Ayni in Action
Collaboration, Reciprocity, and Right Relationship
Accessibility and Scholarship
Lower-barrier participation and scholarship are part of the life of the school.
Right Relationship
The work is carried on unceded Sḵwx̱wú7mesh territory, with ongoing attention to relationship, listening, and accountability.
Dedication of Merit
Practice is held in dedication to the wellbeing of all beings
Justice and Remembrance
The school has been involved with the REDress Project since 2010, including red drum-making and red dress installations during trainings along the Sea to Sky corridor in honour of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, including those remembered through the Highway of Tears.
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Selected Relationships
Some of the wider relationships around the school include the following:
Values Carried in Relationship
These commitments are carried quietly through practice, remembrance, collaboration, and support
How Are We Practicing Right Relationship - AYNI?
“Ayni is one of the great principles of the Andean traditions. In the West we understand it as ‘reciprocity’, but ayni is much more than that. Exercising ayni means investing in relationships to create multiplicities of return at a collective level. Everyone receives, even the person who has given, and the universe mirrors our collective intent.” – Andean Research Institute
Scholarships and Financial Needs Bursaries
The Shamanic Yoga Institute offers full and partial scholarships to First Nations, BIPOC, and those in financial need. We have never run a course with less than two scholarship participants, since the inception of the school in 2005; providing close to $60,000 in funding for our students. We believe that removing the barriers of accessibility is essential in order for these living traditions to continue to evolve.
Donations and Contributions
We believe in the mission of the following organizations and offer support through our donations, so their vital work continues. Funding is allocated to both local and international projects whose aims are in alignment with our own.
Ayni In Action FAQ
Ayni is an Andean principle often translated as “reciprocity,” but it goes beyond simple exchange. It is the practice of investing in relationships so that everyone — including the giver — receives, and the universe mirrors that collective intent.
Since 2005, SYI has consistently offered full and partial scholarships to First Nations, BIPOC students, and those in financial need, with at least two scholarship participants in every course. In total, the school has provided close to $60,000 in funding to help remove financial barriers to this work.
SYI donates to local and international organizations whose missions align with its values, including the Andean Research Institute, a humble yoga centre on the Ganga, Greenpeace, Doctors Without Borders, Plan International, Kirtan Vancouver, Howe Sound Women’s Centre, the Wheel of Life Society, the Sk̲wx̲wú7mesh Lil̓wat7úl Cultural Centre, and inclusive, nature-based camp programs. These partnerships reflect a commitment to indigenous communities, environmental stewardship, anti-violence work, children’s rights, spiritual community, and accessible healing spaces.
