they wanted to become doctors,both of them because that's
their mother's dream.
So eldest son Guad in this redshirt who couldn't speak a word
of English when I first met him.
Hes today.
Emergency doctor in Bangaloreand we supported his education
until he became a doctor.
(06:16):
Here is his amazing message.
with all of your.
I'm here today because of you.
When I was in 15, I met Kayokoand Yoga gives back.
(06:38):
I was a seed at that time.
So you are the one who pulled awater who has been a sunlight
and was nurtured a small seed tothis tree today.
So this tree is now able to, togive shelter to thousands of
people.
So it's all cause of you people.
So he really speaks sobeautifully every time.
(07:00):
And thanks to his success, wecreated this scholarship for
higher education program.
This is another girl whoreceived this scholarship in
2014 in a rural area ofCalcutta, west Bengal.
And she comes from Muslim familySan.
Where girls still are forced tomarry around the age of 15,
because despite the fact that itis illegal, that's the practice
(07:25):
even today.
So she was very happy when shereceived that scholarship
because she can continue hereducation.
But since then, her father andher brothers started physically.
Abusing her because she wouldnot get married.
She would not give up education,and her mom always stayed up by
her side.
And long story short, shegraduated with bachelors degree
(07:47):
and she's now the breadwinnerfor the family.
Ashley (07:49):
Must be so beautiful to be able to see it come full
circle like that, to see sort ofwhat you were able to start
Yeah.
And what it grew into and whatan impact it makes for so many
families.
Kayoko (08:00):
Exactly.
And thank you for saying that.
That's why I continue to filmthe stories like this.
Every time I go.
So girl like San today, we arefunding more than 400 youths in
the vulnerable families.
So you can see what the impactthese young people can bring to
the families and to thecommunity.
(08:21):
They really are the role modelsin this very backward poor
villages where, you know, girlsare not supposed to study even,
up to high school.
So here is a quick snapshot howwe grew in the last 15 years.
So I really started counting howmany people we are helping in
2011, and it was only 55 motherswith microfinancing.
(08:44):
And then I used to dream wow,that it would be great if I can
get to 1000, which we did in2017.
We surpassed 1000 lives.
Including 210 this scholarshipstudents, and last year with all
the support from around theworld, we added another 1000
lives.
So we are now reaching out to2,400 women and children, and we
(09:08):
want to continue.
This trajectory.
However, the pandemic reallydeepened the socioeconomic
divide as so many othercountries, especially in the
developing countries.
So the child marriage ishappening for 1.5 million girls
a year of which is the highestin the world, and women's income
(09:28):
fell to one fifth of the men's.
Sexual assault is happeningevery 15 minutes.
You hear horrendous rapesituation, you know, news
sometimes in the media, but it'sactually happening every 15
minutes and it's the worst Inthe last six years, it's getting
really worse and 10 milliongirls are supposed to drop out
from secondary education.
(09:48):
So how can we Challenge thesehardships.
So one of the things we reallytrying to fundraise is to create
women's digital center in WestBengal because during pandemic I
learned the girls were studyinglike this, you know, sharing one
mobile form from somebody'sfamily and catch up their
studies.
At high school, college level,so you can imagine how difficult
(10:10):
that was.
And women, we support with microloans, they have very small
businesses like these, stitchesand making sarees or you know,
Clay pots and stuff like that.
They are very talented artisans,but they're also lost income
because market was locked downwith Covid so only if they had a
(10:31):
computer center with computers,internet access and skills
training, girls could continuetheir studies and as well as
learning skills to be eligiblefor better job opportunities.
The women of microfinancing,they can get into eCommerce.
So eCommerce can provide muchbigger income opportunities for
(10:52):
them.
So one center with hundreddesktop computers will provide
minimum 5,000 girls and women.
Opportunities like this.
The other project we are pushingis the PAD Project.
Have you heard of the PADProject?
Ashley (11:06):
I haven't heard of it, but I know even say in Western
countries, the cost involvedwith people to be able to have
these sort of products.
not having to stay home if youdon't have a pad or a tampon or
a cup.
Kayoko (11:21):
Exactly.
Exactly.
So if that's the case in the USor in the developed countries,
you can imagine that poorcountries like India, when I
first went there, I learned thatthe girls and women are using
rags for menstruation becausethey had no access to sanitary
pads.
Or they didn't have money,right?
So that was also not very good.
(11:42):
Hygienically, that complicated.
A lot of gynecological issues.
So this is a project where wework with the PAD Project who
actually won the Oscardocumentary award in 2019.
They're the project team in LosAngeles from high school.
So we work with them and we gottwo machines.
(12:02):
To our NGO partner this year,early in April.
So 20 women are being trained toproduce their own sanitary pads.
Our goal is to grow this into,like self sustaining business so
that they can sell these pads aswell as provide access for young
girls and women in the villageto have affordable,
(12:23):
biodegradable.
Sanitary napkins that will helptheir health.
The girls drop out of schoolbecause there are no toilets
and, like you said women stayhome because of menstruation.
Girls drop out of school.
That's the really big reason forstopping education.
So this is another big projectand here is a final little
(12:44):
message.
Namaste this is Reunalta I workas a staff nurse and I'm very,
very glad that I can do thisthrough this video.
I would like to thank Yoga Givesback for your vision, for your
support, and for being therewhen I was in need.
Thank you.
YGB You are, you are helping meto reach my goal and namaste I
(13:13):
have two daughters myself andcoming to realize the struggles
that women and children,particularly girls in India face
in a daily way to have cleanwater, to have enough to eat,
particularly young girls beingforced into young marriages
where they won't get to go toschool and create a life for
themselves.
Yoga is the foundation of myspiritual practice.
(13:35):
It's how I make my living.
So how dare I not link arms withwomen and mothers in India to
help create a better life fortheir daughters?
Please join me in helping yogagives back and the mission that
is so important there.
So these young girls have achance at a good life.
(13:55):
So finally, I just wanted toquickly show you.
So our mantra is for the cost ofone class, you can change your
life.
So you can spend like two thesedays, like$30 or$40 for yoga
class or$200 for yoga pants, butthat money can give a girl high
(14:16):
education for a year..
$108 can provide computerinternet access with training
for girl.
$50 a month can provide higheducation for two girls.
$10 a month can providemicroloan for one group of 10
mothers.
So these are not big.
Huge money when you think abouthow much you spend dinner or
(14:40):
something like that these days.
So we just want to highlight howone class fee can really change
your life.
And we've proven that in thelast 15 years in India with all
the support we receive.
So our really impact goal isreduce the gender and
socioeconomic divide and.
(15:00):
become disaster proof becauselast two years we've seen how
the pandemic can completely turnevery everybody's life In a
community like this, you know,vulnerable communities upside
down, and also the climatechange is hitting them very
hard.
So cyclone is worse now and theflood is worse, so, You know,
(15:22):
infrastructure support is veryimportant too.
So thank you so much forwatching this and I hope you got
some idea of what we do.
Ashley (15:31):
I definitely did, and I think sometimes people know that
they wanna get involved and theydon't know how to get involved.
So I love the breakdown of, forthe cost.
Less than two Starbucks, intheory a month.
