I'm very excited to return to India. It's been 10 years since I last visited. I spent three months there in 1997 studying with Sri K Pattabhi Jois and spending time at the Sri Aurobindo ashram. I love the Indian culture. It can be a mad and frenetic place at times. Maybe it's the Jersey girl in me, but I experience a sense of calm and inspiration in the chaos. I am also impassioned by the myriad examples of Holy ritual that can be seen on a littered street corner, in the overcrowded storefronts, and on the cement stoops and roadsides in front of many homes. It's like a cultural temple, or living prayer, and my heart thrives for the respect of the sacred celebrated there, and how it permeates most aspects of Indian life. Yet, it is certainly a culture of extreme duality. As opulent and rich as the culture is, I am certain I will still be shocked at the rampant poverty that exists there amongst the temples, shrines and palaces. I don't think I can ever get used to seeing the overwhelming suffering; including starvation, homelessness, physical and mental disabilities and disease that exists on the streets in the people and the animals. It's impossible to witness the men, women, and children begging for food and money without feeling compelled to do something. One of the reasons I am venturing to India at this moment is to witness first-hand the results of the compromise that desperation brings: prostitution. But more on that later. . .

The last time I visited India I got very, very ill. It only lasted one day, but it made a lasting impression on me. I have taken precautions this time and have brought with me Agrisept, which is citrus seed extract. I will introduce that to the water that I drink each day. I also bought Pro-biotics, Vitamin C and mass amounts of Chinese herbs, including a Sunrider product called Fortune Delight that I have been drinking for eight years. I drink at least six glasses a day and am convinced that this tea has helped keep me healthy over the years. I also got inoculated. I had a very hard time with this. I had only wanted the Hepatitis A vaccine, but because this trip is bringing me into rural areas, orphanages and brothels, I was told that it was necessary to tolerate the gamut. I tried everything to convince the doctor that I didn't need the Polio or Tetanus shots, not to mention the malaria pills! Short of walking out of the office, I tried, unsuccessfully, to explain that I intended to strengthen my system homeopathically and the shots were unnecessary. He saw things differently and I left his office defeated, my arms sore and feeling like I betrayed my body by introducing these poisons into it. I'm sure ultimately it was probably a good idea, considering some of the areas I'll be visiting, but taking all those shots was difficult for me. I still haven't begun the first round of my malaria pills. It's my little act of rebellion.

I'd like to bring you back to how the relationship between Ashley, YouthAIDS, and me all came together.

After the conversation I had with Ashley, I wanted to do something to support her efforts and the dedication of YouthAIDS. She had informed me that over 93 percent of every dollar YouthAIDS raised financed the many facilities and programs YouthAIDS' parent organization, PSI, established around the world. I couldn't help but think about the power, influence, and resources in my own community. I knew through Yoga Journal that there were now 20 million people practicing yoga, and that it had become a billion dollar industry. Many grass root and corporate businesses were developing yoga products because the demand was there, and with the demand is, of course, profit.

I've been teaching for 15 years, and I’ve been a traveling teacher for eight of those, teaching in the U.S. and abroad. I'm very aware of how yoga has grown and that it has become a part of our popular culture. Some purists in the yoga world have a problem with this growth. They see it as a trend, the corporate involvement as proof that the yoga is becoming diluted, up for public consumption, used for profit and commercialism; its message being exploited as tag lines to sell the newest gear. I can appreciate the concern, but I've always believed that yoga is too powerful to be swallowed by the Goliath of big business. I have always felt excited that yoga has been penetrating corporate consciousness and feel positive about the far-reaching effects.

It is ultimately these big businesses that I will appeal too to raise money and utilize their marketing power and considerable resources to support YouthAIDS.

Over the years, many companies, both grass root and corporate, have wanted me to wear their products when I travel. Large companies have sponsored me in the past, but aligning myself with these organizations for personal gain no longer interests me. But I couldn't help thinking there was an opportunity to be created that could benefit everyone. What if I worked with some of these companies to develop product that could support YouthAIDS? What if the product had a message and the sales of such a product could be used to raise both money and awareness? What if we could align ourselves with conscious minded businesses and create something where everyone benefits? Ashley and I started dialoguing about the potential of creating a campaign targeted specifically to the yoga community, the people and businesses. It occurred to me that I could use my national platform as a teacher to discuss the AIDS issue and encourage the students to support YouthAIDS by purchasing YouthAIDS-related products from these companies. This way, we all get to contribute and serve.

It was on a retreat at the Feathered Pipe Ranch in Montana where Ashley and I decided to call it "Off the Mat, Into the World," and got busy planning our first collaboration.

We contacted Gaiam International, who agreed to sponsor the first project. They made 100 percent cotton organic t-shirts with our slogan on it. I would wear the shirt, talk about the campaign, explaining to my students that it only takes 10 dollars to save the life of a child and the with the purchase of the shirt they would be saving two kids! The shirts sold and it inspired us to begin thinking bigger.

In the three years since "Off the Mat" was launched, we have worked with a variety of different companies on products, including Yoga, Tribe and Culture, Energy Muse Jewelry, Be.Ology, Suca Wear, and Luna Bar, raising thousands and thousands of dollars. Many schools around the country have been joining in by hosting their own "Off the Mat" event and we also host special benefit events each year at various Yoga Journal conferences with special highlighted guest performers (this year Edie Brickell in Estes Park and Caroline Myss at Grand Geneva). All this to benefit the fight against AIDS.

Being involved this way has helped create a forum in my teaching where I can dialogue about the importance of service and encourage people to get involved. My hope through this project is to help the millions of young people affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis, while also teaching people how to develop the necessary skills to become leaders in their own communities and taking on the responsibility of creating outreach programs in their own towns and cities.

Our goal is to raise a million dollars and with the help and support of the yoga community, this number seems very reachable. The yoga community is an altruistic culture of people who are working hard to practice living in truth and love, with respect for all beings and the environment we live in. My intention is to harness these heartfelt intentions and activate them into the world. My hope that by unifying the efforts, money, energy, and prayers of both private citizens and the commercial sector we can help combat the global AIDS crisis and help save the lives of millions of children as a result.

In 2005, Ashley and I were given the "Conscious Humanitarian" award from the Sacred Sounds of the Art Foundation. That same year YouthAIDS asked me to be involved with their organization on a more official level by becoming their National Yoga Ambassador, an honor that I feel privileged to hold.

Each year Ashley and the representatives of YouthAIDS travel abroad to visit countries were the AIDS pandemic is most critical. Ashley visits representatives, political and social leaders to talk about the crisis, as well as visiting YouthAIDS sponsored projects in the field. This year they chose to visit India and invited me to journey with them and experience this international crisis in a culture that has such an influence on my own life. I'm thrilled to have this opportunity to serve YouthAIDS and the Indian culture, and witness how this devastating disease affects a culture and its people, and see what is being done to create change.