Podcasts about prison yoga project

Send us a textJames Fox is the founder of the Prison Yoga Project, an initiative dedicated to bringing yoga and mindfulness practices to incarcerated populations. Over the past two decades, Fox has developed a trauma-informed approach to teaching yoga, focusing on emotional healing and rehabilitation within the prison system. Under his leadership, the Prison Yoga Project has expanded globally across multiple continents. Fox has authored the book "Yoga A Path for Healing and Recovery," which has been distributed widely to incarcerated individuals worldwide. He is also a trained facilitator in violence prevention and emotional intelligence, contributing significantly to prison reform and rehabilitation through yoga.Visit Prison Yoga Project and make a donation today: https://www.prisonyoga.org/Key Takeaways:Trauma-Informed Approach: James Fox emphasizes the importance of using yoga as a tool for managing unresolved trauma, which is common among the incarcerated.Prison System Insights: Fox provides a critical look at how the current prison system lacks effective rehabilitation programs and suggests a shift towards healing over mere punishment.Global Impact: The Prison Yoga Project has grown significantly, with affiliates worldwide, demonstrating the universal applicability of yoga as a rehabilitation tool.Thanks for listening to this episode. Check out:

In this episode we chat with Nicole Helthaler from Prison Yoga Project, a nonprofit using yoga to foster healing and transformation in the criminal justice system. Nicole shares her journey from teaching in classrooms to bringing mindfulness and self-regulation practices into correctional facilities worldwide.We explore how Prison Yoga Project began at San Quentin and now spans over 13 states and countries like Mexico, Sweden, and Australia. Nicole discusses how yoga helps incarcerated individuals manage stress, heal from trauma, and build resilience. She tells powerful stories of transformation, including participants who've used yoga to turn their lives around and give back to their communities.If you've ever wondered how movement and mindfulness can create real change, not just for individuals but for entire systems, then this one's for you! Life in Motion is brought to you by Actual Outdoors. They help build beautiful brands that highlight the approachable and authentic parts of outdoor recreation. Said simply - they “keep it real”. Find them online at actualoutdoors.com or on Instagram at @actualoutdoors. Tweet us and let us know what you think of this episode! @illuminecollect Find more episodes at www.illuminecollect.com/blogs/life-in-motion-podcastSince 2017 Illumine has donated over $46,258 to outdoor nonprofits and shared over 229 stories on the Life in Motion Podcast.

Send us a Text Message.Robert Sturman is a renowned photographer known for his exceptional ability to capture the essence of yoga and human expression through his lens. With a storied career that spans decades, Robert has traveled the world, photographing notable yoga instructors, diverse subjects in unique settings such as prisons and military bases, and cultures enriched with depth. He is also a passionate advocate for humane practices and leads online photography courses to empower others.Visit Robert on his website: https://www.robertsturmanstudio.com/Follow him on IG: https://www.instagram.com/robertsturman/And Otis the Handsome Hound: https://www.instagram.com/otisthehandsomehound/?img_index=1Key Takeaways:The Evolution of an Artist: Robert Sturman's journey from a novice to a master photographer, fueled by passion and a deep desire to help people see the world differently.Capturing Emotions: The significance of mindfulness in photography and how one powerful image can convey the richness of human experience.Yoga and Photography: How Robert's connection to yoga has enriched his work and why he believes yoga poses are akin to artistic figurative poetry.Thanks for listening to this episode. Check out:

There's a growing body of evidence suggesting that practices like weight lifting can support trauma-affected individuals on their healing journeys. On this episode of Transforming Trauma, Emily is joined by Mariah Rooney, LCSW, co-founder of Trauma-Informed Weight Lifting, the one-of-a-kind non-profit program dedicated to the training and education of trauma-informed movement practitioners as well as research on the healing potential of weight lifting. The pair discuss the program's structure, the neuroscience behind it, and how Mariah's extensive participation in social justice practices led to its creation. Mariah also shares some case studies that highlight the positive impact that weight lifting has on a trauma-impacted individual's resilience, sense of agency, and interoceptive awareness. About Mariah Rooney: Mariah Rooney, MSW, LCSW (she/they) is the co-founder and co-director of Trauma Informed Weight Lifting, a program of the Center for Trauma and Embodiment. She is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in treating the complex challenges that arise as a result of traumatic stress, attachment trauma, intergenerational trauma, and dissociation in children and adults. She is also an adjunct professor in the graduate School of Social Work at Winona State University, and a trauma-informed care consultant who supports systems change and capacity building efforts in systems of all sizes and types. As a previous Fellow at the Trauma Center at JRI she received extensive training in trauma and supported various project and research efforts. Additionally, Mariah is a movement practitioner and somatic coach with extensive training in trauma-sensitive and culturally-informed yoga and meditation practices through Warriors at Ease, Prison Yoga Project, Insight Prison Project, Mind Body Solutions, and Trauma Sensitive Yoga. Her writing and research has explored trauma-informed considerations for personal trainers and fitness spaces, posttraumatic outcomes among combat veterans with histories of interpersonal violence, trauma-sensitive education, and inclusive practices for LGBTQIA+ clients in fitness and weight lifting. Learn More: Trauma Informed Weight Lifting Instagram Website To read the full show notes and discover more resources, visit https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com/transformingtrauma *** Are you a mental health professional looking to deepen your clinical expertise in healing complex trauma? We are thrilled to announce our 2025 NARM Therapist Trainings designed to provide you with transformative training in the NeuroAffective Relational Model. Visit the website to learn more about upcoming trainings and to register  The Complex Trauma Training Center: https://complextraumatrainingcenter.com The Complex Trauma Training Center (CTTC) is a professional organization providing clinical training, education, consultation, and mentorship for psychotherapists and mental health professionals working with individuals and communities impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Complex Trauma (C-PTSD). CTTC provides NARM® Therapist and NARM® Master Therapist Training programs, as well as ongoing monthly groups in support of those learning NARM. CTTC offers a depth-oriented professional community for those seeking a supportive network of therapists focused on three levels of shared human experience: personal, interpersonal & transpersonal.  The Transforming Trauma podcast embodies the spirit of CTTC – best described by its three keywords: depth, connection, and heart - and offers guidance to those interested in effective, transformational trauma-informed care. We want to connect with you! Facebook @complextraumatrainingcenter YouTube Instagram @complextraumatrainingcenter  