You could help women essentiallyget a micro loan to be able to,
have those long term impacts fortheir family.
Now, to take it back, ifsomebody isn't familiar even
(15:53):
with a micro loan, can you kindof explain what that is and how
they're given to the people inthe community.
Kayoko (15:59):
Yeah.
So microfinancing or micro Loanbegan very famous when Dr.
Muhammad Yunus received NobelPeace Prize in 2006.
So the idea is that when youthink about it if you're poor,
you don't have collateral, youcan never get a bank loan when
you think about it, right?
But, so Dr.
Yunus decided to give smallamount of money for the poorest
(16:21):
people in Bangladesh where helived.
So that these women, forexample, they're making bamboo,
chairs, but they were alwaysborrowing money from somebody
and they always have to pay backinterest.
So all the profit they made fromselling bamboo chairs, they all
went back to the middle man orsharks where they took all the
(16:42):
interest and so on, so they werenever supposed to get out of
poverty.
So micro Loan.
They give the money directly tothese women and there is no
interest to begin with.
There was no interest at thattime initially.
and there was no middle man, sothey can get all the interest to
themselves and pay back themoney, this really helped
(17:04):
millions of poor people, to comeout of their vicious cycle of
poverty.
Ashley (17:09):
I would assume in some of these countries, women may
not even have the ability, evenif they had say collateral, they
wouldn't have the ability tojust necessarily go to a
traditional bank without ahusband or a father or some sort
of male to vouch.
Yeah.
So potentially in some of thesesituations, they wouldn't be
eligible for any sort of loan.
So I'm sure that themicrofinancing made it so that
(17:34):
they even had the ability.
Kayoko (17:35):
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
A lot of women we support,they've never even been to the
bank.
So, you know, in the poorvillages, that was the first
thing our NGO partner had totrain them.
Don't be shy.
So that's why they make a group.
And Dr.
Yunus's idea is this is geniusidea that he made.
Women's group first, like fiveto 10 women, and they become
(17:58):
mutually responsible if somebodydefaults the payment, other
people cover.
So it becomes like a groupeffort and like where we support
also women go to the banktogether, so nobody's.
You know, frightened or shy, butas a group, they'll stand and
they'll open the bank accounttogether.
So it becomes like a self-helpgroup and a peer support group
(18:22):
too.
I've seen also the benefit ofthese microloan groups are, That
they really help mentally eachother because there is still a
lot of domestic violence andsexual abuse at home where they
had to stay home and they had todeal with it, but on their own,
even if they depression ornobody was talking to them.
But now they go out and do job,like make candles or whatever
(18:45):
they need to do as a groupbusiness.
So during that time, they starttalking about their help, their
problems at home.
They are so powerful.
Many women are so powerful thatif there is a domestic violence
that doesn't, get solved,they'll take it to police or
local offices, governmentoffices, and they'll pressure
the husbands and they stop it.
(19:07):
So it's not just a financialimpact that this microfinancing
creates.
Ashley (19:14):
No, it's really that community and it's something
that I'm not even sure if hewould've realized maybe the
impact of really the rippleeffect of all of that.
That it isn't as simple, likeyou said, of just giving money.
It really is now we're buildinga community for them.
We're building the education ofthem, knowing how to run the
business and having thatconfidence, because I think
(19:36):
worldwide, too many times womenare underestimated or pushed
aside, or we're just not valuedto the extent that we should be
as equals in all of oursocieties, but it's really
giving them that, that you don'thave to be stuck in your
circumstances, that there areother choices, even if it
doesn't feel like that there is.
Kayoko (19:57):
Exactly.
Exactly.
It's just a matter of havingopportunity.
Ashley (20:03):
Now congratulations.
Yoga Gives back is 15 years oldthis year.
Are there any specialcelebrations that you have
planned for your anniversary?
Kayoko (20:14):
So we just had a online global gala where we awarded our
namaste award, humanitarianaward to Christie Turlington
Burns.
As part of a global gala, we arenow running a silent auction,
which goes until December 15th.
And so this is something that,it's like holiday shopping that
is not just for yourself, butalso the money you bid.
(20:36):
helps as you can see, women andchildren so much.
So we are doing that.
And of course this is the end ofyear, so we are really trying to
raise funds to create thisdigital center and into next
year the PAD project,
Ashley (20:51):
which I will put all of the information about how people
can purchase and put their bidsin on the gallon, the auction as
well in the show notes.
What.
Do vision is next for yoga Givesback.
I know your goal was that youwanted to help a thousand
people.
What is the next goal that youhope to reach?
Kayoko (21:10):
Yes.
One of the biggest goal is alsoto reach to 1 million Yogis So
there's supposed to be 300million people enjoying this
practice of yoga.
Either it's physical ormeditation or whatever way.
But it's just a fraction.
1 million people join ourcampaign and just imagine if
(21:31):
everybody.
gives one dollar that's$1million dollars.
Everybody give$10.
That 10 million, right?
India's population is humongous.
So we can continue to.
The need is endless.
So we can do so much more.
And so that's another big goal.
In the next five years or so, wewould really like to reach to 1
(21:53):
million Yogis.
Really get involved.
You know, we came this far, wehaven't really calculated
exactly how many, I think it'sthousands of people now, but not
1 million yet.
Ashley (22:05):
That's a great goal to have.
Yeah.
You currently have a 150ambassadors.
Mm-hmm.
Is that something that peoplecan ongoing apply to be a part
of in your ambassadorshipgrowing, or is that kind of at
150.
Kayoko (22:19):
No.
We continue to invite leaders inthe yoga community.
As I said, it can be spiritualpractice or physical practice,
whatever.
But if they're interested in ourmission and we ask them to host
at least one fundraising eventper year.
To share a mission with theircommunity.
That's how we grew over the last15 years.
(22:41):
It's been like words of mouth.
I was just back in Japan whereI'm from and I was talking to
one teacher and he was veryexcited about this.
He brought another teacher whois very very established, but I
didn't know them right.
And so, Things like that in awords of mouth.
And then also one of my teammembers, Julie she knows a lot
(23:01):
of yoga teachers in Ashtangacommunity and she brought
somebody from Hong Kong and nowhe's traveling all over the
world.
She became ambassador and hejust sent a nice message and
said, I'm finally doing my firstfundraiser in South Africa next
February.
That's probably our 31st countrybecause we never had any
community event in South Africa.
(23:23):
So it's like that, there are alot of teachers moving around
the world, so we ask them totake us with you,
Ashley (23:30):
I love the fact that I feel like sometimes we get so
caught up in our own country, inour own country's issues and
things like that, and I love thefact that you are potentially in
31 countries where it really isthat messaging of we all are
one, we all need to worktogether and make different
impacts.
If we do work more as a team,collectively things get done
(23:52):
faster.
We can spread that message.
We can really realize that weare, more alike than we are
different.
Mm-hmm.
and our countries collectivelyhave so many of the same issues.
So if we have the ability tohelp and to, meet people and
connect in that way.
I just think it's so fantastic.
Kayoko (24:11):
Yeah.
Thank you for emphasize thatpart, our connection, our
oneness and unity all come, youknow, that's the goal of yoga
anyways.
I don't know if, do you practiceyoga?
Ashley (24:23):
Actually, I don't.
