How a Yoga Event Raised Funds to End Poverty

On March 7, almost 200 yogis took to the court at Madison Square Garden to practice—not free-throw shots but kundalini yoga with supermodel-turned-yoga-instructor Angela Lindvall.

The inaugural Impact Garden fund-raiser, presented by nonprofit Rebuild Globally, eco-fashion brand Modavanti, and the Cordes Foundation, aimed to help bring an end to poverty in conjunction with the fashion community.

Established after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, Rebuild Globally fights poverty through education and job training with social business efforts in the island nation. The group's mission provided inspiration for the yoga gathering.

"Rebuild Globally's work to create jobs goes hand in hand with the concept of wellness, which manifests itself through the yoga component of Impact Garden," explained supermodel and activist Heide Lindgren, who spearheaded the event for the organization. "When people have jobs in developing communities, or really anywhere, it provides them with the opportunity to then focus on their own wellness, their family's wellness, and the wellness of their community."

The evening started with a ticketed one-hour yoga session, followed by a marketplace where guests could shop 15 artisan brands from around the world, including Haiti, India, Kenya, Afghanistan, Colombia, Rwanda, and Guatemala, while listening to DJ Elle Dee. Attendees could also bring in gently used or unused garments to donate to the on-site Global Fashion Exchange clothing swap.

Plus, yoga participants were allowed to take home their eco-friendly Yoga Design Lab mats, which were sponsored by travel site Fathom, along with gift bags filled with health-conscious goodies. V.I.P. guests also had access to a lounge area with a masseuse and energy healer, courtesy of new wellness app Wellb.

Rebuild Globally will be hosting its annual fund-raiser in Florida later this month, and is considering bringing Impact Garden to Art Basel in Miami, said Julie Colombino, C.E.O. of the nonprofit. The organization is still calculating funds raised from the Impact Garden event in New York.