Hindu Music Icon Krishna Das Launches Yoga Teacher Training in Brazil’s Favelas

Rocinha Residents Join First Free Yoga Certification Program in Rio

RIO DE JANEIRO — A group of residents from Rocinha, Brazil’s largest favela, gathered in a mountaintop open space this week for the launch of a groundbreaking initiative: free yoga teacher training aimed at empowering low-income communities through wellness, mobility, and new career paths.

The inaugural class on Wednesday was led by none other than Krishna Das, the celebrated American musician known globally for his renditions of Hindu devotional music, or kirtan. The spiritual practice combined chanting, movement, and meditation, drawing more than 150 attendees to a rooftop venue overlooking Rio’s iconic Christ the Redeemer statue and Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon.

Bringing Yoga to Brazil’s Underserved Communities

The yoga training initiative is the result of a collaboration between the Yoganaya International School and wellness company Mude. The 14-month program is designed to train around 180 yoga instructors from low-income neighborhoods across Rio and São Paulo. Graduates will go on to complete paid internships within their own communities, helping expand access to yoga and wellness practices where they are least available.

Participants are provided with stipends, uniforms, yoga mats, speakers, and microphones to support their journey. The goal, organizers say, is not just personal transformation—but to challenge the elitist image often associated with yoga in Brazil.

“People from the favelas often think yoga isn’t for them, that it’s something only for the wealthy,” said Renata Mozzini, founder of Yoganaya. “But yoga is for everyone. We’re working to burst that bubble of exclusivity.”

Stories of Healing and Hope

For many students, yoga has already changed their lives. Luciene Costa Gonzaga de Andrade, a 54-year-old hairdresser from Rocinha, joined the training after using yoga to recover from years of chronic back pain. Once reliant on a cane, she now dreams of leaving her salon behind to teach yoga full-time.

“It’s magical,” she said after chanting along with Krishna Das. “The mantras transform sadness into joy. I felt like I was in another world.”

Daniela Moraes, a 47-year-old beach vendor also training to become an instructor, said she often listened to Krishna Das on YouTube and was moved to see him perform live in her own community. “Seeing him in Rocinha made it even more special. This shouldn’t be something exclusive.”

Krishna Das Inspires Crowd with Message of Resilience

Krishna Das, born Jeffrey Kagel in the U.S., has become one of the world’s best-known ambassadors of Hindu devotional music. He was invited to the event as part of his South American tour and embraced the opportunity to connect with a new generation of yoga practitioners.

“Tonight was so rich and sweet,” he told The Associated Press. “It’s a joy to interact with them, to sing and encourage them to continue. There are so many obstacles, but also so much heart.”

As the sun set behind Rio’s peaks, attendees saluted the sky and sang in unison—a fitting symbol of a movement reaching beyond barriers, bringing healing and purpose to the places that need it most.