Mission & Vision
“Each human needs about three and a half acres of land to breathe properly…. and you create that needed space by giving back to our communities” –R. Sharath Jois, Director of the Ashtanga Yoga Institute, Mysore India
Mission
We broaden access to yoga, breathing and mindfulness techniques, focusing on communities who have experienced trauma. Our classes and training support individuals and teachers alike in recognizing their power for positive change.
Vision
We believe every yoga teacher needs training in trauma sensitivity and that everyone deserves access to a yoga experience, free of harm, regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, ability or class.
Value Pillars
2023 Impact Report
Our Founder :
Lara Corinne Wittich (she/her)
Lara Wittich is a Level 2 authorized Ashtanga Yoga teacher with 2 decades of yoga experience. She has worked all over the world teaching yoga and mindful living and developing programs to heal and empower. In 2008-2009, Lara spent three months in post-genocide Rwanda bringing yoga as healing to survivors and from there went to India where she worked with HIV positive children bringing yoga and meditation to their treatment room. In June 2011, Lara opened Land Yoga, a ground floor Yoga, Arts, & Wellness Center in the heart of Harlem. Through Land, she developed programs such as Harlem Earth Day, SOULFest NYC, and Women Who Wow, landing her recognition in The Wall Street Journal, The Daily News, and on Fox5.
In 2015, she founded a non-profit community organization, Three and a Half Acres Yoga (THAY), to inspire community healing and activism through yoga. Forever in awe of the transformative power of yoga, Lara continues to study and to challenge her limits. She leads retreats worldwide, is a public speaker, spiritual coach, and writer with recent contributions to Health Magazine, Apartment Therapy, and The Huffington Post. Lara is the author of My Bliss Book and The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga and the host of the Beyond Trauma Podcast.
Meet the board
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Statement
Three and a Half Acres Yoga (THAY) provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
Opportunities
Current Job Openings:
Trauma-informed Yoga Teachers: THAY is hiring trauma-informed yoga teachers! Interested candidates are encouraged to share their resume and a brief cover letter, along with appropriate experience to info@threeandahalfacres.org. Please address your cover letter to Lara. This is a paid position.
Development Manager: THAY is seeking a Development Manager to support our fundraising, events, and grants management starting in October. This is a paid position.
Current Volunteer Openings:
Content Manager: Work with program partners, THAY teachers, and practitioners to create content for THAY’s digital platforms. This is a volunteer position.
Board Openings: This is an exciting opportunity for those who are committed to community wellness and the transformative power of yoga. Board members will play a crucial role in guiding the strategic direction of the organization, ensuring it can expand its reach and impact. This is a volunteer position.
If you are interested in any of our open opportunities, please email us at info@threeandahalfacres.org for more information.