Buffalo hosts first Yoga Jam

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Sunday was Buffalo's first "Yoga Jam" where nearly 200 yogis unrolled their mats to support the Africa Yoga Project Research Mission.

Yoga teachers from eight different yoga studios across Buffalo united to co-teach an inspirational class.

The event included a viewing of the Practice Change, an Emmy-award winning Africa Yoga Project documentary film. Also, the founder of AYP and a Kenyan yoga teacher made an appearance via Skype to talk about the program.

UB Associate Professor Catherine Cook-Cottone said, "I found out about everything they were doing, and training through power yoga and power yoga buffalo, I offered to help them research it.  So I'm taking a team of 7 people to go figure out what are the key mechanisms of change, how are they making such a big community difference, so that maybe we can bring it back, here to Buffalo, other places."

At least $3,800 was raised at today's event that will go towards the $40,000 needed to send the WNY-based researchers to Kenya by as soon as July.

The event took place at the University at Buffalo, North Campus in Amherst.