Gaia For Flint

 Gaia and Yoga Journal today announced they will join with Flint, Mich.–based Crim Fitness Foundation to bring a day of yoga and mindfulness to the people of Flint on April 26. In addition, Gaia, often referred to as “the Netflix of conscious living,” is donating hundreds of free online subscriptions for Flint-area teachers to ensure ongoing access to mindfulness and yoga programming.

“Crim Fitness Foundation has been at the forefront of bringing incredible wellness programs, including yoga and mindfulness, to this community for more than four years,” said Mark Williams, director of partnerships at Gaia. Yoga and mindfulness have long been linked to stress and anxiety reduction. For example, a recent study by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center indicated that practicing mindfulness can reduce emotional pain by 44 percent. “Our goal is to complement Crim Fitness Foundation’s contributions with free programming that gives teachers access to stress-reducing yoga and mindfulness content at home or at work.”

The April 26 events include yoga and mindfulness demonstrations and information for students, teachers, parents and the general public at Eisenhower Elementary and Durant-Tuuri-Mott Elementary, two schools that have been deeply involved with Crim Fitness Foundation’s wellness programs.

“The national focus has been on the water crisis here in Flint,” said Jamie Florida, Crim Fitness Foundation associate program director, mindfulness. “And that has certainly impacted us all in a very direct and profound way. Leading health professionals have noted that the tools needed to deal with the affects of lead exposure are, fortunately, precisely the types of programs that Crim Fitness Foundation has been focused on bringing to the Flint Community Schools for several years. Currently, we are in the process of expanding and deepening the experiences Flint school children, their teachers and the public have with yoga and mindfulness to not only help mitigate the effects of lead exposure, but also to empower each person who lives in this community to take control of his or her own health and together make Flint a stronger community.”

Gaia is providing the school system with several hundred free subscriptions. The streaming content will empower Flint teachers to learn and practice mindfulness and yoga outside of the traditional—and often expensive—yoga-studio environment. In addition, Gaia is offering a matching program: For every new subscription purchased at gaia.com/gaia4flint, the company will provide an additional Flint-area teacher with a free subscription.

The day of yoga and mindfulness coincides with Yoga Journal and Gaia’s Live Be Yoga Tour’s stop in Flint. For a complete listing of tour stops, go to: yogajournal.com/livebeyoga. The six-month Live Be Yoga Tour is a cross-country tour documenting yoga in America and capturing on camera and in writing how yoga is positively transforming lives in local communities. “More and more Americans are discovering yoga’s powerful physical and psychological benefits,” said Carin Gorrell, Yoga Journal’s editor-in-chief. “We’re thrilled to be able to use the Live Be Yoga Tour to shine a light on those benefits and on the Flint community, which needs and deserves the country’s attention and support.”

Crim Fitness Foundation is organizing the April 26 event, facilitating the yoga practices in partnership with Ethos, a local yoga studio. Additionally, Crim will be holding a news conference at 10:00 a.m. EST that day with additional details on this program and updates on the organization’s wellness programs within the community.

About Crim Fitness Foundation
The Crim Fitness Foundation cultivates accessible, vibrant communities in Flint and Genesee County that encourage people to lead healthy lifestyles by integrating physical activity, healthy eating, and mindfulness into their daily lives and mentors other communities to do the same. The Crim uses events, programs, and policy, systems, and environmental changes to transform the community. Year round programs include races and events, training programs, mindfulness training for youth and adults, community gardens, nutrition education and advocacy. In addition, the Crim serves as the lead agency of Flint's Community Education Initiative.

About Gaia
Gaia, previously Gaiam TV, is a streaming-video subscription service offering exclusive streaming conscious-media content. Gaia’s library contains more than 7,000 films, documentaries, and original programs to guide its viewers on their journeys of personal growth, spirituality, and seeking truth. Gaia offers members the unique capability to download content for offline viewing. Gaia is currently available on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, Google Chromecast, and Roku. For more information, visit Gaia.com.

About Yoga Journal
Founded in 1975 by members of the California Yoga Teachers Association, Yoga Journal (yogajournal.com) offers all practitioners—from beginners to masters—expert information on how to live a healthier, happier, more fulfilling life both on and off the mat. Every day, Yoga Journal engages its print, online, and live audience with top teacher insights and in-depth reporting on poses, breathing, meditation, nutrition, health, trends, and more. Always informative and inspiring, the magazine’s welcoming, inclusive point of view puts every reader in front of the world’s best teachers. With 12 international editions spanning 28 countries, and five national live events annually, Yoga Journal is the world’s largest and most influential yoga brand. 

Social Media Feeds and Tags
Hashtags: #Flint, #LiveBeYoga, #Gaia4Flint, #ICrimForFlint

Crim Fitness Foundation: @CrimFit, Facebook.com/crimfitnessfoundation, Instagram.com/crimfitnessfoundation

Gaia: @MyYogaOnline, Facebook.com/MyYogaOnline, Instagram.com/MyYogaOnGaia

Live Be Yoga Tour: @LiveBeYoga, Facebook.com/LiveBeYoga, Instagram.com/LiveBeYoga

Gaia

Gaia

Gaia, previously Gaiam TV, is a streaming-video subscription service offering exclusive streaming conscious-media content. Gaia’s library contains more than 7,000 films, documentaries, and original programs to guide its viewers on their journeys of personal growth, spirituality, and seeking truth. Gaia offers members the unique capability to download content for offline viewing. Gaia is currently available on Amazon Prime, Apple TV, iPad, iPhone, Google Chromecast, and Roku. For more information, visit Gaia.com.

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