We've heard from a lot of guys about how yoga has helped ease their back pain, work through stress, or improve their relationships. Today's episode has those elements, but it's also something else entirely: the story of Darnell “Moe” Washington, a former gang member who found yoga while serving a sentence of 35 years to life in prison. It's the third and final episode in our Prison Yoga Project series, and it's one of the most powerful conversations we've had on the show. You'll learn how Moe connected with former GTY guest James Fox while at San Quentin; the mental and physical capabilities he developed through his practice; and how yoga and mindfulness helped him gain his freedom and prepare for the rest of his life. Links:  Prison Yoga Project Donate to the Prison Yoga Project Listen to Part 1 of our Prison Yoga Series with James Fox here Bill Brown here

Bill Brown was 41 years old when he took his first yoga class, and the experience moved him to tears.  You'll hear why in this conversation, as well as how Bill wound up directing an organization that brings yoga to thousands of incarcerated men and women around the world. This is the second of three conversations in our Prison Yoga Project series; Bill expands on the group's work (discussed last episode with founder James Fox) as well as his own compelling personal story. Bill also talks about: How yoga can help people with trauma and dissociation Gaining trust when facilitating yoga classes in prisons and jails How stress builds in the body over time and how yoga can help guys work through that How yoga helped Bill deal with anger in a much healthier way Using the force of the ground in your yoga practice How Prison Yoga Project has scaled and has even begun working with corrections officers and other staff Links:  Prison Yoga Project Support PYP's work with a donation here

James Fox is the Founding Director of Prison Yoga Project, which he started in San Quentin and grew to 17 states and beyond. In part one of a three-part series on prison yoga, James tells Derek about the program's origins (he started in a single juvenile detention center); the unique challenges and opportunities involved; and the story of a participant whose rehabilitation and parole was inextricably linked with the yoga practice he learned while behind bars. James also talks about: How yoga helped him get over back pain from running How Prison Yoga Project scaled through word of mouth, teacher training, and their book How men and women in prison tend to react to first trying yoga The trauma-informed approach they've developed The role yoga played in a parole hearing for a participant serving a life sentence Links: Prison Yoga Project is doing their annual fundraising drive. You can donate to the program directly here: https://prisonyoga.kindful.com/ We'll be back with two more episodes focusing on yoga in prisons in the coming weeks.

