Youth Yoga Dharma

Youth Yoga Dharma embraces diversity in our community. We encourage individuals from all backgrounds to fully participate in our programs to the best of their ability. We do not tolerate discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, ethnicity or physical ability.

Our History

The inspiration for Youth Yoga Dharma (YYD) came out of the experience of teaching yoga programs in both public and private junior and senior high schools in San Francisco. Repeatedly we experienced a lot of enthusiasm for yoga amongst students in both settings, but lack of funding meant public school classes often had to be cancelled. In private schools, funding was never an issue. Clearly money did not have to be a problem. Thus came the intention to develop a fund to make classes available in a variety of environments. From 1999-2012, Youth Yoga Dharma provided yoga and meditation programs for the diverse community of San Francisco at more than 35 organizations, as well as offering teacher training programs locally and internationally. Our founder, Cator Shachoy, has presented at several mindfulness conferences on the benefits of sharing mindfulness and yoga with youth.

Now in 2024, YYD continues this important work through a variety of projects. Cator Shachoy works with youth individually through her private practice. She is available to consult on bringing mindfulness and yoga programs to your organization. And we are currently completing manuscripts for publication. Check back again soon for an update!

What’s in a name?

YOUTH – from Old English, meaning: The condition of being young. The appearance of freshness, vigor, spirit, of one who is young. The time of being young—early life. Young persons collectively. At youth yoga dharma, our intention is to focus on the development of young people. We wish to offer them resources for their own personal growth and maturation. We believe that the skills of meditation and yoga will support young people to grow into self-reflective, caring, conscious, and wise individuals. Through the practices of yoga and meditation young people learn to nurture and care for themselves internally. We believe the planet and the communities which occupy this planet can benefit from such nurturance.

YOGA – from Sanskrit, meaning, union, also, “to yoke” or harness. Yoga is the union of the smaller and the greater sense of self, or who we believe ourselves to be, and who we wish to become. The skills yoga offers us include learning to know ourselves better and learning to harness our life energies. Through yoga we can learn to focus the mind and refine the body so that we can be happier, healthier individuals. As we grow calmer and clearer within ourselves, we learn to be more present in our lives. As we heal our own hearts, we naturally want to share this joy with others.

DHARMA – from Sanskrit, (or Dhamma in pali), meaning, “that which supports or upholds.” Translated as: truth, action, service. One time, near the end of his life, Gandhi was asked what his message was. His reply? “How I live my life, that is my teaching.” The dharma is the underlying truth of our lives. The truth of our lives is present in our every action. At youth yoga dharma, offering the skills of meditation and yoga to youth is our dharma, our personal action in the world, our form of service. In offering these skills, we hope to allow youth to come closer to finding their own personal dharma, or sense of truth within themselves. In turn, their dharma will take form through their actions in their worlds—at home, at school, in their communities, and throughout the course of their lives.

Contact: / 415.235.9380

(programs are in San Francisco, unless otherwise noted)

Community Youth Programs – mixed ages: 

• Boys & Girls Club Visitacion Valley 
• Oasis For Girls 
• Raphael House Homeless Shelter 
• YWCA Chinatown 

Mental Health Programs: 

• Edgewood Center for families and children 
• Oakes Children’s Center 

Programs serving Parents: 

• Florence Crittendon Services’ LEAP Program 
• Parent University, Hunter’s View 

Programs serving teachers: 

• Civic Center High School 
• Excel Afterschool Program staff 
• George Washington High School 
• Lowell Alternative High School 
• Rooftop Elementary & Junior High Schools 
• Town School for Boys 

What People Say

In order to let you know a bit more about our programs, we thought we’d ask some of the people we have worked with both students and representatives from the organizations we serve to let you know what they felt, in their own words.

“I like how I could just come every Tuesday to get relaxed. It really helped me end the day less stressed out. Hopefully we can have more classes. Thank you so much!”

“This was my first yoga class here, and I am definitely coming back. I liked every part of this class ? the poses, relaxing, focusing on the mind & body.”

“This yoga class was really fun and sparked my interest in yoga in general. I liked that we stretched out and relaxed a lot. I learned about having self peace.”

“I always feel so good after this class.”

“Yoga was fun! I learned a new way to relax my body”

“I learned that you can relax. It was fantastic! I felt so much better (after class). I could understand my body. Thank you!”

Here is what the Administrators and Site Coordinators of Organizations we have worked with have to say in support of Youth Yoga Dharma Programs:

“The girls at Edgewood Center loved their yoga class. We found that they benefited not just physically, but also psychologically, and emotionally from their participation in the yoga program. We are happy to have a partnership with YYD.”

-Nancy Rubin, Executive Director, Edgewood Center for Families & Children

“At Edgewood Center for Children and Families we are committed to transforming the lives of children struggling with issues associated with abuse, neglect, family crisis and mental illness. We know that active, healthy children are happier children. That’s why in recent years, Youth Yoga Dharma has conducted yoga classes with our youth and the results have been impressive. The youth in Edgewood’s residential program have benefited tremendously from learning meditation and yoga, ultimately leading to increased self-esteem and stress reduction.”

-Michael Clumeck, Director of Residential Services, Edgewood Center for Children and Families

“YYD came to Oasis for Girls to lead mindfulness workshops with our girls. Even though the girls had no idea what meditation was, YYD was able to motivate them to participate and share in the experience. One of the powerful things that came out of the workshops were holding counsel with our teenage girls. Everyone spoke at least once and really opened up to their peers about fears and anxieties that they were living with. They talked about relationship fears, they had powerful insights about their own experience, and they truly listened to one another.”

– Ly Hoang, Program Manager, OASIS FOR GIRLS (a project of The Tides Center)

“We at Lowell Wellness are so excited about the positive response generated by YYD’s on-campus student yoga. Teachers, administrators, parents–approval is coming from all directions, but most importantly from the student’s themselves. It’s wonderful to work with a community organization that is youth-centered and provides a much-needed stress reduction service for our student community.”

-Alicia R. Rozum, MSSA, Wellness Coordinator, Lowell High School Wellness Program

“At the end of a session with Cator Shachoy, my students and I reach a level that we don’t reach any other day of the year – a peaceful, grounded, relaxed, sometimes inspired and calm place. My students and I feel that we are in tune with an inner peace and in tune with something higher. I am grateful to Cator for sharing with us her ability and her time.”

– Katie Glasser, Health Education, College and Career teacher & Yearbook Manager, Lowell High School

Quotes from participants in our Teacher Training Programs:

“The training was exceptional. I feel more confident to teach not just because of increased skill, but because I feel like I have a support network. Somehow I feel the energy of the group will be with me when teaching.”

– Megan Cowan, YYTT participant

“This training is an excellent avenue for preparing teachers wanting to work with youth foremost for the community it builds.”

– Sydney Borstel, YYTT participant

“(As a result of this training) I feel inspired to begin (or renew) certain paths in my life diversity awareness, clear communication practice, meditation for clarity and solidity of presence with people and myself”

– Allison Budner, YYTT participant

“This training has been such a supportive context for me to begin to explore that aspect of myself which is called to serve.”

– Chris Andersen, YMTT participant

“Cator’s teaching style (is) very fun, approachable, practical, insightful, and encouraging. She gave me confidence every step of the way. Cator created a great tone for the class ? encouraging open, genuine disclosure and dialogue.”

– Jennifer Daubenmier, YMTT participant

“Cator is an excellent role model for the skills and content of the class. Her varied background in working with kids and teaching yoga and meditation previously in school and therapeutic settings was a boon for all of us”

– Sandy Kepler, YMTT participant