Anybody can serve … You only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant. — Dr. Martin Luther King

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Since 1983, Americans have honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a federal holiday, and it remains the only nationally-recognized holiday marked as a day of service—a day “on” rather than a day “off,” as civil rights leader John Lewis framed it. Dr. King is remembered for many contributions to America’s civic life, but his call for everyone to work with a servant’s heart to improve their own community remains one of his greatest legacies.

In tribute to Dr. King’s connection to Atlanta and to raise awareness of ongoing service opportunities throughout the city, we spotlight a few community projects running in and around the metro area, ones that are rooted in yoga and the yogic precepts of love, compassion and non-violence. These precepts were shared, espoused and elevated by Dr. King, and they live on in the community work of all who participate in these projects.

The service organizations below are committed to an ethos of accessibility and adaptability; the directors emphasize flexibility and expertise as they and their teachers meet the highly specialized needs arising from working with vulnerable and youth populations. Sustaining economic support for the variety of forms of care they provide remains a chief challenge, as does sustaining the emotional support for those who provide those services. For example, teachers must embed themselves within these populations in order to be trusted care providers, and both teachers and directors need ongoing support to keep showing up reliably.

All of these groups are united by their hope that their work and its benefits will be felt beyond the yoga class as they bring the positive effects of mindfulness, meditation and yoga postural practices into the communities they serve. Their service stands on the yoga precepts of ahimsa, or non-violence and non-harm, with the intention of breaking the cycles of community and generational violence. They are driven by satya, or truthfulness of approach, which acknowledges the challenges of the present moment, and tapas, the dedication and resilience of effort. Ultimately, each organization’s work asks that its service members remember the true Self, which is loved unconditionally.

As Victoria Ladd, founder of Be Tru Studios, says, “We look forward with optimism because service is not fragile when it is rooted in devotion, community, and compassionate presence—the same sustaining rhythm Dr. King honors in his sermon. He reminds us that true greatness lives in servanthood, a concept echoed in the yogic principle of seva, or selfless, devotional service, offered without expectation of return. Our hope is that this work continues not just as a weekly offering, but a long-lasting ripple of healing that reaches generations to come, reshaping how people heal, connect and care for others."

TLC Yoga in Metro Atlanta

Since 2020, TLC Yoga has served Atlantans experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity. Along with their partners, Eastside Church in East Atlanta Village and Restoring One’s Hope in the Old Fourth Ward, TLC runs two community yoga programs for people who are unsheltered or in temporary living situations. Additionally, they offer two private yoga programs serving men in a downtown shelter and women in a recovery center, respectively.

The yoga is provided by founder Ashley Erwin and a few other established teachers. Each class is a mixture of accessible and trauma-informed chair and mat yoga, utilizing simple and safe postures known to relieve discomfort throughout the body. Meditation and breathwork help participants manage stress, while restorative yoga poses promote deep relaxation.

Each class is tailored to students’ needs on a particular day. TLC’s students are not yet in a position to practice elsewhere, and the goal is simple: to help them feel better in their bodies and for them to leave class in a better state than when they arrived. Erwin notes that the participants are in the hardest times of their lives, and many are not accustomed to being cared for in this way. She sees the power in yoga to help everyone feel better in mind, body and spirit, no matter the adversity of their circumstances.

For donation and volunteer opportunities, including non-yoga service roles, ambassadorship and social media, visit TLCYoga.org.

Centering Youth in Metro Atlanta and throughout Georgia

For more than a decade, Centering Youth (CY) has offered yoga to young people and teenagers experiencing both short- and long-term incarceration in detention centers across Georgia. Founded by Veronica Lewinger, CY is a contractor with the Office of Behavioral Health Services, which is part of the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) Youth Detention Centers. It deploys a small team of experienced, rigorously-trained instructors to offer trauma-sensitive yoga classes that teach vital self-regulation skills and personal agency. The yoga program aims to release students from the cycles of recidivism and encourages them to respond in healthier ways to situations that can put them at risk. 

Both in person and in virtual classes, teachers employ valuable cueing, breathwork and mindfulness techniques. They also collaborate with the state and with mental health teams at facilities to assess the efficacy of their yoga interventions. They have published a pilot study of the efficacy of their work through the National Institutes of Health.

Adequate training and experience are vital to volunteering with at-risk youth, notes Lewinger. CY instructors are deeply committed to equity and kindness and to the validity of yoga as a healing modality. They are also deeply engaged in self-reflection and commit to a collaborative experience of yoga rather than a top-down model of teaching. While it is a privilege to do this work, says Lewinger, it is also a significant responsibility to be adequately prepared. Their two-day teacher training begins April 16, 2026. Inquire at [email protected].

Be Tru Studios and Nspire Outreach in Lawrenceville and Greater Atlanta

In Lawrenceville, Be Tru Studios provides volunteer-led yoga classes for the non-profit programs offered by Nspire Outreach. Nspire service participants usually move as a cohort through the yoga program for a number of months, receiving support for domestic violence survivorship and addiction recovery. The yoga classes are beginner-friendly and trauma-informed and include short breathwork and meditation practices. Be Tru’s owner, Victoria Ladd, directs the program and believes it is a grounding lifeline for members as they address their need for housing, employment, education, counseling, domestic violence safety, clothing and more.

Nspire Outreach is focused on restoring dignity, resilience and human connection and is rooted in the belief that healing is possible for everyone and that service and self-care belong to everyone as well.

Be Tru Studios is actively seeking volunteer yoga teachers. For more information, visit bit.ly/nspire-signup.

FreedOM Youth Yoga in Metro Atlanta

FreedOM Youth Yoga (FYY) serves under-privileged children, ages 2 through 18, throughout the metro Atlanta area. Its central mission is to provide equitable access to the valuable tools that yoga provides for lifelong, community-wide mental, physical and behavioral wellness. 

With core values of equity, community and authenticity, FYY is motivated by the belief that every single child, regardless of zip code, deserves to understand and practice tools for resilience, healing and personal freedom. The goal is that the effects of their work will ripple out into families, schools and the wider communities.

In partnership with other non-profit organizations and schools, a dedicated team of contracted FYY teachers provides developmentally-appropriate yoga-based curricula in after-school programs, summer camps, hospitals and more. Since its inception in 2018, FYY has offered “noisy, bouncy, music-filled, laughter-inducing yoga classes,” says founder Jillian Dillard, where students learn how to breathe intentionally, focus better and make active choices in alignment with their goals and dreams. In short, she says, they learn to self-regulate when big emotions start to overwhelm them.

FYY recently embarked upon a new partnership with the Children’s Hospital of Atlanta and will hold its annual fundraiser in March. To get involved as a donor or a volunteer, visit FreedomYouthYoga.org/support-us. ❧

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 Patricia Schmidt, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, YACEP, is a certified yoga therapist specializing in pelvic health, accessible yoga and yoga for cancer support. She is a Franklin Method trainer, Roll Model method teacher and somatic movement specialist. To learn more, visit PLSYoga.com.