Join Lara for an enlightening conversation with Nicole Hellthaler, MPS, RYT 200, Assistant Director of Prison Yoga Project. In addition to holding a Master's in Public Service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, Nicole has been making a meaningful impact by facilitating yoga and mindfulness in Men's, Women's, and Youth detention centers in Little Rock, Arkansas for years. She has a passion for social justice, prison reform, and yoga, rooted in her desire for restorative and transformative justice as an alternative to punitive punishment and its harmful effects. “Prison Yoga Project envisions a cultural shift toward healing-centered approaches for addressing crime, substance use, and mental health disorders. Our mission is to provide programs for rehabilitation and resilience rooted in yoga and embodied mindfulness.” In this episode, you'll learn about:1. how the Prison Yoga Project provides yoga in prisons and jails.2. how this differs from yoga that is offered in a studio setting.3. how this effort is making yoga accessible to everybody.4. how yoga is a healing practice.To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: lytyoga.com/blog/category/podcasts/Guest Resources:​​Prison Yoga Project website - prisonyoga.org/Community website for the Prison Yoga Project - community.prisonyoga.org/Instagram - @prisonyogaprojectLinkedIn for Nicole - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-hellthaler-165640244Prison Yoga Project's Foundational Training: https://community.prisonyoga.org/courses/incarceration-trauma-and-yogalisteners receive a 10% discount: PYPPODCASTConnect with Lara Heimann, The Redefining Yoga Podcast, and LYT Yoga:Lara Heimann Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lara.heimann/ Redefining Yoga Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/redefiningyogapodcast/ LYT Yoga Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/lytyogamethod/Sponsors:Visit almondcow.co/shop and use code LARA for a discount off your purchase!Join the LYT Team in Europe this summer:https://shop.lytyoga.com/collections/in-person-workshops-2023 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you enjoy this episode, consider buying me a coffee to show your support! ☕️ We currently make a loss on the show and your support means the world!(or, support me on the podcast app Fountain!)Today on the show we have James Fox, the founder of Prison Yoga Project.Yoga changed the course of James' life, and in 2002, he started his own organisation - Prison Yoga Project - a programme to teach trauma informed yoga and bring yoga and mindfulness to prisons. 70% of prisoners return to the community there is a 76% re-arrest rate within the first 5 years. Prison Yoga Project supports incarcerated people with trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness. Their goal is to help reduce reoffending and providing a more humane experience for incarcerated people. James also has written a book about yoga and sent thousands of copies to prisoners who have requested them.He began the programme in the US, in San Quentin, and has now brought the practice global - from the U.K., to Mexico to Australia.In this episode, we talk about the male role complex, how trauma is stored in the body, and why everyone should support yoga in prison if they want a safer and more humane society.If you're interested in supporting Prison Yoga Project - they run a book program, which supplies a free book to any inmate who requests one. If you're interested in a trauma-informed approach to yoga instruction, you can train with Prison Yoga Project. Just head to PrisonYoga.org.Sign up to Out of Hours newsletter here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2015 we presented this story about Curtis Carroll, the Stock Market Wizard of San Quentin. Everyone in San Quentin called him Wall Street. He was teaching his fellow prisoners about stocks and had become an informal financial adviser to fellow inmates and correctional officers. After serving 27 years of a 54 years to life sentence in prison, Curtis Carroll, has been released on parole. We hear his story and talk to him about what's next. When Wall Street was put in prison almost three decades ago he couldn't read or write. One day he stumbled on the financial section of the newspaper thinking it was the sports section, which his cellmate used to read to him. An inmate asked him if he played the stocks. “I had never heard the word before,” Wall Street said. “He explained to me how it works and said, ‘This is where white people keep their money.' When he said that I said, ‘Whoa, I think I stumbled across something here.' ” Wall Street taught himself how to read and write beginning with candy wrappers and clothing logos. He pored over financial news: the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes. On the inside, Wall Street didn't have access to a computer or the Internet, so he called his family members to check the closing prices for the day and told them what to buy. He says business is like a soap opera — he's always trying to anticipate what will happen next. “I like to know what the CEO's doing. I like to know who's in trouble.” “I'm in prison, but I'm on just the same playing field as Warren Buffett,” Carroll says. “I can pick the exact same companies. I can't buy as many shares, but technically we're just the same.” You can find out more about Wall Street, his life and Financial Empowerment, Emotional Literacy Project at ProjectFeel.org. He's also on Instagram (@CurtisWallstreetCarroll) and Youtube (@WallStreetCarroll). The Kitchen Sisters Present is produced by The Kitchen Sisters (Nikki Silva & Davia Nelson) with Brandi Howell and Nathan Dalton. Wall Street's original story was mixed by Jim McKee at Earwax Studios. We are part of PRX's Radiotopia Network. This episode was produced in collaboration with Nancy Mullane and Life of the Law. Many thanks! Special thanks to Curtis Carroll, San Quentin Financial Literacy Program, Anna Deavere Smith, Arnold Perkins, Troy Williams, Lt. Sam Robinson, Tom DeMartini, Zach Williams, Clarence Long, James Fox and the Prison Yoga Project, Tracy Wahl, Jacob Conrad, Nigel Poor, TED, Pop-Up Magazine, and NPR. The Kitchen Sisters are supported by NEA and contributions to the non-profit Kitchen Sisters Productions.

Host Michael Taft speaks with meditation teacher and author Kelly Boys on the practice of non-sleep, deep rest—a modern name for the ancient practice of yoga nidra, using liminal states as gateways to profound meditative experiences, finding ways to let go more completely, how this practice relates to nonduality, and the transformative power of embodied practice. Kelly Boys is a mindfulness trainer and author of The Blind Spot Effect: How to Stop Missing What's Right in Front of You. She co-developed the Peace on Purpose mindfulness and resilience program for UN humanitarian and development workers, training UN staff in the Middle East, Central Asia and beyond. She has worked with veterans with PTSD in the VA system and in San Quentin State Prison as part of the Prison Yoga Project. She directed a teacher training for the Search Inside Yourself Institute, bringing facilitators from around the world together to learn the emotional intelligence and mindfulness curriculum as taught at Google. Kelly is the founding advisor for the Simple Habit meditation app. She is passionate about engaging in the inner and outer work of antiracism. She holds a degree in Intercultural Religious Studies and has trained in yoga nidra in the nondual yogic tradition of Kashmir Shaivismhttps://www.kellyboys.org/Contribute to Michael's Patreon or directly to help fund the creation of more of these podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In episode 43, Jivana interviews Bill Brown from Prison Yoga Project. In this episode, Jivana and Bill discuss: Bill's background and personal interests How Bill started his yoga practice How Bill ended up volunteering teaching in prison Childhood trauma How trauma is stored in the body What teaching in prison is like Society failing to care for people COVID disrupting Prison Yoga Project's work The business back end for people who want to teach yoga in prisons Yoga as shamanistic soul retrieval and relationship building Accessible Yoga Training Prison and disenfranchised people Bill's experience facilitating classes Supporting students with grounding and emotional release Subtlety in yoga practice Hierarchy and empowerment Neuroscience perspective Letting go of fear and moving into love and connection

In episode 43, Jivana interviews Bill Brown from Prison Yoga Project. In this episode, Jivana and Bill discuss: Bill's background and personal interests How Bill started his yoga practice How Bill ended up volunteering teaching in prison Childhood trauma How trauma is stored in the body What teaching in prison is like Society failing to care for people COVID disrupting Prison Yoga Project's work The business back end for people who want to teach yoga in prisons Yoga as shamanistic soul retrieval and relationship building Accessible Yoga Training Prison and disenfranchised people Bill's experience facilitating classes Supporting students with grounding and emotional release Subtlety in yoga practice Hierarchy and empowerment Neuroscience perspective Letting go of fear and moving into love and connection