On a regular basis.
I have before.
What drew you into yogaoriginally?
Kayoko (24:29):
I'm a documentary filmmaker as a profession, but I
just always liked physicalexercise.
So somebody told me to take aclass, my girlfriend took me in
and I just kind of liked it.
So I tried about two years,different types of kundalini,
ashtanga, vinyasa, all sorts ofdifferent kind.
I just got so hooked at once.
(24:51):
I started ashtanga yoga which isa very rigorous daily practice.
But also I was fortunate that myfirst teacher taught me about
philosophy of yoga from earlyon.
So I realized from very early onthat I was taught that Asana,
which is a physical practice, isjust a tiny.
(25:11):
Piece of big tradition of yogaand big tradition is a very
spiritual discipline in thepractice that we try to unite,
yoga means to yoke, to unite oursmall self to our big self.
So we strive, we in disciplineand train ourselves.
(25:38):
To that higher goal.
Right?
So, then we realized, supposedto, we realized that the oneness
of the people, we are all oneand we are all united.
To feel that and to act towardsthat oneness is what I
understand so far is the goal ofyoga.
(25:59):
So what yoga gives back does isto really express and actually.
Act upon that big goal of yoga.
Ashley (26:10):
I love the fact that you were able to find it as a
physical practice, but also beable to lean into that and
really create yoga, gives backand really, Put your money where
your mouth is in a sense that itwasn't just that you were going
through the motions, that youreally did create this impact
that people can benefitphysically from, but really
(26:30):
mentally and spiritually aswell.
Kayoko (26:33):
Yeah, that is the biggest part.
That's why like it changed mylife.
You know, yoga often says thatit changes your life, but I was
a filmmaker making, my living asa documentary filmmaker as
almost 30 years.
But once I started Yoga Giveback 15 years ago, first.
Eight years I was doing like, asa volunteer and I still had my
(26:54):
income from yoga gift myproduction as a documentary
filmmaker.
The organization got so big andI felt so responsible and also
priority shifted it within methat.
My profession as a filmmakerbecame less important.
I just really felt this is mycalling and this is my life
(27:15):
mission.
So I switched and I wasfortunate.
My husband supported and myparents supported in that
transition two years because Ilost income.
But I learned that if I fallapart, this organization can't
keep going.
This has been a big lesson forme, how to run nonprofit
organization and Try to grow it.
Well, and that
Ashley (27:35):
must have been a lot of pressure and a lot of stress to
kind of feel like everything wasall on your shoulders.
Have you found that as it'sgrown, that that stress has sort
of gone away a little bit?
Or is it still very much on theforefront?
Kayoko (27:49):
To be honest, I think it's never gone.
When we grow a little bit thenwe want to do more.
So it's never ending.
But I've been listeningaudiobook recently, but you
know, bhagavad gita is one ofthe you know, everybody who
studies yoga reads it, you know,it's a one of the source of
(28:09):
yogic philosophy, right?
It talks about how your, youjust.
Do your action without thinkingabout fruit of your action.
And Gandhi says it in the bestway.
That full effort is fullvictory.
I don't know what it is, but itcan be extremely stressful
(28:29):
sometimes, at the end of theday, I always feel like all I
can do is my best and I do mybest.
I put a hundred or 1000%, andthis is my 24 7 job, or like my
mission.
So it doesn't even feel like ajob, so I just don't, worry
about the result, fundraisinggoal and stuff like that, but, I
(28:54):
don't think, I'm so worried atthe end of the day, if it's
falling apart, you know, we cansell this and that.
I can sell my car and there areways to survive, but I somehow
don't think pessimisticallyabout the whole thing because
last 15 years without anystrategic business plan or
(29:14):
anything.
We came this far.
I never thought we'll reach to30 countries and we can help
2,400 women and children andreally see the difference we
have made in the these people'slives.
So I think that has given mesome confidence maybe.
Ashley (29:31):
Absolutely.
I think once you find your realpassion, like you said, it
doesn't feel like work.
I know I'm the type of personthat.
I will take on so much that whenit falls on your shoulders, it
almost becomes like a stress ofdelegating or a stress of that
responsibility instead of itbeing like, I wanna grow it so
(29:53):
that we can help, it's more likethat you just don't wanna take
it on, like you said, in apessimistic way or a negative
way, so that it feels likesomething that you know that
you're not taking care ofyourself too.
Kayoko (30:04):
Yeah, exactly.
And also I have to share youwith you that the importance of
having colleagues, volunteers,ambassadors, sponsors, Who
continued to email me and saylike, okay, how about this?
And you know, let's do this.
Just hearing that this guysuddenly said, oh, I'm planning
now one in South Africa.
(30:26):
You know, like, that makes mereally feel good and like, feel
supported.
I think that feeling, beingfeeling the support of the
community is very important andvery inspiring and empowering
for me.
Ashley (30:40):
It must be the fact that somebody is like thinking about
your vision and how they canspread it and share it.
I think it is one of thosethings that, we do wanna help
others as much as possible.
So to wake up with that goal inmind when you get out of bed in
the day, I just don't thinkanything beats that.
Kayoko (30:56):
Yeah, it's true.
I think we were born to helpothers, That makes us feel the
best.
Right.
Ashley (31:04):
Well, and it really goes back to even what we were
talking about with the womenbuilding communities to be able
to go to the bank together.
It's like at the end of the day,that's really all what we want.
We want a community, we want avillage.
We wanna support system to knowthat we aren't alone and that we
do have people that we can relyon in that connection.
I can just imagine, the last twoyears again, in.
(31:28):
Western country where we haveaccess to, you know, DoorDash or
Amazon or all of these otherthings.
I can just imagine for countriesthat didn't have that.
Yeah.
What that isolation and whatthat fear must have felt like
for them.
Kayoko (31:43):
That's a really good point because during our online
gala two weekends ago we invitedour scholarship girl students
from Poor Village in Mysore, andshe shared that she had to skip
a meal.
So that her parents don't worryabout, you know, three meals a
day because they were in such afinancial stress situation but
(32:06):
she never gave up educationbecause she had a scholarship,
but she didn't have a mobilephone.
When she said, I sometimes hadto skip a meal so that my
parents don't worry.
But she continued education.
And then she didn't lookmiserable.
She was with smile and verystrong, like resilient, you
know, hopeful face.
(32:27):
That gives us a hope, and theinspiration, that little money.
We are not asking millions ofdollars from each person.
You know, we are not asking youto get a loan.
we are just asking you to give aclass, one class fee, or one
yoga pants, something like that.
You know,$50, a hundred dollars,that can change somebody's life.
(32:49):
So completely.
That is so unbelievablyempowering.
Ashley (32:54):
And to think like for the one example where the
gentleman had become a doctor.
Yeah.
Like your$50 or$10 really couldsave how many other lives.
And those lives could be peoplethat end up saving other
people's lives or the greatthinkers of our generation.
I just don't know that we wouldever really fully understand
(33:15):
what the ripple effect is of allof those positivity.
Kind of linking together.
Kayoko (33:21):
Yeah, that's a great point because I am always
inspired to listen to theseyoung students who.
After they get college degreesor even during in college, they
all say like, oh, once I get acollege degree and get a good
job, I want to support my familyand community and help poor,
young children to get education.
