Crédits : Alexis Steinman
Philosophy
Do you believe in the transformative potential of yoga beyond the mat? This is the seed from which the AZAHAR Foundation blossomed. Working in post-conflict communities across the globe, the organization’s mission is to promote a culture of peace through disciplines that are as diverse as the people they work with — including yoga, the arts, non-violent communication, women’s empowerment and trauma healing. With the world currently being torn apart by injustices, AZAHAR’s mission to galvanise communities is more essential than ever. AZAHAR’s initiatives have engendered favourable outcomes. In Rwanda, AZAHAR has offered traumainformed yoga for more than 200 elderly genocide survivors, restoring dignity and social connection. In Cambodia, the yoga-teacher-training program has had such a positive impact that a 75-hour foundational training will be offered in March 2026. AZAHAR works with young people and women from post-conflict and underserved communities particularly in Cambodia, Rwanda, and more recently, Ukraine. Most of the participants are orphans, survivors of violence, or living in conditions of economic hardship. “We aim to uncover hidden talents and equip them with tools for healing, leadership, and sustainable livelihoods,” explains founder Yogeswari. Thanks to her internationally acclaimed teachings, the Senior Jivamukti Yoga teacher has been able to build a global network of collaborators, including The Alpina Gstaad.
Yogeswari’s lifelong journey has woven through spirituality, peacebuilding, and the arts, the fabric of the AZAHAR Foundation. Growing up in Switzerland in a multilingual family that travelled the world, Yogeswari developed a deep respect for different cultures. A trip to Israel during the Arab Israeli War in 1973 sparked her lifelong commitment to peace and understanding. After diving into multicultural dance traditions in New York while leading a performance company, Yogeswari gained a clear insight during a vision quest in the Native American tradition: “My life’s work would centre on spirituality and the arts, especially in service of women and marginalised communities.” She nourished her mission by training in Jivamukti Yoga. Yogeswari was deeply influenced by the Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, who urged individuals to become “antidotes to violence.” Meeting Israeli and Palestinian youth at his Plum Village retreat in France crystallised her calling.“I wanted to bring healing to communities torn apart by conflict.” She taught yoga to former guerrilla soldiers in Colombia, restoring their sense of purpose to better reintegrate into society. This first mission laid the groundwork for AZAHAR.
The foundation’s yoga and arts programmes are more than vocational training — they are a means of breaking cycles of trauma and poverty and promoting cross-cultural exchange. Supporting personal transformation and economic empowerment helps build the foundations for peaceful, thriving communities. With AZAHAR’s methodology, meaningful change begins at the local level, through steady, long-term, relationship-driven engagement. In Cambodia, AZAHAR’s programmes provide new paths for young people who “lack exposure to career options and don’t recognize their own potential,” shares Yogeswari. The Peace Camp retreat introduces youth to disciplines like yoga and non-violent communication to spark self-inquiry, creativity, and group cohesion. At the Center for Peace, Yoga & Arts, newly trained teachers develop the confidence to earn a living, an essential step in “closing the loop between training and sustainable employment.” Following the programmes’ success in Cambodia, AZAHAR now partners with local NGOs in Rwanda to bring yoga to genocide survivors, orphaned adolescents, and women rebuilding their lives. Their Community Wellness Hub in Kigali offers free classes to the public — over 300 people benefitted from donation-based classes in 2024. Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, AZAHAR supported two Ukrainian students in their Jivamukti Yoga teacher training. They now host free trauma-informed teacher training retreats for their compatriots who work with war-torn communities.
Since 2021, The Alpina Gstaad has been proud to partner with AZAHAR. In addition to hosting AZAHAR’s annual fundraising workshop, the hotel is home to a Jivamukti Yoga workshop each winter that is paired with meaningful storytelling about AZAHAR’s impact. This unique opportunity “allows guests to connect deeply to themselves and with a cause that supports peace and transformation in post-conflict communities,” enthuses Yogeswari. This partnership is strengthened by The Alpina Gstaad and AZAHAR’s shared commitment to wellness, social impact, and conscious living. Nastasia Bach, a beloved Jivamukti Yoga teacher who is partly based in Switzerland, is the bridge between the two entities. In line with AZAHAR’s mission, her studies on the Cambodian genocide inspired her to a life to impact the world with healing.
Since AZAHAR began in 2008, its work has become more aligned than ever with evolving societal views. Yogeswari shares how “trauma-informed yoga has moved from the margins into mainstream recognition. Evidence shows its positive impacts on the nervous system, brain function and mental health.” Given the increasing conflict and displacement around the world, the foundation’s tools are not just relevant, but essential. Yogeswari’s vision for a just society begins with inner transformation. Without healing from the inside out, “we will continue to repeat cycles of violence, exploitation, and division,” she stresses. Yoga and meditation have the power to interrupt these patterns and shed light on the “unconscious impulses of anger, jealousy, greed, and fear that fuel conflict.” Believing that these disciplines are vital tools for peace, Yogeswari envisions a world where “people recognise their shared humanity, where differences are honoured rather than feared.”
In addition to Yogeswari, AZAHAR’s efforts are carried out by Executive Director Sundas Waheed and a core team of yoga teachers. Boards of Directors in the United States, Switzerland, and Cambodia provide indispensable support for their programmes, which continue to flourish in their partner countries. This year, AZAHAR will host its first high-impact fundraising retreat in Morocco, La Palmeraie Awakening, to support its vocational programmes and peacebuilding efforts worldwide. The foundation is also expanding their online presence to connect their global community and reach those who cannot join in person. All are welcome to join AZAHAR’s incredible efforts: donors, yoga practitioners, educators, organizations… anyone who believes in the power of healing and peacebuilding. For in person participation, join an event, volunteer, or collaborate collectively (for example, with your yoga studio or NGO.) No matter where you are, you can donate to fund training and outreach. Word of mouth is also a powerful tool, whether sharing our story using social media or hosting a fundraiser as The Alpina Gstaad is proud to do.
Reach out and learn more at www.azaharfoundation.org.
To reach the reception, ask the concierge or make a reservation click on the bell!
Informations 