This week's podcast episode is a conversation with De Jur Jones, a yoga teacher and yoga therapist who is known for her work making the therapeutic benefits of yoga accessible to marginalized communities. De Jur talks about teaching where she feels yoga is “necessary but not always available,” and how her students – from incarcerated adults, to low-income individuals, sex trafficking survivors, and foster youth – use the breathing and simple movements they learn in yoga classes. You'll hear some of her strategies for offering therapeutic yoga teachings that are appropriate for the specific students, as well as sensitive to their context and environment. And, I think you'll also enjoy De Jur's examples of bringing yoga practice into everyday life, and even onto airplanes in her role as a flight attendant! Listen to expand your ideas of yoga and to find out how you can support greater access to yoga therapy for many more like De Jur's students. Whether you're a teacher or a practitioner, you'll come away from this conversation with some inspiration. -- Organizations we mentioned in the episode: UpRising Yoga https://www.uprisingyoga.org/ Prison Yoga Project https://prisonyoga.org/ Prison Yoga and Meditation https://prisonyogaandmeditation.org/ Accessible Yoga https://accessibleyoga.org/ -- To connect with De Jur, you can visit her website https://www.idreaminyoga.com/ or follow her on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/mzdejur/ or Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/de.jur.9   To connect further with me (Addie), check out my website movedtomeditate.yoga and/or follow me on Instagram @addie_movedtomeditate.

Judith a beaucoup voyagé et a découvert le yoga au Etats-Unis, pas forcément une belle expérience au premier abord mais plus tard le Yoga reviendra à elle.Ayant travaillé dans le domaine du vin pendant de nombreuses années, aux Etats-Unis, puis en France, à un moment de sa vie, cela ne lui ressemblait plus. Suite à un burn out, elle décide de tout quitter et partir en Inde voyager où elle reste 3 mois pour se ressourcer mais elle en profite aussi pour se former au Yoga. C'est là qu'elle se rend compte que sa voie est d'enseigner la discipline. Elle retourne en France pour refaire un visa et y repartir. Au départ, elle souhaite y donner cours mais elle trouve un travail à New Delhi en tant que Sommelière, qu'elle garde un certain temps avant de partir vivre à Goa pour vivre de l'enseignement.Elle rentre en France en 2018, pour s'installer en Normandie et se lancer à temps plein dans le yoga.Depuis, elle enseigne là bas et en virtuel pendant les multiples confinements.Et elle a continué à se former, notamment avec le Prison Yoga Project, un projet qui lui tient réellement à cœur, et en Yoga Thérapie. Découvrez-en davantage dans cet épisode et sur ses réseaux : @softheartyogawww.softheartyoga.com

Christina is a Conscious Vegan Lifestyle Coach, Yoga and Meditation teacher, and an Activist. She has been vegan for over 8 years and in that time has explored the depths of compassionate living through plant based foods, social justice, animal rights, and the environment. She creates space for others through cooking classes, lifestyle programs, and retreats, to explore what it means to live consciously and how to live life more from the heart. It is through yoga that she found a path of sharing what it means to be a conscious vegan – understanding that it's not just about what we eat but more about living life in alignment with our ethics and morals. These guiding compassionate principles are what can make this world a better place. The actions and choices we make are not just for animals, but equally as much as this planet and people, acknowledging the reciprocity between Mama Earth, communities, and our body, minds, and souls. She is a native New Yorker and 1st generation to Greek immigrants from her motherland's mountainous farmlands. She received her training from the Bhakti Center in NYC, in Bhakti Yoga and Meditation. Currently she is training with the Prison Yoga Project through the lens of Trauma and Incarceration and hopes to soon serve prisoners in New York State. When she is not working on her Conscious Vegan business, she spends her time immersing herself in Mother Nature and spending time with her partner and newly adopted dog, Louka. Subscribe & Listen: Listen & Subscribe on Spotify Connect with Christina:Website: compassionatefilledlife.comInstagram: @christina.ahimsa

TO WATCH A VIDEO OF THIS INTERVIEW, GO TO INSPIRING CONVERSATIONS PODCAST CHANNEL OR VIEW DIRECTLY AT https://youtu.be/r6UqRtnY5gsJeff sits down with Prema Shakti to hear about her Journey, her work, and her evolution.She also shares about how her life has changed and what it has been like to work with clients over the years.To learn more about her and her work, visithttps://www.hibiskissayurveda.comPrema Shakti (Haley Kalb), NAMA Certified Āyurvedic Practitioner (CAP), Yoga Alliance E-RYT500, Licensed Massage Therapist and Registered Psychotherapist is a devoted practitioner and disciple of yoga, āyurveda and massage. She guides her students to explore the union of body, mind and spirit through āyurvedic principles, asana (posture), pranayama (breath work), bodywork therapies, energy healing and meditation.Prema maintains specialty certifications as an Āyurvedic Practitioner + Bodyworker, Vedic Counselor, Y12SR (yoga for 12-step recovery) leader, Prison Yoga Project, ĀyurDoula, Restorative Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Yin Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, Stand-up Paddle-board (SUP) Yoga, Reiki Master, Laughter Yoga and is currently working towards her Āyurvedic Doctor designation. Budtender certified in the state of Colorado. Current CPR & AED certified.​ Prema also sits on the board of COLORAMA (the Colorado Ayurvedic Medical Association) as the Treasurer and on the Seminars in Āyurveda sub-committee through the National Āyurvedic Medical Association (NAMA).​Instagram Handles: @prema.shakti.guru @hibiskiss.ayurveda@ayurvedaforaddiction

In today's episode, I'm joined by Nicole Hellthaler. Nicole is a social justice activist, former teacher, yoga instructor, and National Program Manager of the Prison Yoga Project. Prison Yoga Project: Website: https://prisonyoga.org/ Instagram: @prisonyogaproject Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/prisonyoga Donate: https://prisonyoga.kindful.com/ Videos: Nicole's "The Yarn" Storytelling Video Books: My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem Follow the podcast on Instagram and check out our new website!