(33:41):
I never heard anybody say like,I want to buy a house.
Of course they want to buy ahouse probably, but their first
thing they say, and it's notjust because we are asking them,
I know it's coming from theirheart.
They've gone through so muchwith their poverty and gender
discrimination, so on.
So when they know that thisopportunity should not be taken
(34:02):
for granted and they can't, theywant to share this with next
generation, other girls, otherchildren, and that's so
beautiful.
Ashley (34:11):
It really is, and it's one of those things that I think
can be easy to maybe take forgranted in North America the
idea that women are justsupposed to, get married and
have babies, is just such ainsane plot that that's exactly
still the narrative.
I feel like unfortunately thatpart is rolling back a little
bit in all countries.
(34:32):
Yeah.
But it's so.
Eye opening to really considerthe statistics for uneducation
and for sex trafficking and forchildren expecting to be wives
and all of these things that Ialmost wish that the outrage was
as widespread and stays in theheadlines.
(34:54):
I think we recently heard abouta fashion house that made a
really horrific choice in theiradvertising practices, and
people were all up in arms aboutit, but it's like in the real
world, this happens all thetime.
I just want maybe the outrage tobe more common or for people to
talk about it more.
Kayoko (35:12):
It's very unfortunate that the media doesn't talk
about it.
That's one of my jobs, you know,to continue to share the stories
of real, people and real voices,right?
Because otherwise we are justflooded with, same kind of, main
media stuff and the consumerism,and we forget what really is
most important as a human beingto do, like help each other
(35:38):
understand each other and beinginterested.
Being indifferent is like not anoption.
You have to be interested inlearning about others.
Ashley (35:49):
I think that's so beautiful about the fact that
people can actually see theexamples of the real people.
Cuz I think sometimes thestatistics get lost in the fact
that they are real people andreal women and real children
that we're talking about.
Yeah.
And so when we can see the facesand we can see the success
stories, it really.
Almost makes you stop and think,oh yeah, that actually is a
(36:11):
person and, really help peoplewanna be more involved because I
think it does sometimes seemlike, oh,$10 and you can't see
the impact, or you can't seewhere it's going.
It kind of gets lost intranslation a little bit.
Kayoko (36:23):
Yeah.
That's what I do.
I've spent 30 years makingdocumentary films and really
worked hard.
I'm so grateful that I've donethat because now I can use that
skills for little filmmaking,for yoga gives back.
So you can see all my littlefilms about all these people we
support.
(36:44):
Under Ygb Films on my website,yoga Gives Back and I think it's
a very unique tool that we havenow.
For so many years I have so manyfootage that I need to edit.
That's the problem.
I don't have time, but we havestories after stories.
Ashley (37:02):
I love the fact that you were able to incorporate that
skill set into Yoga Gives Back,cuz I think that that probably
makes such a big impact.
Kayoko (37:11):
Yeah, it's true.
It's really true because justimagine I didn't have any
footage about that little boywho became a doctor.
I have about seven minute videoabout his life, like couple of
series since he was young.
I just kept filming.
So we are going back in India inJanuary, so I'm gonna film more
because we now have new projectsand you never.
(37:32):
How this is gonna turn out infive years, right?
So it's very exciting.
Ashley (37:36):
When people are looking for you online, can they find
the examples that we've showntoday on your website?
and can they also find them onyour social media channels?
Kayoko (37:47):
Yes.
So if you go to yoga gives backwe have a lot of tabs, but one
of them is Ygb Films.
That's where you find ourstories as films or you can just
check our work.
Under our work.
We list our different programsthere and also social media.
We are very active in Instagramand Facebook especially, and a
(38:08):
little bit LinkedIn also.
So please follow us because.
Especially like in January I'llbe in India, so I'll be posting
a lot from there too.
But on daily basis, we post alot every day.
Ashley (38:23):
Well, thank you so much for having this conversation
with me.
Can you remind people again thegala dates?
When does it start and when doesit end?
Kayoko (38:31):
It's already open.
At the moment, we are endingDecember 15th.
We have about 40 plus amazing,like luxurious travel to
clothing, to yoga mats to selfretreat in Thailand, all sorts
of amazing stuff.
And also a lot of meditation oryoga classes by top ambassadors.
(38:53):
So these are all donated by oursponsors and ambassadors.
You shop and you bid and thatmoney.
You get something and then alsohelps women and children in
India.
So it's a win-win situation.
Ashley (39:06):
Thank you again for having this conversation and I
really appreciate meeting you
Kayoko (39:11):
thank you so much, Ashley, for having me.
Thank you so much for joining ustoday for this episode of The
Filled Up Cup podcast.
Don't forget to hit subscribeand leave a review.
If you like what you hear.
You can also connect withus@buildupcup.com.
Thanks again for tuning in andwe'll catch you in the next
(39:33):
episode.
Welcome to the Filled Up Cuppodcast.
We are a different kind ofself-care resource.
One that has nothing to do withbubble baths and face masks, and
everything to do withrediscovering yourself.
We bring you real reviews,honest experiences, and
unfiltered opinions that willmake you laugh, cry, and most
(00:21):
importantly, leave you with afilled up cup.
Ashley (00:32):
I am very excited today.
I have the founder of Yoga GivesBack Joining Me.
Welcome Kyoko.
Kayoko (00:39):
Thank you so much.
Ashley (00:41):
Can you let everybody who maybe isn't familiar with
Yoga Gives Back?
Tell us a little bit about it?
Kayoko (00:47):
Yes.
Thanks so much again Ashley forhaving me.
And so yoga gives back.
I studied this organization justa yoga student.
I'm not a yoga teacher, but Iwas just benefiting so much from
the practice of yoga.
I wanted to give back, I am adocumentary filmmaker as a
profession, and I was startingto practice yoga in 2007 in Los
Angeles where I live, and I wasjust feeling so great as many of
(01:11):
you know, how you feel after theclass of yoga.
You feel so happy and blessedand then so I thought, I was 47
at that time, and I thought,what do I do with myself?
I was so happy and healthy, youknow, like, what can I do with
this abundance of energy?
So I started talking to myfriends and teachers and long
(01:33):
story short, we create thismission.
That many people felt that youknow, to mobilize yoga
practitioners worldwide withtheir gratitude and to channel
that gratitude into empoweringIndia's women and children to
create sustainable lives.
So we are aware that yoga comesfrom India and we are.
(01:54):
Being blessed with that gift,but there is huge poverty issues
and especially women andchildren most affected in that
country.
So we wanted to give back inthat way.
In the last 15 years, we justcame together with sheer
gratitude for this gift of yogaand we've reached out to 30
countries around the world and150 ambassadors of yoga teachers
(02:17):
singing communities, all theseleaders or ambassadors who reach
out to their communities and dofundraising, we've been doing a
lot of global, like onlinegathering with these leaders.
That's been great.
We have been able to empowermore than 2,400 women and
children.
So we provide them with microloans, especially for
(02:39):
underserved women.
We give early education foryoung girls and orphans.
And last few years we have beenable to give quite a bit of
medical and food emergencyassistance during Covid.
