“Lululemon offered us a home and the opportunity to create a community,” said Jenny Jared, cofounder and creative director of United We Om, a Long Island-based yoga and meditation nonprofit currently hosting by-donation classes at the lululemon in Manhasset.
“Everyone who practices with us on Sunday mornings knows they’re a part of something bigger,” continued Jenny, “they know that their donations are having a direct impact on their community and that they are serving others with us. It’s incredibly powerful and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to share this with all of Long Island.”
Starting on Sunday, Sept. 11, United We Om is expanding its by-donation yoga class offering (no minimum) to include all five Long Island lululemon locations. Each week in September, a new by-donation class will begin, led by an experienced local yoga instructor chosen for their inspiring style, ensuring participants are offered a consistent and uplifting yoga experience, at any price they can afford.
“Our by-donation classes serve two purposes,” explains Matt Jared, executive director of United We Om, Jenny’s husband and cofounder, “Because there is no minimum donation, they allow us to offer practice to everyone regardless of their financial circumstance, while at the same time the donations help support our Karma Projects, which are the heart of UWO.” United We Om’s Karma Projects serve vulnerable communities by hiring specialized yoga and meditation teachers to share practice directly with people in need.
Matt continued, “We look for teachers who feel called to serve a specific group of people, who often have a common history, and then we support the teachers in sharing the benefits of yoga and meditation with that community.” United We Om provides yoga and meditation classes to a variety of underserved and vulnerable groups through its Karma Project programs including Veterans, foster children, autistic adults, homeless teen mothers and men with cancer.
In the early stages of United We Om, Jenny shared her new endeavor with the lululemon Manhasset store team (Jenny is an Ambassador for the Manhasset location) and they immediately offered Jenny free space to hold by-donation classes to support her charity’s work. The Sunday morning classes became such a success, that when Matt was recently made an Ambassador for the Roosevelt Field lululemon, the Long Island managers decided to open their stores and their hearts for United We Om by-donation classes.
“What lululemon is doing will have such a huge impact on the island,” said Matt, “their support is helping us create a cyclical and sustainable opportunity to share yoga with everyone who could benefit.”
Branching out beyond Jenny’s current class at the Manhasset Americana lululemon, the additional by-donation yoga classes will kick off at the Roosevelt Field Lululemon taught by yoga teacher Regina Smith, followed by the Walt Whitman store with Morgan Rose, then Riverhead with Alexa Rae Leibgott and East Hampton in early October. Classes take place inside the stores, prior to opening and are available to everyone. “We create a calming and supportive environment inside the space and offer mats and a variety of props to accommodate any body type,” shares Jenny.
Lululemon locations on Long Island are:
- Americana Manhasset, 1950 Northern Blvd., Manhasset, NY 11030
- Roosevelt Field, 2042-633 Old Country Rd., Garden City, NY 11530
- Westfield Sunrise, Massapequa, NY 11758
- Walt Whitman Shops, 160 Walt Whitman Rd. #1008C, Huntington Station, NY 11746
- Tanger Outlet Riverhead, 910 Tanger Mall Dr., Riverhead, NY 11901
For more information about the yoga teachers and class schedule for the by-donation classes, or to learn more about the charitable work of United We Om, visit www.unitedweom.org, or find them on Twitter and Instagram @unitedweom.
