YAMA Foundation

July is Disability Pride Month! 💚💙💛❤️🖤And we're all in on this year's theme: "The World Works Better With Us." At YAMA, we see this truth every single day. Watching beneficiaries like Keung grow in confidence and independence reminds us that our community shines brightest when everyone can take part. Here's the thing about inclusion: it lifts everyone. When we build communities that respect and include disabled people—from classrooms and workplaces to transit and public spaces—we all benefit. In fact, so many tools we rely on every day were born from disability-led advocacy and design. Think ramped curbs, closed captions, voice-to-text, and audiobooks. The world really does work better with disabled people leading the way. We're committed to playing our part. Our YAMA centre is fully accessible, so everyone feels welcome the moment they walk in—and that includes our yoga therapy programmes, which are designed to be accessible to all. Because wellbeing should be for all of us—and when one of us thrives, we all thrive. How will you help build a more inclusive world this month? Swipe through the carousel for simple ways to start. → #disabilitypridemonth #disabilitypride #disabilitypride2026 #accessibilitymatters #yama

Our 2025 Annual Report is here — and we couldn't be more excited to share it with you! 💚 2025 has been a year of incredible growth and profound impact. It has been a year of amazing breakthroughs and meaningful moments — and none of it would have been possible without you. One of our greatest milestones was the opening of the new YAMA Centre. A warm, welcoming, and truly inclusive space where everyone belongs. This new home has allowed us to go deeper in our commitment to the community — and we are so proud of what it represents. Thanks to your belief in our mission, we delivered over 1,720 classes to those who needed them most — through Yoga Therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy, and Community Outreach programmes, working hand in hand with NGOs, schools, and community partners across Hong Kong. The impact has been real and lasting: 💚 1,621 people directly supported 🤝 27 partnerships spanning 15 of Hong Kong's 18 districts 💪 91% of beneficiaries reported improved physical wellbeing 🧠 92% reported improved mental wellbeing 🧘♀️ 93% are now using therapeutic techniques at home 👩👦👦 92% of parents and caregivers felt a better quality of life for their families ⭐ 4.8/5 overall satisfaction rating. Behind every number is a person. A family. A community growing a little stronger, a little more hopeful, than before. We could not do this work without the generosity of our donors and supporters. Your unwavering commitment is the foundation upon which we build a more mindful and compassionate Hong Kong — and we are deeply, sincerely grateful. We invite you to explore the full report and see the impact, the stories, and the successes you helped bring to life. 👉 Read the full 2025 Annual Report: https://lnkd.in/gWYVeUGz #YAMAFoundation #YogaTherapy #ExpressiveArtsTherapy #AccessibleWellbeing #CommunityImpact #HongKong #AnnualReport #Wellbeing #Inclusion Hersha Chellaram

As part of our Accessible Wellbeing Community Series, we were thrilled to pilot our “Yoga & Free-Play to Support the Wellbeing of Senior Citizens & Caregivers”. Kindly supported by our growth partner and funder, The D. H. Chen Foundation, this programme was run in conjunction with Helping Hand 伸手助人協會 and the Children’s Discovery Museum. It was a wonderful afternoon featuring chair yoga led by teacher Pacsy, followed by free play and exploration at the amazing CDM premises. The seniors had a fantastic time, highlighting the importance of programmes like these for bringing fun, community, and wellbeing to Hong Kong’s elderly. 🥰 A big thank you to Helping Hand for your kind support. It was wonderful to meet your amazing team and the senior beneficiaries. We’d also like to extend a heartfelt thanks to CDM for providing your incredible space and kind staff, and to The D.H. Chen Foundation for making important programmes like this possible. 💚 #accessiblewellbeing #seniorwellbeing #accessibleyoga #yogatherapy #yogaartmeditation #inclusivity #TheDHChenFoundation  #CompassionInAction

