YOGATHON 2016 PHOTOGRAPHS ARE HERE! {The Link to View, Download, Print, Share is in this blog post!}

Yogathon 2016 photographs are ready!! Woo!! Thanks for the fun Journey Dance, Toni Bergins!!

There is just something about the greater Boston area yoga community that is incredibly special. I can't put it to words perfectly but walking into Gillette Stadium Field House each year for Yoga Reaches Out's New England Yogathon, I can just feel it. The energy in the room is palpable. It's the day of the year when everyone gets together to rally for a connected cause, giving back to the community, giving back to children and families in need. This year, together, we raised over $300,000 for Boston Children's Hospital and Yoga Reaches Out, specifically benefitting the Hale Family Center which will be expanding its yoga, meditation, reiki, massage, zumba, and all things lovely offerings to the families and patients at Children's. If that doesn't sound like the perfect beneficiary, then I don't know what does. At one of our committee meetings this year, I was able to tour the facility and can tell you first hand, this place is incredible. If my family had a facility like this when I was going through my cardiac surgeries at age three, I know they would have benefitted from it tremendously.

I have photographed this event for five years now and I have gotten to know so many of you. You are all amazing people. Thank you for all that you do, for raising money, for joining together as a community, for being there, and for always giving me a smile or hug. Congratulations on an amazing job well done! Namaste.

And now, enjoy some photographs of your gorgeous selves! Click here to view all photographs from the day. Make sure to click on the three bar menu on the top left of the page to see all of the galleries.

• Time Saving Tip - You can favorite your favorite images and download them as a group. After you favorite them, click "download all" and check the box next to "my favorites" and follow the instructions to download just those photographs and not all 1,000,000. How cool is that?
• Printing Tip - The first three menus have my copyright on the photographs and are labeled "FOR SOCIAL MEDIA". The second two do not and are labeled "FOR PRINTING". If you'd like to order prints from the event, you'll want to use the second two menus. If favoriting first, make sure to favorite from these menus. If you order from the FOR SOCIAL MEDIA menus, your prints will all arrive with my copyright on them! Whoops.
• Sharing Tip - You can share right from the gallery if you'd like!

If the click here button is being funky, you can copy and paste this into your browser directly.

tracyrodriguezphotography.pass.us/yogathon

Kathryn Budig, my #girlboss crush <3

Contact me today if you're interested in booking a yoga photo shoot for yourself or your studio.

Yogathon 2016 Photographs Coming Soon!

Congratulations to the nearly 1,000 yogis who raised over $300,000 for Boston Children's Hospital through Yoga Reaches Out's 2016 Yogathon on May 1st! You are all incredibly inspiring.

I am in the process of loading, backing up, culling, and editing 100's of photographs and I am excited to announce that I will have them ready for you to download, make your profile picture, and print by the end of this week! Check back here and on my Facebook page for the link.

The largest group of yogis I've ever photographed! Head over to Facebook and tag yourself if you were at the event or donated to a participant!

Enjoy a few more previews! I'll add them here as I post them on facebook, too! 

Contact me today if you're interested in booking a yoga photo shoot for yourself or your studio.

Yoga Reaches Out Benefit Events

I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who came out to support Yoga Reaches Out this weekend. I was thrilled to offer Pick a Pose at the Endicott Estate benefit class held by Danny Dywer, Lauren DAngelo, Joanna Losty and Sarah Gardner. Before the class started, yogis were invited to pose for moi to support Yoga Reaches Out. We had a ton of fun as you can see below!

And, I am so excited that we will be offering Pick a Pose again on April 22nd at Universal Power Yoga in Norwood. You can get more information and sign up for the class led by Jacqui Bonwell and Jen Merola Palmer on the UPY website. I hope to see you there!

We held this Pick at Pose in the beautiful library at Endicott Estate in Dedham, MA.

I also grabbed a few shots at the Equinox benefit class led by Dan Steel the next day. I have to say, I mainly practiced at this class, but it was so beautiful, I had to jump up to snap a few! Enjoy!

Did you know that I provide photographs from all Yoga Reaches Out events to the attendees? You can download, print, share, etc. any images I take from the events. View them all here {link below} to get started! {Note, you can click the drop down menu on the left to access different events and categories including photographs from last year's yogathon!}

tracyrodriguezphotography.pass.us/yogathon

On the Importance of Giving Back as a Business {And Ways to Get Involved in Yoga Reaches Out}

My first year photographing Yogathon and my very first press pass.