We also created five yearscholarship for high education,
which provide scholarship sothat the disadvantaged young
(03:00):
people can get college degrees.
We are seeing hundreds of peoplenow graduating with degrees.
In the last 15 years, we've beensupported by hundreds of
volunteers and sponsors aroundthe world, and we also have been
invited to international yogafestivals in Hong Kong, London,
many cities in the world, wealso created our Humanitarian
(03:21):
Namaste Award which arepresented every year at the gala
for the first five years we didit in person, but last three
years it's been online.
The recipients, include MallikaChopra to David Lynch, Alanis
Morissette, Jack Kornfield,Trudy Goodman, the PAD Project
(03:41):
and also.
Nobel Peace laureate, Dr.
Mohamed Yunus who is the fatherof Microfinancing this year we
are very honored.
We just present this award toChristie Turlington Burns who,
inspired so many people with theyoga.
She was on the cover of timeMagazine, Vogue.
She also wrote an amazing bookabout yoga, but she's now
(04:05):
heading her own organizationcalled Every Mother Counts since
her complications during herfirst childbirth.
So she realized how manyactually women are dying At the
time of childbirth around theworld, so she created her
nonprofit organization calledEvery Mother Counts.
So I interviewed her she's justamazing woman, and anybody who
(04:27):
is interested, it's stillavailable as a replay so you can
watch it.
So how we do all this work inIndia.
So we work with threenon-governmental organizations
as partners in India.
Two are in Karnataka, which isnear Bangalore and Mysore area,
like orphanage girls home, andalso in a very poor villages.
(04:50):
We provide education scholarshipfor the youth and.
Another big organization is inWest Bengal, which is in
Calcutta area on the west sideof India.
That's where we provide about500 mothers with micro financing
and young girls.
We are creating digital centerfor young girls.
We also are creating the PADproject that I will talk about
(05:12):
and here is a little bit of asuccess story that I want to
share.
First thing we want to unlockmother's dreams, right?
So first trip to India for mewas in 2007 and I met this
skinny mom who just receivedmicrofinancing, and she told me,
I don't want my children to livelike me, which is very harsh,
(05:34):
sad comment.
But I realize ever since thatmeeting, all the mothers I met,
everybody said the same thingbecause their lives have been.
Miserable though they had neverhad opportunity for education or
respect in the community.
So with this microfinancing, shegot the sewing machine and her
(05:55):
financial situation got betterin the family and her two sons
they wanted to become doctors,both of them because that's
their mother's dream.
So eldest son Guad in this redshirt who couldn't speak a word
of English when I first met him.
Hes today.
Emergency doctor in Bangaloreand we supported his education
until he became a doctor.
(06:16):
Here is his amazing message.
with all of your.
I'm here today because of you.
When I was in 15, I met Kayokoand Yoga gives back.
(06:38):
I was a seed at that time.
So you are the one who pulled awater who has been a sunlight
and was nurtured a small seed tothis tree today.
So this tree is now able to, togive shelter to thousands of
people.
So it's all cause of you people.
So he really speaks sobeautifully every time.
(07:00):
And thanks to his success, wecreated this scholarship for
higher education program.
This is another girl whoreceived this scholarship in
2014 in a rural area ofCalcutta, west Bengal.
And she comes from Muslim familySan.
Where girls still are forced tomarry around the age of 15,
because despite the fact that itis illegal, that's the practice
(07:25):
even today.
So she was very happy when shereceived that scholarship
because she can continue hereducation.
But since then, her father andher brothers started physically.
Abusing her because she wouldnot get married.
She would not give up education,and her mom always stayed up by
her side.
And long story short, shegraduated with bachelors degree
(07:47):
and she's now the breadwinnerfor the family.
Ashley (07:49):
Must be so beautiful to be able to see it come full
circle like that, to see sort ofwhat you were able to start
Yeah.
And what it grew into and whatan impact it makes for so many
families.
Kayoko (08:00):
Exactly.
And thank you for saying that.
That's why I continue to filmthe stories like this.
Every time I go.
So girl like San today, we arefunding more than 400 youths in
the vulnerable families.
So you can see what the impactthese young people can bring to
the families and to thecommunity.
(08:21):
They really are the role modelsin this very backward poor
villages where, you know, girlsare not supposed to study even,
up to high school.
So here is a quick snapshot howwe grew in the last 15 years.
So I really started counting howmany people we are helping in
2011, and it was only 55 motherswith microfinancing.
(08:44):
And then I used to dream wow,that it would be great if I can
get to 1000, which we did in2017.
We surpassed 1000 lives.
Including 210 this scholarshipstudents, and last year with all
the support from around theworld, we added another 1000
lives.
So we are now reaching out to2,400 women and children, and we
(09:08):
want to continue.
This trajectory.
However, the pandemic reallydeepened the socioeconomic
divide as so many othercountries, especially in the
developing countries.
So the child marriage ishappening for 1.5 million girls
a year of which is the highestin the world, and women's income
(09:28):
fell to one fifth of the men's.
Sexual assault is happeningevery 15 minutes.
You hear horrendous rapesituation, you know, news
sometimes in the media, but it'sactually happening every 15
minutes and it's the worst Inthe last six years, it's getting
really worse and 10 milliongirls are supposed to drop out
from secondary education.
(09:48):
So how can we Challenge thesehardships.
So one of the things we reallytrying to fundraise is to create
women's digital center in WestBengal because during pandemic I
learned the girls were studyinglike this, you know, sharing one
mobile form from somebody'sfamily and catch up their
studies.
At high school, college level,so you can imagine how difficult
(10:10):
that was.
And women, we support with microloans, they have very small
businesses like these, stitchesand making sarees or you know,
Clay pots and stuff like that.
They are very talented artisans,but they're also lost income
because market was locked downwith Covid so only if they had a
(10:31):
computer center with computers,internet access and skills
training, girls could continuetheir studies and as well as
learning skills to be eligiblefor better job opportunities.
The women of microfinancing,they can get into eCommerce.
So eCommerce can provide muchbigger income opportunities for
(10:52):
them.
So one center with hundreddesktop computers will provide
minimum 5,000 girls and women.
Opportunities like this.
The other project we are pushingis the PAD Project.
Have you heard of the PADProject?
Ashley (11:06):
I haven't heard of it, but I know even say in Western
countries, the cost involvedwith people to be able to have
these sort of products.
not having to stay home if youdon't have a pad or a tampon or
a cup.
Kayoko (11:21):
Exactly.
Exactly.
So if that's the case in the USor in the developed countries,
you can imagine that poorcountries like India, when I
first went there, I learned thatthe girls and women are using
rags for menstruation becausethey had no access to sanitary
pads.
Or they didn't have money,right?
So that was also not very good.
(11:42):
Hygienically, that complicated.
A lot of gynecological issues.
So this is a project where wework with the PAD Project who
actually won the Oscardocumentary award in 2019.
They're the project team in LosAngeles from high school.
So we work with them and we gottwo machines.
(12:02):
To our NGO partner this year,early in April.
So 20 women are being trained toproduce their own sanitary pads.
Our goal is to grow this into,like self sustaining business so
that they can sell these pads aswell as provide access for young
girls and women in the villageto have affordable,
(12:23):
biodegradable.
