HELLO: My name is Ossi Raveh. I chose to dedicate my life to the practice of yoga in the hopes of offering its power to the world around me. Brooklyn Yoga Project (BYP) has allowed me to live and fulfill this dream. When I founded BYP I set out to build a unique and beautiful space where everyone in the neighborhood could find safety and solace within the bright lights of New York City. I was introduced to the movement, intentional breath work, and life-changing philosophy of yoga over 20 years ago. At that time I was in the process of  healing from many physical and emotional injuries. I was teaching Pilates, Gyrotonics, and dance as well as practicing several types of therapeutic massage. Working through intense pain and struggle, yoga brought me healing, grounding, balance, strength, and acceptance. 

BROOKLYN YOGA PROJECT AT HAYABELLE: I truly believe that the next step in my life’s work is to bring Brooklyn Yoga Project to the Island of St. Maarten, expanding our community across two locations that are part of my soul. HayaBelle will be the name of this new extension of Brooklyn Yoga Project on St. Maarten after my mother’s name “Haya” which means “life” in Hebrew, followed by “Belle” which means “beautiful” in French, a tribute to the French roots of St. Maarten. My Mom lived a beautiful life in St. Maarten, and I want HayaBelle to be a place for others to build and make room for a beautiful life through yoga and retreat. 

In the Carribbean paradise of St. Maarten, my vision is to create a destination for yoga practice and retreat both for the local community, the Brooklyn Yoga Project family of teachers and students, and to a global community of teachers and practitioners who need a sacred space to teach and study yoga in any of its forms. No matter how or why you find yourself at HayaBelle, after spending time there you will leave feeling calm and  ignited, as you move forward from a space of love.

HayaBelle will encompass a small retreat center and a separate adjacent studio offering yoga and meditation classes year round from a rotating set of Brooklyn Yoga Project teachers. Whether you are staying at HayaBelle, visiting the island, or living locally, this studio will be an opportunity to experience the unique and incredible movement and breath work that until now could only be experienced at our studio in Brooklyn. 

MY MOM, HAYA, AND ST. MAARTEN: My mother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the summer of 2019 and passed away in May of 2020. Due to the pandemic I was not allowed to go be with her at the end of her life.

This moment would change my life forever.

In December of 2021 I flew to St. Maarten, where my mother spent her most life-affirming years.  I realized then that I had to create a place on this island where I could continue her life’s offering through my work. My mom’s offerings were transcendent. She had a way of helping every person she met to find and ignite their inner light.  I have always been told that she and I are one and the same, and I do believe that. The work I do is a continuation of all she was and offered.

I believe that by bringing the love, yoga, and community that I have built in Brooklyn to the magical island and community of St. Maarten, I can expand on everything my mother taught me and everything I’ve learned from my teachers and students along the way.

THE PROJECT IS US: The guiding philosophy of Brooklyn Yoga is the Project is Us. The intention is to live yoga on and off the mat and be a vibrant part of the greater community. The retreat center and studio at HayaBelle in St. Maarten will be the same. My business model has always been simple: independent, nimble, and equitable. The money that comes in goes back to supporting our teachers and our studio. As such, I cannot fund a project like HayaBelle on my own, and instead am asking for it to be a work of love and of community. If you can help me make this dream a reality, I will dedicate myself fully to bringing it to life. 

After making several scouting trips to St. Maarten, I know exactly what would enable me to bring this vision to life within 24 months:

• $400K towards the purchase of the retreat center, accommodating up to 12 people 
• $20K for the construction of an adjacent yoga/meditation studio, with a small accommodation for teachers
• $80K to furnish the retreat center and studio, pay my teachers, and help cover bills until we are bringing in money

I would be endlessly grateful for contributions of any size, and have thought of several ways to both thank you for your generosity, and more deeply include you in the growing BYP community. Any gift of $50 and above will receive a thank you package, but if your gift does not fall into any of the exact amounts listed above, please know that you will receive the package just below what you have chosen to give (e.g. if you gift $75, you will receive the package for $50; if you give $1,500, you will receive the package for $1,000):

• For a gift of $50, you will receive a tote bag designed specifically for the founding donors to Brooklyn Yoga Project at HayaBelle and which will never be available again.
• For a gift of $100, you will receive a 2-class pass to Brooklyn Yoga Project*, and a tote bag designed specifically for the founding donors to Brooklyn Yoga Project at HayaBelle and which will never be available again.
• For a gift of $250, you will receive a 5-class pass to Brooklyn Yoga Project*, and a tote bag designed specifically for the founding donors to Brooklyn Yoga Project at HayaBelle and which will never be available again. 
• For a gift of $500, you will receive one month of unlimited classes at Brooklyn Yoga Project*, and a tote bag designed specifically for the founding donors to Brooklyn Yoga Project at HayaBelle and which will never be available again.
• For a gift of $1,000, you will receive 3 months of unlimited classes at Brooklyn Yoga Project*, and a tote bag designed specifically for the founding donors to Brooklyn Yoga Project at HayaBelle and which will never be available again.
• For a gift of $2,500, you will receive one private yoga session with Ossi and six month of unlimited classes at Brooklyn Yoga Project*, and a tote bag designed specifically for the founding donors to Brooklyn Yoga Project at HayaBelle and which will never be available again.
• For a gift of $5,000, you will receive a 3-day stay at HayaBelle** and unlimited free yoga classes at the adjacent studio during that time, one private yoga session with Ossi at Brooklyn Yoga Project, and a tote bag designed specifically for the founding donors to Brooklyn Yoga Project at HayaBelle and which will never be available again.
• For a gift of $10,000, you will receive two 3-day stays at HayaBelle** and unlimited free yoga classes at the adjacent studio during that time, three private yoga sessions with Ossi and one month of unlimited yoga at Brooklyn Yoga Project*, and a tote bag designed specifically for the founding donors to Brooklyn Yoga Project at Haya Belle and which will never be available again.
• For gifts of $15,000 and above, we will contact you directly to design a customized thank you package that best suits your interests.

*Please note that any passes to Brooklyn Yoga Project can be traded in for an equivalent Patreon pass for audio and video classes recorded by BYP teachers, which can be taken virtually.

**Please also note that any free stays listed above would have to be booked once HayaBelle is fully operational, and at least six months in advance.

THANK YOU.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking the time to read about my vision, and for considering being a founding contributor to this expansion of our Brooklyn Yoga Project community. Please spread the word about this project in any way you can.. 

With deep love and gratitude,

Ossi