Why Donate to HIB?

The Organization

Originally established in 1974, the Himalayan Institute of Buffalo (HIB) has been a pillar of holistic education, service and spirituality in the Buffalo community for the last half century. From its earliest days as the sole provider of yoga classes in Buffalo, to the late 90’s when it launched the region’s first accredited teacher training programs, to the organization’s efforts during the pandemic to make yoga and meditation virtually available to the community at large (and beyond), HIB has been a constant source, and force, sharing the transformative teachings of yoga science and philosophy. Included in HIB’s core yogic instruction is the physical, and anatomical, study of postures/asanas; various techniques to relax the body; breathing practices to both reduce stress as well as to build strength, stamina and inner stillness; mindfulness and meditative practices; and lifestyle teachings around sleep, diet and individual constitution. The latter also form part of a larger emphasis placed by HIB on the fundamentals of Ayurveda, yoga’s sister science of health and well-being, which guide and inform our classes on vegetarian cooking, day-long ayurvedic workshops and extended personal retreats with teachers that are also certified Ayurveda Yoga Specialists. Further, study is regularly offered on key yogic texts such as The Yoga Sutras and The Bhagavad Gita, as well as of the ancient language of the yogic scriptures, Sanskrit. It is this breadth of yogic study that distinguishes the Himalayan Institute of Buffalo.

The Spirit of Seva

Students and volunteers at HIB reflect the full diversity of Buffalo’s West Side, Western New York, and even some neighboring regions in Ontario. Annually, upwards of 500 students of every age, race, creed, ability, gender and geographic part of WNY participate in our roster of 20+ weekly classes - held either in-person, virtually or in a hybrid format. Teaching these classes is a dedicated team of approximately 30 volunteer teachers - all of whom are certified yoga teachers, and most of whom have been giving of their time to teach for years, if not decades. And more than twenty individuals actively serve as volunteers throughout the year. Throughout the past 50 years, the dedication and commitment to serve, and support, this living tradition, and the Institute’s home on Delaware Ave., have never faltered. Volunteers are the bedrock of HIB - be they teachers, students, gardeners, office helpers, cleaners, handymen, and of course, those who have given so generously of their lives to lead the Institute through its history.