Membership & Volunteering

Click to join online now or download a Membership Form [PDF]

The Iyengar Yoga Association of Greater New York (IYAGNY) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization dedicated to the art, science and philosophy of BKS Iyengar's visionary path of yoga. It serves more than 1200 members--teachers and students--throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.  The Association welcomes practitioners of all forms of Yoga who wish to expand and refine their understanding. Its flagship teaching Institute, located in Manhattan’s Chelsea district, offers more than 70 classes per week and is a haven for Iyengar Yoga practitioners in the region. The Association includes over 150 certified Iyengar Yoga teachers across the four-state area.

Iyengar Yoga is the continually evolving gift of living legend BKS Iyengar, the author of 14 books including the seminal Light on Yoga and his new classic, Light on Life, published in 2005.  In his early nineties, he continues to inspire students around the world. The insights of Iyengar Yoga are employed by everyone from dance professionals to physical therapists to all manner of yoga practitioners and teachers.

Membership connects you into the heart of the Iyengar Yoga community in our area and around the world. IYAGNY serves as a direct link to the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States (IYNAUS) and is a communication channel to the Iyengar family and the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India.

IYAGNY Membership runs from January 1 – December 31 and is tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Become a Member

$65 Tadasana

• Discounts on all classes, workshops, series, books, props and clothing offered at the
Institute
• Invitations to free gatherings, designed to create community among our members
• Opportunity to participate in our Bring-a- Friend promotion
• Free participation in our Monthly Philosophy Study Group
• Advance notification of special classes and workshops
• Membership in the Iyengar Yoga National Association of the United States

($30 of each membership goes to our National Association.)

Become a Donor

Student fees do not cover our operating expenses. Please consider making an additional gift to help us fill this gap and continue and expand our programs.

$125 Vrksasana          
All of the benefits of membership, plus an invitation to our annual free members-only
class; and listing in our annual report and 25th anniversary special event journal.

$250 Salamba Sirsasana
All of the above plus a commemorative 25th Anniversary T-Shirt.   

$500 Urdhva Dhanurasana
All of the above plus a free class from the Institute’s regular schedule for you to use or give to a friend.

Become a Major Donor

$1,000 Natarajasana
All of the above plus a free Sunday Workshop; recognition on signage at the Institute; and invitations to special major donor gatherings.

$2,500 Hanumanasana         
All of the above plus one-hour private yoga session with a Senior Teacher at the Institute
and select named giving and sponsorship opportunities.

$5,000 Padmasana
All of the above plus an invitation to our Annual Leadership Donor Appreciation Dinner with the Association Directors and Board President and two one-hour private yoga sessions with a Senior Teacher at the Institute.

Named Giving and Sponsorship Opportunities

Iyengar Yoga Association of Greater NewYork is delighted to provide the following opportunities to donors who wish to restrict their gifts of $2,500 or more to a particular program or activity that resonates with their philanthropic goals. Donors will be recognized in our annual report, website and special event programs. When appropriate, sponsorship opportunities will bear your name or the name of a loved one. Donors may also choose to remain anonymous. Following are annual and multi-year giving opportunities that can be paid in full or pledged to pay over time.

• Sponsor a year’s worth of community gatherings for teachers, students and family members, including lectures, demonstrations, film screenings and outings. ($2,500)

• Contribute to a Targeted Fund at the Institute. Gifts of $5,000 or more can be directed to a specific program or activity of the Iyengar Yoga Association of Greater New York, to support operating expenses of three key program areas:

• Scholarships
– to provide financial support to students of all ages and abilities who could not otherwise participate, due to their financial situation.

• Teacher Training and Continuing Education
– to support educational activity that nurtures the development of our certified Iyengar Yoga instructors.

• Outreach
– to support promotional opportunities and activities that heighten the visibility of Iyengar yoga and the Association and increase access to the philosophy and practice of Iyengar yoga, including teacher participation in public events and venues.

• Help us purchase a commercialWasher and Dryer to allow us to clean our blankets on site. ($5,000)

• Help us purchase a state or the art ultraviolet cleaning machine for our mats. ($10,000)

• Underwrite the cost of upgrading our office computers and server. ($15,000)

• Sponsor our Archive Project. Funds will be used to preserve audio and VHS tapes of classes and lectures and transfer them to CD and DVD format, catalogue these items as well as books and other publications, and make this resource available online. ($20,000)

• Sponsor a series of free yoga classes for people with specific needs, including

- Breast Cancer Survivors ($5,000 for six months/$10,000 for one year)
- People Living with HIV ($5,000 for six months/$10,000 for one year)
- Veterans ($5,000 for six months/$10,000 for one year)
- Amputees ($10,000 for six months/$20,000 for one year)

- Sponsor a Specific Needs Class and help provide training to assistant teachers in particular, who gain invaluable knowledge about working with students with specific conditions and diseases. ($20,000 for six months or $40,000 for one year)

• Underwrite the cost of a new website and enhanced social media program. ($25,000)

• Underwrite a Community Teaching Program and help us connect with new students at non-profit organizations, such as community and senior centers. Funds will be used for program staff costs and stipends to teachers who lead free, on-going Iyengar Yoga classes in unique settings across the region. ($25,000)

• Underwrite our expansion by establishing a satellite facility in another location within our region. Funds will be used to acquire and renovate a new studio and pay rent and other operational expenses for year one. ($50,000)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, please contact Ann McDermott-Kave, Executive Director at
(212) 691-9642, ext. 100 or amcdermott@iyengarnyc.org.

Additional Ways to Support IYAGNY

Matching Gifts
Many companies match employees’ contributions to non-profit organizations. Please submit a matching gift form with your membership payment.

Annual Fund Gifts
Contributions above or beyond your membership gift provide crucial funds that will allow the Association to meet its goals. Donors of $1,000 and above will be recognized at the Institute and on the IYAGNY website. 

Gifts in Honor and Memory
Honor a special teacher, loved one or family member or remember someone important to you by giving a gift on their behalf.  Your gift will be acknowledged with a card informing the person or family of your thoughtfulness.

Volunteering
IYAGNY depends upon the selfless service of its volunteers. If you are interested in working on the newsletter, public relations and marketing, membership drives, data entry or special events, please let us know. Click to download a Volunteer form.

For more information on membership, volunteering or other ways to support the Association, please email info@iyengarnyc.org

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