Welcome back to Mentally Flexible! My guest today is James Fox, Founding Director of Prison Yoga Project. I met James several years ago when I attended one of his trainings to learn more about trauma-informed yoga and how it can be implemented in prisons. James is a pioneer in this area as he began teaching yoga to incarcerated individuals in San Quentin Prison in 2002 and ultimately founding the Prison Yoga Project. Since then James has trained thousands of teachers who have replicated PYP's methodology in 28 states and many other countries. He is also the author of Yoga: a Path for Healing and Recovery, which is available free of charge to any prisoner who requests a copy. It has now been sent to over 33,000 people.In this episode we explore:- The early years of Prison Yoga Project- How James works with racial and cultural differences- How you can make yoga trauma-informed- How to be a witness to another's suffering- The path of Karma Yoga- The difference between being a helper and being of service- James' vision for the future of prison reformLearn more about Prison Yoga Project at https://prisonyoga.org/If this work resonates with you, please consider donating to the cause - https://prisonyoga.org/inside-that-yoga-room/Follow PYP on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prisonyogaproject/Learn more about me and the podcast at https://mentallyflexible.com/Follow me on Instagram to get bonus content: https://www.instagram.com/mentallyflexible/The song used in this podcast is called Glimpse at Truth, off of my second EP Nowhere to Stand. Check out the full song below!Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/0Jjw7UEztBD8rTxIZFzsUeBandcamp: https://tomparkes.bandcamp.com/track/glimpse-at-truth

Scott talks to dear friend and colleague Josefin Wikström about how yoga changed her life and how she now shares yoga and Bollywood dancing to people in prisons and to those who suffer from complex trauma.  We'd like to invite you to join our growing Stillpoint Online Ashtanga Yoga and Mindfulness community. We live stream beginner classes, Ashtanga Yoga assisted self practice and guided classes with evening mindfulness sessions over 6 days with Scott Johnson and the Stillpoint teaching faculty. It's a beautiful way to navigate these times... Josefin Wikström trained as a Yoga Therapist with The Minded Institute in London with a particular focus on complex trauma and mental health. She has also trained with Bessel van der Kolk, and is a certified TCTSY-F (Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Facilitator), having trained with David Emerson. She has been sharing trauma-informed yoga since 2003, and since 2008 she has brought yoga and dance into Swedish prisons. She has developed programmes for teaching yoga in prisons, and has taught internationally, including in San Quentin state prison in the US. In 2015, she began working with the Prison Yoga Project in Europe, and has led Prison Yoga Project trainings in Mumbai, India, and Mexico. As part of her work for the Swedish Probation services, she co-developed the Swedish Krimyoga program, an evidence-based program drawing on research on the benefits of yoga in correctional settings. She is expanding her trauma-informed yoga programs to include settings such as psychiatry units, the Juvenile justice system, and in schools. Through the Trauma Center at the Justice Resource Institute in Boston, MA, she has completed the Traumatic Stress Studies Certification with She has also studied trauma-informed dance/movement therapy with Katia Verrault and Tripura Kashyap in India. Josefin is a professional member of ICPA-International Corrections and Prison Association. You can find out more about Josefin’s work here and all the Prison Yoga Project.  You will be able to buy Josefin's new book, co-authored with upcoming guest James Fox, called Freedom from the Inside: A Woman's Guide to Yoga soon through this link here.   Bringing Yoga Home - Josefin Wikström In this touching conversation Scott and Josefin talk about Josefin's life as a yoga practitioner and yoga therapist teaching in prisons and to people with complex trauma, a journey that moves from teaching in the slums of Mumbai in 2005 to tabling a discussion at the centre of the UK government in the House of Lords in 2015. She has developed into an incredibly wise and prolific yoga teacher, sharing her love and passion for yoga to the most vulnerable people there are.    In this inspiring conversation Josefin shares: How yoga helped heal from childhood abuse and complex trauma. Had she been self medicating with alcohol and drugs then went to Goa at 18.  She met an old man in New Delhi who said ‘you have to do yoga’! These words landed in her - he’d seen the unease in her body. How she went to Rishikesh and connected with breathing  and moving in first or second class. She hadn't taken a deep breath before then. Started to feel grounded, less scattered. Felt like she’d found herself at home in herself a sense of safety she had'nt had before. Her drive in her work - can reach this place of safety. An accessible, simple way, for so many people How yoga isn’t just about bliss - embracing causes of suffering too. ‘Cleaning our inner space’ put experiences in boxes rather than throwing them out. How she found a healthy sense of connection with people practising yoga, not to do with drugs. She kept the dancing and let go of drugs Yoga fine tunes the senses. Her work in Mumbai - Kaivalya project. She met a lady in a cafe in Mumbai who worked with dance yoga mental health. Josefin was asked to join an NGO working with children who’d survived sexual abuse. Therapeutic programs for women & children, dealing with trauma in community. Helped her own rehabilitation - mind body practises worked where CBT and other therapy didn't. That movement practises transcend the need for common language. The essence of yoga is connection belonging to ourselves and human level. Her decision to return to Sweden and the need to bring the practises there. How she started working at a women’s prison in Sweden in 2008. How her experience of mental health issues and trauma help her to connect with the people she works with in prisons. The importance of keeping it real in order to help as a teacher. How sharing Bollywood dancing helped to break down the social hierarchies in prisons.  How complex trauma can be a root cause for criminality, and that yoga & dance is a complementary therapy. Training guards to become yoga teachers - breaking down ‘us’ and ‘them’ mentality. Results of research study - yoga vs root cause of criminality. Improved compulsivity (reaction times) reduction anxiety, improved self control, higher sense of belonging, just moving & breathing, no philosophy. Reduction of ocd symptoms James Fox & prison yoga project (training in 2014). How she came to address HOL about yoga in UK prisons. The book ‘ Freedom from the Inside’ written with women in yoga program, in sweden & international, written with James Fox. Yoga is finding a safe & non judging connection. Yoga as a tool for self regulation help us manage everyday life. Yoga given her a sense of belonging & wholeness that she didn’t have before. Living a contemplative life gives life different colours, different dimensions of how we relate to others.   ‘'Everyone needs to know who Josefin Wikström is. In my opinion she is one of the most inspiring and compassionate yoga teachers and therapists I know. Her work and drive to help people with trauma become more connected to themselves is deeply moving. She has taken her own trauma and mobilised to truly help those in need. It was a privilege to hold this conversation and I feel it's a great tool for yoga teachers to begin to see how they can connect to working with those who have trauma" Scott Johnson - November 2020  If you enjoyed this podcast then you might also enjoy Scott’s conversations with Zephyr Wildman, Taylor Hunt and Greg Nardi.  