A huge thank you to the Swiss Association of Hong Kong for raising funds for YAMA at their Christmas Charity Luncheon last year. We’re so grateful to have been one of their chosen charities. It was a pleasure to welcome them to our YAMA Centre this week, where they presented us with a cheque from the event. We gave them a tour to show them firsthand the work we do and gave them a special leaf on our Donor Tree as a token of our appreciation. Thank you Swiss Association of Hong Kong for giving us the platform to share our mission and for your incredible support. #AccessibleWellbeing #accessibleyoga #yogatherapy #yogaartmeditation #InclusivityMatters #CommunityGiving Hersha Chellaram

We had a fantastic time at the Workplace Mental Wellbeing Mixer, “Breaking Barriers: Improving Mental Health Access in Hong Kong”! 💚 A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for an evening dedicated to mental health. We were thrilled to partner with Body Banter and The Zubin Foundation for a thought-provoking panel discussion on the systemic barriers to mental health access in our city and what we can do to address them. #accessiblewellbeing #metalhealth #accessibleyoga #yogatherapy #yogaartmeditation #inclusivitymatters #breakingbarriers Hersha Chellaram Stephanie Ng-Cusi, Ph.D.

We were honoured to speak at the Operation Santa Claus - SCMP Charities (IRD 91/7320) Impact Showcase today. Their generous grant has profoundly impacted our programmes, and we are so grateful for the opportunity to share how it's helped us continue creating life-changing stories. It was also inspiring to hear from fellow grantees Uplifters and Christian Action about the amazing work they're doing and meet fellow NGOs. A special shoutout to Purpose Impact Action for their insightful guidance on showcasing organisational impact. A heartfelt thank you to @Operation Santa Claus - SCMP Charities (IRD 91/7320) team for believing in our mission and for hosting such a wonderful event! 💚 Hersha Chellaram Wendy Choo Saxby-Rose Macalister

Workplace Mental Wellbeing Mixer #71! 📆 Wed, May 20 / 6:30-8:00 pm 📍The YAMA Centre (FLK Tower 16/F, 157 Johnston Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong) ✨ Breaking Barriers: Improving Mental Health Access in Hong Kong Despite growing awareness, significant hurdles remain for those seeking mental health support in Hong Kong. Long waiting times in the public sector, high costs in private care, and persistent stigma continue to prevent many from getting the help they need. For our ethnically diverse communities, language gaps and a lack of cultural matching further limit the effective utilization of services. Join us for a thought-provoking panel discussion as we examine the current barriers to care and propose actionable next steps. Our speakers will share their work with diverse populations in Hong Kong and explore how we can bridge the gap between policy and the people who need support the most. 💚 RSVP your attendance to Steph at: steph@bodybanter.com by May 19th. #mentalwellbeing #mentalhealthmixer #accessiblewellbeing #breakingbarriers Body Banter

There are still spaces available for our Empower Through Movement: A Yoga Therapy Workshop, and we would love to see you there! 💚 More information below and you can sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gdn_6vAZ

Thank you for having our co-founder, Hersha Chellaram, on the show yesterday! We love how 100 Billion Ways explores identity and the stories that shape how we see each other. It was a pleasure to discuss the importance of making wellbeing accessible to everyone, and we appreciate you giving us a platform to share our mission of inclusion and connection. You can listen, here: https://lnkd.in/g-aH-KCk Listen to other great stories and perspectives from the show on Sundays 3-4pm on Radio 3. #accessiblewellbeing #inclusivity #diversity #100billionways

We had a wonderful time celebrating the release of “An Unexpected Adoption” at the YAMA Centre yesterday, as part of our Accessible Wellbeing Community Series. The event featured a book talk and discussion with authors Tina Thomas and Rog Thomas, followed by a fun Chair Yoga session led by our YAMA Ambassador, Mui Thomas. It was inspiring to engage in a meaningful conversation about greater inclusion and accessibility.💚 A huge thank you to Tina Thomas, Rog Thomas, and Mui Thomas for sharing their story with us, and to everyone who came down to support. Mui does amazing work with us, and we are honoured to have her as part of the YAMA team. 💚 Pick up your copy today and dive into their incredible journey (available here: https://bit.ly/4esLa1X). P.S - We’re excited to share more events from our AWC series soon! #accessiblewellbeingcommunityseries #awcs #accessiblewellbeing #inclusiveyoga #anunexpectedadoption Hersha Chellaram