Sanitary napkins that will helptheir health.
The girls drop out of schoolbecause there are no toilets
and, like you said women stayhome because of menstruation.
Girls drop out of school.
That's the really big reason forstopping education.
So this is another big projectand here is a final little
(12:44):
message.
Namaste this is Reunalta I workas a staff nurse and I'm very,
very glad that I can do thisthrough this video.
I would like to thank Yoga Givesback for your vision, for your
support, and for being therewhen I was in need.
Thank you.
YGB You are, you are helping meto reach my goal and namaste I
(13:13):
have two daughters myself andcoming to realize the struggles
that women and children,particularly girls in India face
in a daily way to have cleanwater, to have enough to eat,
particularly young girls beingforced into young marriages
where they won't get to go toschool and create a life for
themselves.
Yoga is the foundation of myspiritual practice.
(13:35):
It's how I make my living.
So how dare I not link arms withwomen and mothers in India to
help create a better life fortheir daughters?
Please join me in helping yogagives back and the mission that
is so important there.
So these young girls have achance at a good life.
(13:55):
So finally, I just wanted toquickly show you.
So our mantra is for the cost ofone class, you can change your
life.
So you can spend like two thesedays, like$30 or$40 for yoga
class or$200 for yoga pants, butthat money can give a girl high
(14:16):
education for a year..
$108 can provide computerinternet access with training
for girl.
$50 a month can provide higheducation for two girls.
$10 a month can providemicroloan for one group of 10
mothers.
So these are not big.
Huge money when you think abouthow much you spend dinner or
(14:40):
something like that these days.
So we just want to highlight howone class fee can really change
your life.
And we've proven that in thelast 15 years in India with all
the support we receive.
So our really impact goal isreduce the gender and
socioeconomic divide and.
(15:00):
become disaster proof becauselast two years we've seen how
the pandemic can completely turnevery everybody's life In a
community like this, you know,vulnerable communities upside
down, and also the climatechange is hitting them very
hard.
So cyclone is worse now and theflood is worse, so, You know,
(15:22):
infrastructure support is veryimportant too.
So thank you so much forwatching this and I hope you got
some idea of what we do.
Ashley (15:31):
I definitely did, and I think sometimes people know that
they wanna get involved and theydon't know how to get involved.
So I love the breakdown of, forthe cost.
Less than two Starbucks, intheory a month.
You could help women essentiallyget a micro loan to be able to,
have those long term impacts fortheir family.
Now, to take it back, ifsomebody isn't familiar even
(15:53):
with a micro loan, can you kindof explain what that is and how
they're given to the people inthe community.
Kayoko (15:59):
Yeah.
So microfinancing or micro Loanbegan very famous when Dr.
Muhammad Yunus received NobelPeace Prize in 2006.
So the idea is that when youthink about it if you're poor,
you don't have collateral, youcan never get a bank loan when
you think about it, right?
But, so Dr.
Yunus decided to give smallamount of money for the poorest
(16:21):
people in Bangladesh where helived.
So that these women, forexample, they're making bamboo,
chairs, but they were alwaysborrowing money from somebody
and they always have to pay backinterest.
So all the profit they made fromselling bamboo chairs, they all
went back to the middle man orsharks where they took all the
(16:42):
interest and so on, so they werenever supposed to get out of
poverty.
So micro Loan.
They give the money directly tothese women and there is no
interest to begin with.
There was no interest at thattime initially.
and there was no middle man, sothey can get all the interest to
themselves and pay back themoney, this really helped
(17:04):
millions of poor people, to comeout of their vicious cycle of
poverty.
Ashley (17:09):
I would assume in some of these countries, women may
not even have the ability, evenif they had say collateral, they
wouldn't have the ability tojust necessarily go to a
traditional bank without ahusband or a father or some sort
of male to vouch.
Yeah.
So potentially in some of thesesituations, they wouldn't be
eligible for any sort of loan.
So I'm sure that themicrofinancing made it so that
(17:34):
they even had the ability.
Kayoko (17:35):
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
A lot of women we support,they've never even been to the
bank.
So, you know, in the poorvillages, that was the first
thing our NGO partner had totrain them.
Don't be shy.
So that's why they make a group.
And Dr.
Yunus's idea is this is geniusidea that he made.
Women's group first, like fiveto 10 women, and they become
(17:58):
mutually responsible if somebodydefaults the payment, other
people cover.
So it becomes like a groupeffort and like where we support
also women go to the banktogether, so nobody's.
You know, frightened or shy, butas a group, they'll stand and
they'll open the bank accounttogether.
So it becomes like a self-helpgroup and a peer support group
(18:22):
too.
I've seen also the benefit ofthese microloan groups are, That
they really help mentally eachother because there is still a
lot of domestic violence andsexual abuse at home where they
had to stay home and they had todeal with it, but on their own,
even if they depression ornobody was talking to them.
But now they go out and do job,like make candles or whatever
(18:45):
they need to do as a groupbusiness.
So during that time, they starttalking about their help, their
problems at home.
They are so powerful.
Many women are so powerful thatif there is a domestic violence
that doesn't, get solved,they'll take it to police or
local offices, governmentoffices, and they'll pressure
the husbands and they stop it.
(19:07):
So it's not just a financialimpact that this microfinancing
creates.
Ashley (19:14):
No, it's really that community and it's something
that I'm not even sure if hewould've realized maybe the
impact of really the rippleeffect of all of that.
That it isn't as simple, likeyou said, of just giving money.
It really is now we're buildinga community for them.
We're building the education ofthem, knowing how to run the
business and having thatconfidence, because I think
(19:36):
worldwide, too many times womenare underestimated or pushed
aside, or we're just not valuedto the extent that we should be
as equals in all of oursocieties, but it's really
giving them that, that you don'thave to be stuck in your
circumstances, that there areother choices, even if it
doesn't feel like that there is.
Kayoko (19:57):
Exactly.
Exactly.
It's just a matter of havingopportunity.
Ashley (20:03):
Now congratulations.
Yoga Gives back is 15 years oldthis year.
Are there any specialcelebrations that you have
planned for your anniversary?
Kayoko (20:14):
So we just had a online global gala where we awarded our
namaste award, humanitarianaward to Christie Turlington
Burns.
As part of a global gala, we arenow running a silent auction,
which goes until December 15th.
And so this is something that,it's like holiday shopping that
is not just for yourself, butalso the money you bid.
(20:36):
helps as you can see, women andchildren so much.
So we are doing that.
And of course this is the end ofyear, so we are really trying to
raise funds to create thisdigital center and into next
year the PAD project,
Ashley (20:51):
which I will put all of the information about how people
can purchase and put their bidsin on the gallon, the auction as
well in the show notes.
What.
Do vision is next for yoga Givesback.
I know your goal was that youwanted to help a thousand
people.
What is the next goal that youhope to reach?
Kayoko (21:10):
Yes.
One of the biggest goal is alsoto reach to 1 million Yogis So
there's supposed to be 300million people enjoying this
practice of yoga.
Either it's physical ormeditation or whatever way.
But it's just a fraction.
1 million people join ourcampaign and just imagine if
(21:31):
everybody.
gives one dollar that's$1million dollars.
Everybody give$10.