Angelica was drawn to the beauty of yoga in her early teenage years. However, it wasn't until college while struggling with grief from the death of her brother and a history of sexual trauma at the hand's of her father that she learned the healing power of yoga. After a decade of committed practice, Angelica decided to pursue yoga teacher training in order to assist others in finding tools to heal themselves. She is a graduate of Yoga Sanctuary's 200-hour yoga teacher training program. She has also completed teacher training certification programs with the Veteran's Yoga Project, Yoga 4 Cancer and Transcending Sexual Trauma through Yoga. She is currently enrolled in a program with the Prison Yoga Project. Angelica uses movement and alignment cues in her classes to help her students feel a sense of agency, embodiment and empowerment. She currently teaches at Yoga Sanctuary (Community, BIPOC & Spanish), Breathing Space (where I teach public classes and bring yoga to people in recovery homes and prisons) and Bienestar (a program through Umass that offers wellness classes for the spanish speaking community). --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/steven-opalenik/support

Please join us for a timely conversation exploring insights, tools and practices to support ourselves, our families, our work and our communities during this season of confinement and constant, confusing, uncertain change. For most of us, our worlds came to a screeching pause in March and many of us remain under constraints on our movement and interactions -- turning our homes into seeming prisons at times.  In addition to this once-in-a-century pandemic, many parts of the globe are currently plagued with fires, hurricanes and other outstanding circumstances that force people into even greater lockdown in homes that may no longer feel safe. In conversation with an expert in prison rehabilitation and a Buddhist lama, we’ll explore questions such as:  How do we remain sane through all of this?  How can we remain positive and lifted up when everything around us seems to push us down?  How does this season actually serve us?  How do we regain our freedom and liberation? Jacques Verduin is the Founding Director and Minister of Transformation of Insight-Out as well as the Founder of its GRIP (Guiding Rage into Power) Program, a best-practices, comprehensive offender accountability program.  He has a 22-year history as a subject matter expert on prison rehabilitation programming, a record of successful pioneering and sustaining programs, and has cultivated a sizable network in the field. Currently Director of Insight-Out, Mr. Verduin founded the Insight Prison Project, which under his leadership produced the Victim Offender Education program. His efforts helped birth the Prison Mindfulness Initiative, the Prison Yoga Project, the Insight Garden Project, Veterans Healing Veterans, among others. All of these organizations are actively replicating. In addition to California, he is a consultant to the US State Department, and he and his staff has traveled abroad to train professionals in Guatemala, El Salvador, Bosnia and the Netherlands. Lama Tsomo is an American lama, author, and co-founder of the Namchak Foundation and Namchak Retreat Ranch.  Born Linda Pritzker, Lama Tsomo followed a path of spiritual inquiry and study that ultimately led to her ordination as one of the few American lamas in Tibetan Buddhism. Under the tutelage of Tulku Sangak Rinpoche, international holder of the Namchak lineage, Lama Tsomo has done extensive spiritual retreats in the U.S. and abroad, and is fluent in Tibetan. Today, she is dedicated to sharing the teachings of the Namchak lineage with Western students, bringing greater happiness and meaning to life through meditation practice, community and retreat. She is especially passionate about reaching young people and supporting those working for positive social change. Her teaching has inspired American and international students, who appreciate her informal, and often humorous, style. Lama Tsomo holds an M.A. in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Jungian studies. She is the author of three books: Why Is The Dalai Lama Always Smiling? A Westerner’s Introduction and Guide to Tibetan Buddhist Practice, The Lotus & The Rose, and The Dharma of Dogs. This conversation will be moderated by Mariette Fourmeaux, Founder and Executive Director of Brilliance Inside, a nonprofit with the mission of healing society’s cycle of violence by transforming prison from being strictly a container of violence to a creator of peace. 

