We play a critical role in the recovery of highly traumatised people.

In 2009, Founding Director, Dr. Michael de Manincor, a counselling psychologist and one of the most highly respected yoga teachers in Australia, was acutely aware of the mental health benefits of yoga wanted to provide yoga to people with no access it. He set up The Yoga Foundation as an independent organisation for people to work collaboratively and provide for people in need.

Our Mission

The Yoga Foundation’s Mission is to support the recovery of people who have experienced trauma, mental illness and adversity. We aim to provide all our program participants with a tool kit and skill set to manage their mental health, heal, and improve their quality of life.

Our Work

The Yoga Foundation’s approach is person centered and recovery focused. We work with government agencies, NGOs and service providers in the health and disability sectors to provide tailored yoga programs and we focus on supporting the mental health of vulnerable people. Since 2009 we have successfully delivered thousands of programs for a wide variety of individuals:

  • veterans with PTSD

  • domestic, family and sexual violence survivors

  • at-risk youth

  • people in the criminal justice system,

  • people affected by homelessness,

  • refugees and asylum seekers,

  • ,people with persistent and long term mental health challenges

  • psychiatric patients

Our programs support people to feel safe, connected and a sense of agency. We believe:

·       Recovery should involve the whole person: their physical, emotional, and psychological well-being.

·       Yoga is designed to support people to manage life’s challenges and can provide the tools needed to self-regulate the nervous system and recover from adversity.

·       Yoga, and other somatic practices, can enable the body and mind to reconnect after trauma and disassociation.

Our clients typically have mental or physical health challenges, socioeconomic or geographic limitations. Some cannot physically or mentally make it to a regular class or do not feel comfortable doing classes in the general community. Our mission is to bring yoga to these people in order to improve their quality of life, enable social connection and support good mental health.

For more information about The Yoga Foundation’s work and impact please take a look at our 2022/23 Annual Report.

Our Values

  1. Respect for the individual

  2. Meaningful relationships and social connection as a pathway to inclusion

  3. Integrity in all personal and business activities

  4. Access to community, the built environment and nourishing natural environments