Each Friday, the another jennifer blog shares stories of those who incorporate philanthropy into their everyday lives – personally and professionally – in a creative and unique way. If you have a story you’d like to share, please contact Jennifer.
“You create your own destiny.”
Karen Whittier has often heard this saying from her father.
Karen is the “chief activist” at Embrace Activism, an online source for yoga products with a purpose. As Karen puts it, the company “lives and breathes its name.”
Through active volunteerism with a variety of organizations that strive to improve health and wellness and embracing opportunities to interact with individuals, Embrace Activism encourages and empowers people on their yoga journeys to do more with their practice.
Ten percent of their retail prices (not net profits) are donated to charities, mainly related to breast cancer. Embrace Activism has volunteered money, time, and product for events benefiting City of Hope, American Cancer Society, Susan G Komen, Cancer LifeLine, Living Beyond Breast Cancer, Boys & Girls Club, Girl Scouts and American Diabetes Association.
It all started when Karen was training for another breast cancer walk. The number of women she walked for continued to increase. She felt frustrated and even a little angry that so many women were fighting breast cancer. By the end of her training walk, she had dreamed up Embrace Activism.
Embrace Activism gives yoga students products that enhance their practice and health as well as a way to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. Yoga students are able to help their community by choosing a local charity to direct the 10% of their purchase. In this way, their practice is transformed into purpose-driven yoga.
While Karen’s company supports a number of charities, it also promotes the practice of yoga. Karen says, “One of the best ways to stay healthy is to include regular exercise. Through my personal experience, I know the power of yoga; it has health and wellness benefits for body, mind and spirit. With many different styles of yoga there’s a style available for everyone–no matter age, size or fitness level. Yoga often is the gateway into living a more healthy lifestyle.”
The products are currently pink to signify breast cancer awareness and include yoga mats, blocks, straps, bags and more. Karen hopes to to offer yoga products in a range of awareness colors so yoga students can contribute towards those diseases that affect them/their families.
After all, exercise keeps us active and healthy.
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