YAMA offers accessible wellbeing programmes and events through a network of community NGO partners, schools, residential care facilities, day training centres, and other service organisations. Our programmes are tailored for the specific aims of each organisation we serve, with the goal to improve quality of life for their members and beneficiaries.
YAMA Foundation conducted a study to measure the effects of yoga therapy as a form of early intervention and rehabilitation among 60 children with disabilities and special education needs (C-SEN). The study took place from January 2021 through December 2023. Study findings suggest that yoga therapy is an effective alternative to conventional therapy.
Applicants who meet all of the following criteria are eligible to apply for this programme:
Must be aged 0-18 with moderate to severe disability or special needs;
Must demonstrate financial or other essential need (e.g., severity of disability or lack of therapeutic support);
Must commit to the full programme and agree to the YTSS Terms & Conditions to participate in the Scheme.
Please note that application does not guarantee placement. We announce placements for the scheme up to three times a year.
Parents of applicants wishing to be considered for the placement are strongly recommended to attend an online information session.
Under the scheme, all applications are reviewed by a panel committee and candidates selected for service based on need. YAMA will contact shortlisted candidates by email to confirm the placement.
To confirm placement, shortlisted candidates must complete the following registration process within seven (7) calendar days of notification:
Complete the online registration form, consenting to the YTSS Terms & Conditions.
Pay the programme deposit of HK$2500.
Book a Baseline Assessment Appointment
Once the above registration steps are complete, YAMA will match the participant with a studio venue and teacher. The assigned teacher will then be in touch with the Participant to schedule classes.
Participants must commit to attending all ten (10) yoga therapy sessions as scheduled. All sessions must be completed within the specified programme term (generally 12 weeks). Please refer to the YTSS Terms & Conditions regarding rescheduling of classes.
Upon completion of all therapy sessions, Participants will undergo a Final Assessment conducted by YAMA’s research partner.
Once all conditions have been fulfilled, the Participant is entitled to a full deposit refund.
We offer 60min live online yoga classes weekly to the community. Suitable for a wide range of bodies and abilities, these classes will leave you feeling good in body, mind and spirit.
Offered in English and Cantonese.
Free of charge
Chair Yoga is a modified form of yoga that is practiced while seated on a chair or using a chair for support. It is designed to make yoga accessible to individuals who may have difficulty getting down to or up from the floor, or who require additional support and stability during their practice, and great for all abilities.
Our gentle and modified poses focus on building strength, flexibility, and balance while emphasising body and breath awareness. Our experienced teachers ensures a safe and enjoyable experience tailored to diverse needs. Experience the transformative benefits of chair yoga from the comfort of your own home.
Join our inclusive online yoga class designed to welcome and accommodate individuals of all abilities, including beginners, people with limited mobility and even those with limited space.
Whether you're new to yoga or have physical limitations, our class provides a nurturing space for you to explore movement, to stretch and find relaxation.
YAMA Foundation has produced a number of online courses and classes in both Cantonese & English for people seeking to practice at home. These available for free on our Youtube Channel.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date with new content releases.
YAMA offers inclusive and specialised group yoga classes through our network of community NGOs and other service organisations. We also have community classes open to the public. Classes are offered making wellbeing more affordable and accessible. Classes include:
Yoga for children with special needs
Chair / wheelchair yoga
Yoga for parents & caregivers
Yoga for the elderly
Family yoga
Yoga in prisons
Yoga for people living on the streets
Yoga for anxiety and depression
Yoga for children with rare diseases, cancer, chronic illness
Reach out to us about bringing a programme to you.
YAMA promotes personal and social development through group expressive arts therapy aimed at:
Providing avenues of self-expression, self-empowerment and communication;
Using creativity and music or movement to develop mindfulness and emotional resilience;
Alleviating mental/emotional stress, enhancing mood, and regulating energy; and
Improving overall sense of physical and mental wellbeing.
YAMA offers inclusive and specialised expressive arts therapy and classes through our network of partner NGOs and schools. We currently offer the following programmes:
Group Expressive Arts for Children & Youth — Music & Movement
Group Expressive Arts Therapy for Children & Youth — Creative Art
Family Art Therapy Workshop Series
Parent & Carer Workshops
To join a class or set up a programme in your community, please contact us, and our team will be in touch.
The aim of therapy is not to sustain the intervention, but rather to impart skills which enable recipients to progress in their lives. YAMA’s interventions invest in participants’ long-term quality of life. Our expressive arts group therapy services have been well-received, and demand for services remains consistently high, by far outstripping supply.
As YAMA exists to make wellbeing accessible, we deliver targeted, structured interventions that yield cost-effective, sustainable, longer-term solutions, rather than one-off, general interest events. We invest in researching our outcomes and impacts. Our long-term aim is to facilitate the integration of yoga and expressive arts therapies into public health, social services, and educational settings.
View our past programmes here
Here To Be is a yoga and mindfulness program, targeted at supporting teens as they transition to independence and navigate through intense life pressures with school, friends, family and society.
With seed investment from lululemon, the programme was initially developed in partnership with OCD Anxiety Support Hong Kong, clinical psychologist Dr. Edwin Yau, and yoga therapist Hersha Chellaram, and focuses on sharing tools to enhance physical, emotional and mental wellbeing, and empowers teens to face personal challenges and self-limiting beliefs, and express themselves in a non-judgemental space.
The Accessible Wellbeing Conference brings together Hong Kong’s forerunners in accessibility and wellbeing for an event targeted at persons with disabilities and special needs (PWD/SEN), people with limited mobility, their families, carers, and other wellbeing professionals.
Designed for the whole family and all generations, the conference features panel discussions and demonstrations, all linked to inclusive recreation. Activities and workshops include: yoga, arts, mindfulness, career counseling, community building and much more.
To optimise quality of life experience for persons with disabilities and special needs (PWD/SEN), including people with limited mobility, the elderly, and their family and caregivers.
To pave the way for a more accessible wellness industry and inclusive society .
PWD/SEN, people with limited mobility, seniors, and their families, carers, and friends.
Services providers for PWD/SEN and elderly communities
NGOs, healthcare and educational institutions, therapists, and wellbeing professionals
YAMA Foundation is pleased to offer scholarships for yoga teacher training and continuing professional development programmes. Scholarships are awarded to dedicated individuals with strong passion and intention to serve communities in need, supporting YAMA Foundation’s growth.
Scholarships cover a portion of tuition, course manuals and administrative fees. Transportation, accommodation, meals or personal daily expenses are not included. The scholarships are on an application basis, and will be considered by a panel. Applicants must be willing to complete the following commitments in order to receive the scholarship funds.
Ideal candidates will:
already have a regular yoga practice;
be ready to take the next step into teaching;
be reasonably proficient in English as all training programmes will be delivered in English only; and
have existing work experience in community service, working with people who have different abilities, social service, or other humanitarian causes.
Completion of all requirements for YAMA Teacher Associate Induction.
Commitment to working for YAMA Foundation for a minimum of 6 months after the completion of the induction process.
Contribution of a personal reflection in the form of a written article, for YAMA Foundation’s use in grant reporting and marketing communications. The article should describe aspects of the candidate’s journey that were transformation, and also outline how the candidate intends to use the new knowledge and skills to serve communities in-need.
If you qualify for all the above requirements, please prepare one reference letter and fill up the application at the button below.