Brian Bergman is a qualified Vet who currently works from a Veterinary Practice in Khayelitsha. Although this in itself would be a fascinating conversation, we ended up not discussing it at all. Instead I learned that he almost gave up Veterinary, in today's conversation we will hear how a trip to Nepal would lead him to an Ashram in India. Brian would end up spending a year studying at the Ashram, learning meditation and practicing Sivananda and Karma Yoga, the latter is very much focused on ‘service', with the intention of becoming more aware of self and to grow.  Brian shares some stories from his time at the Ashram and we will learn how it would go on to shape his approach to life.On his return to South Africa, Brian attempted to move away from Veterinary but was drawn back rather quickly, this time able to approach it with a whole new mindset which would give him deeper fulfillment.He wanted to continue the practice of service he had learnt at the Ashram so he created a Prison Yoga Project which he ran with a partner for 10 consecutive years. This experience would prove to be hugely beneficial for the prisoners but was also a deep learning experience for him too.Brian talks about how the practice of yoga has evolved for him, to be a mindful practice that he sets about maintaining throughout his day, by being present, aware and connected to his surroundings. This is something he shared with the prisoners too, many of whom would end up completing Yoga Instructor courses whilst in prison. It was really fascinating to hear about the project.Brian talks about how a difficult breakup with his long time partner would see him briefly turn away from all the practices he had learnt. It was at this time that he properly discovered the healing process of dance. We hear about his journey with dance and how he has managed to combine yogic practices with dance, to create deep transformational experiences.I really enjoyed our conversation, we explore what it means to be human and how, by being of service, we can transcend aspects of ourselves to enjoy a richer experience of life.I know you will find great value in this episode.Sign Up to our ‘Podcast Portal' for access to show notes, exclusive content and special offers.Sign Up > www.awakentonature.comJOIN THE COMMUNITY:Instagram > @awakentonatureFacebook > @awakentonature

A new chapter can mean many different things. In this case, it's a new opportunity for those incarcerated. Deanna Shultz was in attendance at Colorado Festival Production‘s Front Range Film Festival with her documentary short, A New Chapter. The documentary short explores the impact of Prison Yoga has on inmates. The Prison Yoga Project supports incarcerated people with trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness practices to promote rehabilitation, reduce recidivism, and improve public safety. ProNerd Kerry got all the details on the impact of the project and its portrayal in the documentary. For more that happened at the Front Range Film Festival 2020, as well as at other awesome events Project-Nerd has attended, take a look at our ProNerd Tour category.

My guest this episode is Jacque Crockford. Jacque is a volunteer with the Prison Yoga Project and an Exercise Physiologist at the American Council on Exercise.

Bill Brown, Executive Director and Tierney Lawson, Training and Professional Development Manager at The Prison Yoga Project

This week I interview Dragana Derlic about her research on alternative treatments for incarcerated people, specifically yoga and meditation.Dragana Derlic is a 3rd year PhD student at the University of Texas at Dallas. Her research interests are alternative forms of rehabilitation for the incarcerated. These include but not limited to Yoga, Mindfulness, Meditation and Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Along with rehabilitation she is interested in reentry programs and recidivism rates. She has published on Alternative Offender Rehabilitation Programs and their use in correctional settings. Her work can be found in the Journal of Correctional Health Care (forthcoming). Currently, she is working on a program evaluation design for the Prison Yoga Project.You can follow Dragana on Twitter @Dragana_Derlic.

Chanda Williams, MA, RYT, is a yoga therapist with a background in body mechanics, wellness coaching, and advanced training in trauma-informed yoga practices. Chanda has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering and a master's degree in integrative health studies, focusing on resiliency and wellness in the workplace. She is a doctoral student in the Somatic Studies specialization in the Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute and is interested in researching the transformative aspects of movement-based contemplative practices for trauma and post-traumatic stress. With a deep devotion to service, she taught trauma-informed yoga in the San Francisco County jail for two years prior to joining the Prison Yoga Project, where she has taught regularly since 2014 at San Quentin State Prison. Prior to returning to full-time graduate studies, Chanda designed and managed corporate wellness programs for Fortune 100 companies. In this episode we discuss Chanda’s work as a health and wellness consultant and a yoga therapist with the Prison Yoga Project.  Chanda teaches classes with incarcerated men to support them in their personal transformation through yoga practice.  She describes how this work touches the men but also how it has changed her. Combining her work as a yoga therapist and her doctoral studies in Depth Psychology, Chanda assists these men who are choosing deep, personal freedom through yoga, working to release the mental and spiritual shackles so many experience both within and beyond concrete prison walls. Links:www.prisonyogaproject.com www.yogawithchanda.com

Aaron fangirled a bit during Episode 4. Robert Sturman is more than a photographer. He is a linguist who captures the spirit and language of yoga in photography in a way we’ve never seen before. He reminds us that across cultures, across boundaries, we are all human. We can all practice and live yoga, despite any apparent differences in the way we look or speak. Plus, he calls Aaron a dude, which is the cherry on his Beyond Asana cake. Learn more about Robert's work and listen to his podcast, Asana Society, on his website.Support the show (http://www.patreon.com/beyondasana)

If you’ve ever been to a yoga class or practiced at home, you’ve probably noticed that it not only makes you feel stronger and more flexible, but also more peaceful, attuned and grounded. Rob Schware wants prisoners, recovering addicts and veterans to feel that, too. As the head of the Give Back Yoga Foundation, a non-profit organization that believes in making yoga available to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience its many benefits, he steers projects like the Prison Yoga Project, Yoga of 12-Step Recovery, and yoga4cancer, all with a goal to reducing suffering and elevating consciousness through yoga.   Guest Bio Rob Schware is the Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Give Back Yoga Foundation, a non-profit organization that believes in making yoga available to those who might not otherwise have the opportunity to experience its many benefits. Learn more at givebackyoga.org.   Connect with the 60 Mindful Minutes podcast   Web: https://kristenmanieri.com  Email: Kristen@kristenmanieri.com    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/60MindfulMinutes Instagram: @kristenmanieri_ 

Tierra B is a yoga teacher and boss babe entrepreneur hailing from District Heights, Maryland. I was fortunate to meet her recently when she came to Nashville for a Prison Yoga Project training here, and was immediately drawn to her presence. Tierra recently left a career in law enforcement to pursue her passion full-time, and in our conversation we talk about how that transition came about, the perks and struggles of entrepreneur life, and how easy it is to get sucked into the pressures in our consumer culture when what matters a lot more to her is spending time under the sun every day. You can find Tierra on Instagram at @yogi.tb — for show notes, visit www.wonderwelltherapy.com/blog/wtfp-10 .