That 10 million, right?
India's population is humongous.
So we can continue to.
The need is endless.
So we can do so much more.
And so that's another big goal.
In the next five years or so, wewould really like to reach to 1
(21:53):
million Yogis.
Really get involved.
You know, we came this far, wehaven't really calculated
exactly how many, I think it'sthousands of people now, but not
1 million yet.
Ashley (22:05):
That's a great goal to have.
Yeah.
You currently have a 150ambassadors.
Mm-hmm.
Is that something that peoplecan ongoing apply to be a part
of in your ambassadorshipgrowing, or is that kind of at
150.
Kayoko (22:19):
No.
We continue to invite leaders inthe yoga community.
As I said, it can be spiritualpractice or physical practice,
whatever.
But if they're interested in ourmission and we ask them to host
at least one fundraising eventper year.
To share a mission with theircommunity.
That's how we grew over the last15 years.
(22:41):
It's been like words of mouth.
I was just back in Japan whereI'm from and I was talking to
one teacher and he was veryexcited about this.
He brought another teacher whois very very established, but I
didn't know them right.
And so, Things like that in awords of mouth.
And then also one of my teammembers, Julie she knows a lot
(23:01):
of yoga teachers in Ashtangacommunity and she brought
somebody from Hong Kong and nowhe's traveling all over the
world.
She became ambassador and hejust sent a nice message and
said, I'm finally doing my firstfundraiser in South Africa next
February.
That's probably our 31st countrybecause we never had any
community event in South Africa.
(23:23):
So it's like that, there are alot of teachers moving around
the world, so we ask them totake us with you,
Ashley (23:30):
I love the fact that I feel like sometimes we get so
caught up in our own country, inour own country's issues and
things like that, and I love thefact that you are potentially in
31 countries where it really isthat messaging of we all are
one, we all need to worktogether and make different
impacts.
If we do work more as a team,collectively things get done
(23:52):
faster.
We can spread that message.
We can really realize that weare, more alike than we are
different.
Mm-hmm.
and our countries collectivelyhave so many of the same issues.
So if we have the ability tohelp and to, meet people and
connect in that way.
I just think it's so fantastic.
Kayoko (24:11):
Yeah.
Thank you for emphasize thatpart, our connection, our
oneness and unity all come, youknow, that's the goal of yoga
anyways.
I don't know if, do you practiceyoga?
Ashley (24:23):
Actually, I don't.
On a regular basis.
I have before.
What drew you into yogaoriginally?
Kayoko (24:29):
I'm a documentary filmmaker as a profession, but I
just always liked physicalexercise.
So somebody told me to take aclass, my girlfriend took me in
and I just kind of liked it.
So I tried about two years,different types of kundalini,
ashtanga, vinyasa, all sorts ofdifferent kind.
I just got so hooked at once.
(24:51):
I started ashtanga yoga which isa very rigorous daily practice.
But also I was fortunate that myfirst teacher taught me about
philosophy of yoga from earlyon.
So I realized from very early onthat I was taught that Asana,
which is a physical practice, isjust a tiny.
(25:11):
Piece of big tradition of yogaand big tradition is a very
spiritual discipline in thepractice that we try to unite,
yoga means to yoke, to unite oursmall self to our big self.
So we strive, we in disciplineand train ourselves.
(25:38):
To that higher goal.
Right?
So, then we realized, supposedto, we realized that the oneness
of the people, we are all oneand we are all united.
To feel that and to act towardsthat oneness is what I
understand so far is the goal ofyoga.
(25:59):
So what yoga gives back does isto really express and actually.
Act upon that big goal of yoga.
Ashley (26:10):
I love the fact that you were able to find it as a
physical practice, but also beable to lean into that and
really create yoga, gives backand really, Put your money where
your mouth is in a sense that itwasn't just that you were going
through the motions, that youreally did create this impact
that people can benefitphysically from, but really
(26:30):
mentally and spiritually aswell.
Kayoko (26:33):
Yeah, that is the biggest part.
That's why like it changed mylife.
You know, yoga often says thatit changes your life, but I was
a filmmaker making, my living asa documentary filmmaker as
almost 30 years.
But once I started Yoga Giveback 15 years ago, first.
Eight years I was doing like, asa volunteer and I still had my
(26:54):
income from yoga gift myproduction as a documentary
filmmaker.
The organization got so big andI felt so responsible and also
priority shifted it within methat.
My profession as a filmmakerbecame less important.
I just really felt this is mycalling and this is my life
(27:15):
mission.
So I switched and I wasfortunate.
My husband supported and myparents supported in that
transition two years because Ilost income.
But I learned that if I fallapart, this organization can't
keep going.
This has been a big lesson forme, how to run nonprofit
organization and Try to grow it.
Well, and that
Ashley (27:35):
must have been a lot of pressure and a lot of stress to
kind of feel like everything wasall on your shoulders.
Have you found that as it'sgrown, that that stress has sort
of gone away a little bit?
Or is it still very much on theforefront?
Kayoko (27:49):
To be honest, I think it's never gone.
When we grow a little bit thenwe want to do more.
So it's never ending.
But I've been listeningaudiobook recently, but you
know, bhagavad gita is one ofthe you know, everybody who
studies yoga reads it, you know,it's a one of the source of
(28:09):
yogic philosophy, right?
It talks about how your, youjust.
Do your action without thinkingabout fruit of your action.
And Gandhi says it in the bestway.
That full effort is fullvictory.
I don't know what it is, but itcan be extremely stressful
(28:29):
sometimes, at the end of theday, I always feel like all I
can do is my best and I do mybest.
I put a hundred or 1000%, andthis is my 24 7 job, or like my
mission.
So it doesn't even feel like ajob, so I just don't, worry
about the result, fundraisinggoal and stuff like that, but, I
(28:54):
don't think, I'm so worried atthe end of the day, if it's
falling apart, you know, we cansell this and that.
I can sell my car and there areways to survive, but I somehow
don't think pessimisticallyabout the whole thing because
last 15 years without anystrategic business plan or
(29:14):
anything.
We came this far.
I never thought we'll reach to30 countries and we can help
2,400 women and children andreally see the difference we
have made in the these people'slives.
So I think that has given mesome confidence maybe.
Ashley (29:31):
Absolutely.
I think once you find your realpassion, like you said, it
doesn't feel like work.
I know I'm the type of personthat.
I will take on so much that whenit falls on your shoulders, it
almost becomes like a stress ofdelegating or a stress of that
responsibility instead of itbeing like, I wanna grow it so
(29:53):
that we can help, it's more likethat you just don't wanna take
it on, like you said, in apessimistic way or a negative
way, so that it feels likesomething that you know that
you're not taking care ofyourself too.
Kayoko (30:04):
Yeah, exactly.
And also I have to share youwith you that the importance of
having colleagues, volunteers,ambassadors, sponsors, Who
continued to email me and saylike, okay, how about this?
And you know, let's do this.
Just hearing that this guysuddenly said, oh, I'm planning
now one in South Africa.
(30:26):
You know, like, that makes mereally feel good and like, feel
supported.
I think that feeling, beingfeeling the support of the
community is very important andvery inspiring and empowering
for me.