I give back because it feels good.

I give back because I truly believe that every bit adds up. Every ounce of energy given, every dollar fundraised, every email and social media post to drive awareness makes a direct impact.

I give back because I believe in karma.

I give back because I've been there. Just before my third birthday, I spent three months in the ICU because my heart wasn't beating normally. You can read my heart story in an blog post I wrote before my pacemaker surgery last year.

But mainly, I give back because I can. A marathon runner friend of mine told me an inspirational speech from the day before she ran the Boston Marathon where the speaker said to be grateful that "you can". And not that you can finish the race, but rather that you can start it. You can walk to the starting line. You can give a day of your life. You can be present. You can fundraise. It's not to say it's easy. You may have limitations. But, there are people who can't. So while you can, act.

Act and give in ways that are meaningful to you. We all have causes that affect us personally. Likewise, we all have ways we can give that our uniquely ours. For me, I have the resources, the knowledge and, most importantly, the passion for photography, so that's how I give.

What's your passion and how can you translate that to support an organization you care about? Know that your time, your energy, and your expertise go a long way in the limited resource world of nonprofits.

I'm also pretty good at fundraising and commit a goal to raise $1,000 for Yoga Reaches Out in the spring $1,000 for The Alzheimer's Association in the fall. It's easier than it sounds and I challenge you to commit a goal to raise funds as well!

This year will be my fifth year photographing and fundraising for Yogathon, a day of amazing yoga with a purpose to give back to children's charities. The main beneficiary is Boston Children's Hospital. This year, the funds will support the Hale Family Wellness Center to, among other things, expand their  yoga, meditation, reiki and massage programs. At a recent committee meeting, we were given a tour of this amazing facility and I can tell you first hand what a difference this center would have made for my parents when I was hospitalized. This center provides a chance for families and patients to step away from their illness, their upset, their hospital life, and come back into their bodies. It provides a chance to refresh and restore.

Knowing that I can help give this to someone else is why I give back.

If this speaks to you as well and you'd be interested in getting involved with Yoga Reaches Out, there are many ways to do so. New England Yogathon will be held on May 1st in the Gillette Stadium Field House. {Yes, that's where the Patriots practice!} You can...

• Join my team! Commit to a $250 fundraising goal and join us on the field for a full day of yoga, amazing food, vendors, massage, reiki, and more with an incredible community of 1,000 like-minded yogis! All levels including beginner yogis are welcome.
• Create your own team! Gather your friends, your family, your local yoga or fitness studio, your church group, your neighbors, and their friends, too!
• Volunteer! We are looking for volunteers to help with day-of support as well as 200 hour certified yoga instructors to provide hands-on assisting. {email: maureend5@yahoo.com}
• Become a Sponsor! There are $1,500 to $50,000 sponsorships available for those interested in contributing as an individual or as a company.
• Provide an in-kind donation! Just how I donate my time on the day of to photograph the event, many other people provide in-kind donations to further support the day. Things like water bottles and other hydration, energy bars and other noms and apparel for the presenters are great examples! {email: mlynott@yogareachesout.org}
• Donate. I personally commit to a goal of $1,000 every year. If you're feeling inclined, help me get there!
• Attend a fundraising event! There are many across MA and RI and you can find out more details on the YRO website. I will be offering "Pick a Pose" at two benefits in April where you can be photographed by moi for a suggested $10 donation per pose. 100% goes to YRO.

• April 8th: Endicott Estate {SIGN UP HERE}
  • Pick a Pose 6:15-6:45pm on the beautiful lawns of the Endicott Estate. 
  • Doors open 6:15, Class starts 7:00pm
  • One hour and 45 min vinyasa flow, instructed by Danny Dwyer, Lauren DAngelo, Joanna Losty and a savasana by YRO founder Sarah Gardner.
• April 22nd: Universal Power Yoga {SIGN UP HERE}
  • Pick a Pose 6:00-6:45pm
  • 90 minute class with live music led by Jen Merola Palmer and Jacqui Bonwell starts at 7:00pm

You now have all of the information on how to get involved in an event, in a cause, that speaks to me. But if there are other events, other causes, that speak more to you, I highly encourage you to reach out and give your time, your energy, your in-kind or financial donation. Do it because it feels good. Do it because what goes around comes around. Do it because you can.

The 2016 Yogathon Beneficiary, The Hale Family Center for Families at Boston Children's Hospital

If you are interested in booking a photo shoot for yourself or your yoga studio, please contact me today!