Nairobi , Kenya ( CNN ) -- There he stands , Mount Kilimanjaro in the background , striking a pose on a purple mat , bathed in the light of dawn . Breathing . Stretching . Opening up his mind -- a group of young children following and copying his every move . Watching a Maasai warrior practice yoga is a rare sight , but Jacob Parit is not only a warrior in one of Africa 's best-known tribes , he 's also an instructor with the Africa Yoga Project . `` Yoga will be part of Maasai tradition because the young need to be strong warriors , '' Parit says . `` It is a peaceful thing and it brings people together . '' Originating in India , yoga is practiced globally , and is now spreading across Kenya . And it 's not only about the practice -- here , yoga is transforming lives , contributing positively to communities and creating jobs . The catalyst for this yoga boom in Kenya is the Africa Yoga Project . Started in 2007 , the non-profit organization is the brainchild of American Paige Elenson . `` I have been teaching Baptiste Power Yoga for about 15 years and I was on a family vacation here in Kenya in 2006 . I saw a group of youth doing handstands . I got out of the car and did handstands with them . That day changed my life , '' explains Elenson , who saw yoga as a way to create jobs for young people in Kenya . Read this : Maasai Cricket Warriors . It started as an experiment , mainly in the city slums , to see if it could bring about positive changes and help people to cope with their lives . Today , the Africa Yoga Projects says it has 71 educated and employed yoga teachers , who earn a living wage . It offers more than 300 free classes every week that are serving around 5,000 people . The project is funded by volunteers and donors and is bringing together people from all walks of life . Relaxing future warriors . Parit is from the Alasiti village , the first Maasai community to combine their traditional lifestyle with yoga . `` ( For a ) Long time we believed it is like a magic . But after we do it , we realize this is something anyone can do , '' he says . Parit and the other Maasai yoga instructors believe that the combination of yoga and their lifestyle can bring mental and physical benefits to their community . `` Yoga helps me knowing who I am , '' Parit says . `` Every morning when you get out of your bed your body will ask for yoga . '' In the early mornings and evenings , members of his community wait for his instructions . At night , they are eager to stretch their bodies after a long day of work looking after the livestock , taking care of their houses , cooking and cleaning . Read this : Maasai boy scares off lions with flashy invention . `` I have been doing it for seven good years and I think I have taught 8,000 to 9,000 people now , '' Parit says . The yogi in traditional Maasai dress encourages his students : `` Reach up , be strong like a warrior . '' Bringing calm to city slums . Even in the city , the instructors with the Africa Yoga Project are not limited to yoga studios . Many of the free classes take place in Kibera , Nairobi 's biggest slum , where most people live under the poverty line . Rufus Ngugi is one of the deaf instructors working with the project . He teaches yoga to a group of orphans in a Kibera center called Fruitful . `` Whatever I do , I start by demonstrating , '' he explains . `` I show them how to breathe , I show them the different postures , and in this case I do n't even involve a hearing person . '' Ngugi has been with the Africa Yoga Project for a year now . He thinks the children feel connected to him because of his disability . `` These are children who do n't have parents , children who have been neglected by their parents , '' he says . `` This really motivated me , touched me because I could relate what they feel because I had the same experience . So that is why really inspired me to teach them . '' Read this : Tribal elder modernizing the Maasai . Standing in a circle inside the center , Ngugi stretches his hands up , the small children doing the same . Then , suddenly , they break into a dance . `` They call me Michael Jackson because of the different dance moves that I do . I try to give them the best I can . To have them have a good time . To have them forget about life and enjoy it , '' he says . `` This makes me feel good because I can see the future ; they can grow up to be good people in society . ''
The Africa Yoga Project is making yoga popular in Kenya . Over 300 free classes are offered every day , from schools to villages . Maasai yoga says : ' It is a peaceful place and it brings people together '