Ashley (30:40):
It must be the fact that somebody is like thinking about
your vision and how they canspread it and share it.
I think it is one of thosethings that, we do wanna help
others as much as possible.
So to wake up with that goal inmind when you get out of bed in
the day, I just don't thinkanything beats that.
Kayoko (30:56):
Yeah, it's true.
I think we were born to helpothers, That makes us feel the
best.
Right.
Ashley (31:04):
Well, and it really goes back to even what we were
talking about with the womenbuilding communities to be able
to go to the bank together.
It's like at the end of the day,that's really all what we want.
We want a community, we want avillage.
We wanna support system to knowthat we aren't alone and that we
do have people that we can relyon in that connection.
I can just imagine, the last twoyears again, in.
(31:28):
Western country where we haveaccess to, you know, DoorDash or
Amazon or all of these otherthings.
I can just imagine for countriesthat didn't have that.
Yeah.
What that isolation and whatthat fear must have felt like
for them.
Kayoko (31:43):
That's a really good point because during our online
gala two weekends ago we invitedour scholarship girl students
from Poor Village in Mysore, andshe shared that she had to skip
a meal.
So that her parents don't worryabout, you know, three meals a
day because they were in such afinancial stress situation but
(32:06):
she never gave up educationbecause she had a scholarship,
but she didn't have a mobilephone.
When she said, I sometimes hadto skip a meal so that my
parents don't worry.
But she continued education.
And then she didn't lookmiserable.
She was with smile and verystrong, like resilient, you
know, hopeful face.
(32:27):
That gives us a hope, and theinspiration, that little money.
We are not asking millions ofdollars from each person.
You know, we are not asking youto get a loan.
we are just asking you to give aclass, one class fee, or one
yoga pants, something like that.
You know,$50, a hundred dollars,that can change somebody's life.
(32:49):
So completely.
That is so unbelievablyempowering.
Ashley (32:54):
And to think like for the one example where the
gentleman had become a doctor.
Yeah.
Like your$50 or$10 really couldsave how many other lives.
And those lives could be peoplethat end up saving other
people's lives or the greatthinkers of our generation.
I just don't know that we wouldever really fully understand
(33:15):
what the ripple effect is of allof those positivity.
Kind of linking together.
Kayoko (33:21):
Yeah, that's a great point because I am always
inspired to listen to theseyoung students who.
After they get college degreesor even during in college, they
all say like, oh, once I get acollege degree and get a good
job, I want to support my familyand community and help poor,
young children to get education.
(33:41):
I never heard anybody say like,I want to buy a house.
Of course they want to buy ahouse probably, but their first
thing they say, and it's notjust because we are asking them,
I know it's coming from theirheart.
They've gone through so muchwith their poverty and gender
discrimination, so on.
So when they know that thisopportunity should not be taken
(34:02):
for granted and they can't, theywant to share this with next
generation, other girls, otherchildren, and that's so
beautiful.
Ashley (34:11):
It really is, and it's one of those things that I think
can be easy to maybe take forgranted in North America the
idea that women are justsupposed to, get married and
have babies, is just such ainsane plot that that's exactly
still the narrative.
I feel like unfortunately thatpart is rolling back a little
bit in all countries.
(34:32):
Yeah.
But it's so.
Eye opening to really considerthe statistics for uneducation
and for sex trafficking and forchildren expecting to be wives
and all of these things that Ialmost wish that the outrage was
as widespread and stays in theheadlines.
(34:54):
I think we recently heard abouta fashion house that made a
really horrific choice in theiradvertising practices, and
people were all up in arms aboutit, but it's like in the real
world, this happens all thetime.
I just want maybe the outrage tobe more common or for people to
talk about it more.
Kayoko (35:12):
It's very unfortunate that the media doesn't talk
about it.
That's one of my jobs, you know,to continue to share the stories
of real, people and real voices,right?
Because otherwise we are justflooded with, same kind of, main
media stuff and the consumerism,and we forget what really is
most important as a human beingto do, like help each other
(35:38):
understand each other and beinginterested.
Being indifferent is like not anoption.
You have to be interested inlearning about others.
Ashley (35:49):
I think that's so beautiful about the fact that
people can actually see theexamples of the real people.
Cuz I think sometimes thestatistics get lost in the fact
that they are real people andreal women and real children
that we're talking about.
Yeah.
And so when we can see the facesand we can see the success
stories, it really.
Almost makes you stop and think,oh yeah, that actually is a
(36:11):
person and, really help peoplewanna be more involved because I
think it does sometimes seemlike, oh,$10 and you can't see
the impact, or you can't seewhere it's going.
It kind of gets lost intranslation a little bit.
Kayoko (36:23):
Yeah.
That's what I do.
I've spent 30 years makingdocumentary films and really
worked hard.
I'm so grateful that I've donethat because now I can use that
skills for little filmmaking,for yoga gives back.
So you can see all my littlefilms about all these people we
support.
(36:44):
Under Ygb Films on my website,yoga Gives Back and I think it's
a very unique tool that we havenow.
For so many years I have so manyfootage that I need to edit.
That's the problem.
I don't have time, but we havestories after stories.
Ashley (37:02):
I love the fact that you were able to incorporate that
skill set into Yoga Gives Back,cuz I think that that probably
makes such a big impact.
Kayoko (37:11):
Yeah, it's true.
It's really true because justimagine I didn't have any
footage about that little boywho became a doctor.
I have about seven minute videoabout his life, like couple of
series since he was young.
I just kept filming.
So we are going back in India inJanuary, so I'm gonna film more
because we now have new projectsand you never.
(37:32):
How this is gonna turn out infive years, right?
So it's very exciting.
Ashley (37:36):
When people are looking for you online, can they find
the examples that we've showntoday on your website?
and can they also find them onyour social media channels?
Kayoko (37:47):
Yes.
So if you go to yoga gives backwe have a lot of tabs, but one
of them is Ygb Films.
That's where you find ourstories as films or you can just
check our work.
Under our work.
We list our different programsthere and also social media.
We are very active in Instagramand Facebook especially, and a
(38:08):
little bit LinkedIn also.
So please follow us because.
Especially like in January I'llbe in India, so I'll be posting
a lot from there too.
But on daily basis, we post alot every day.
Ashley (38:23):
Well, thank you so much for having this conversation
with me.
Can you remind people again thegala dates?
When does it start and when doesit end?
Kayoko (38:31):
It's already open.
At the moment, we are endingDecember 15th.
We have about 40 plus amazing,like luxurious travel to
clothing, to yoga mats to selfretreat in Thailand, all sorts
of amazing stuff.
And also a lot of meditation oryoga classes by top ambassadors.
(38:53):
So these are all donated by oursponsors and ambassadors.
You shop and you bid and thatmoney.
You get something and then alsohelps women and children in
India.
So it's a win-win situation.
Ashley (39:06):
Thank you again for having this conversation and I
really appreciate meeting you
Kayoko (39:11):
thank you so much, Ashley, for having me.
Thank you so much for joining ustoday for this episode of The
Filled Up Cup podcast.
Don't forget to hit subscribeand leave a review.
If you like what you hear.
You can also connect withus@buildupcup.com.
Thanks again for tuning in andwe'll catch you in the next
(39:33):
episode.
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