Tierra B is one of those people that magnetizes any room she walks into. I met Tierra at the Prison Yoga Project training in Nashville a couple months ago, and have loved following her online since then. With a bachelors in Crime, Law, and Justice, and a masters in Forensics, Tierra started her career in federal law enforcement. Eventually, patriarchal bullshit (my words, not hers) was a big part of what made the work environment so toxic for her that she knew it was time to take a gamble and go all-in with yoga. In this episode, Tierra and I talk about: her transition from law enforcement to full-time yoga the injustice of how our modern criminal justice system dehumanizes people who are incarcerated how she felt super uncomfortable in her first experiences of yoga, but now views discomfort as something we should lean into rather than avoid the rollercoaster of entrepreneurship and her must-do daily self-care routines spiritual connection with nature how we get sucked into the consumer culture and the ongoing practice of prioritizing core values and goals over short-term "wants" our shared struggle with the snooze button Thanks for listening, and if you dig, please share it with a friend and review the podcast on iTunes because it helps more people find it! xx About Tierra B Tierra B, (AKA YogiTB) hails from Prince Georges County, Maryland. She is a yoga student, freelance yoga instructor, mindfulness advocate, health & wellness advocate for people of color. Tierra decided to pursue yoga her freshman year of college as her gym credit and found it as an outlet, mentally, spiritually, physically and emotionally. Ever since, she has advocated for the education and experience of living a more holistic, healthier lifestyle. Moving every day to motivate her students to practice self-care and build mindfulness practices. She is half of NamaSIP and creator of Flow2Glow, LLC. Tierra has practiced yoga for ten years and has been a 200hr. RYT since 2017. Tierra is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University (BS) & Stevenson University (MS). She completed Yoga4Trauma Training, February 2018 and completed the Prison Yoga Project training, May 2018 in Nashville, TN. The type of classes YogiTB offers, are more of a flow, breath centered, free spirited vibe. She offers private, group & community classes. YogiTB works with all types of communities from schools to professional athletes. She teaches vinyasa, yin, restorative, trauma based and Trap Yoga. She promotes loving kindness practices & intentional actions/ways of living. Constantly motivating her students to vibrate high. Her aesthetic is positive energy & vibes just flowing. Tierra is a firm believer in your actions leave such a lasting impact on those you come into contact with. Mentioned on Today's Show: Sophie's Choice by Jostein Gaarder Prison Yoga Project Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness Jenny Blake's interview with My Morning Routine author Benjamin Spall on the Pivot Podcast

James Fox is the founder of the Prison Yoga Project, an organization that teaches yoga and meditation inside prisons. He works with prisoners who've been impacted by chronic interpersonal trauma most of their lives. His goal is meet these prisoners with dignity and understanding and to inspire positive behavioral change.

James Fox is the founder of the Prison Yoga Project, an organization that teaches yoga and meditation inside prisons. He works with prisoners who've been impacted by chronic interpersonal trauma most of their lives. His goal is meet these prisoners with dignity and understanding and to inspire positive behavioral change.

The practice of yoga frees us. Physical poses help release patterns of tension, while meditation and present-moment awareness help free us from the prison of our minds. These benefits apply to everyone, even those in the most trying circumstances. James Fox, author of Prison Yoga Project: A Path for Healing and Recovery, has been teaching yoga twice a week at San Quentin Prison for the past 13 years. James has also trained more than 800 yoga teachers, with many of these currently teaching in more than 75 jails, prisons, and/or recovery centers. James Fox joins the Yoga Hour's cohost, Laurel Trujillo, M.D., in a conversation about the many ways yoga contributes to our freedom.

Dr. Richard Miller interviews James Fox, the founder and director of the Prison Yoga Project, an organization dedicated to establishing yoga and mindfulness meditation programs in prisons and rehabilitation centers worldwide. Since 2002, he has been teaching yoga and meditation to male prisoners at California’s San Quentin Prison as well as other State prisons.

San Quentin Prison is not the typical locale for a yoga class. James Fox, founder of the Prison Yoga Project,  however teaches three classes a week here in an effort to bring the rehabilitative benefits of yoga to prisoners. For the past decade James has dedicated himself to at-risk populations in detention centres, residential treatment facilities and prisons. He is a firm believer in the power of yoga and mindfulness to assist in working with emotional and psychological issues. Incarceration leads to severe mental, emotional and physcial distress with many suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Helping prisoners learn non-reactivity, self-control and self acceptance is key. Join James as he shares his extraordinary experiences and compassionate insights. Your yoga practice may never be the same.Support the show (https://yogainmyschool.com/?p=13405)

San Quentin Prison is not the typical locale for a yoga class. James Fox, founder of the Prison Yoga Project,  however teaches three classes a week here in an effort to bring the rehabilitative benefits of yoga to prisoners. For the past decade James has dedicated himself to at-risk populations in detention centres, residential treatment facilities and prisons. He is a firm believer in the power of yoga and mindfulness to assist in working with emotional and psychological issues. Incarceration leads to severe mental, emotional and physcial distress with many suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). Helping prisoners learn non-reactivity, self-control and self acceptance is key. Join James as he shares his extraordinary experiences and compassionate insights. Your yoga practice may never be the same.Support the show (https://yogainmyschool.com/?p=13405)