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yoga for people with socioeconomic challenges yoga for people with socioeconomic challenges

This page offers resources of possible interest on the topic of yoga for people with socioeconomic challenges—including people who are homeless, in prison, living in shelters, or otherwise "at risk". A Red Lotus recognizes that the work of countless individuals who volunteer time to offer yoga to people who might not otherwise have access is not well-represented here. Please email suggestions, changes, additions, edits, etc. to information@ARedLotus.org.

DISCLAIMER: Inclusion in this resource list does not imply endorsement by A Red Lotus, indicate a resource's quality, or indicate that any resource will be appropriate for any individual.

yoga for people with socioeconomic challenges organizations and other projects of interest
 

  • The Art of Yoga Project
    The Art of Yoga Project offers a yoga and creative arts curriculum for at-risk teen women. They works with girls in the California (Bay Area) and Oregon (Ashland) juvenile justice systems. Ten organizations across the country have purchased their curriculum.
  • ARRIVE Program - Yoga for At Risk Youth and Adults
    The ARRIVE program is a movement and yoga based program that integrates the tools of Somatic Experiencing in order to address issues and symptoms of trauma often present in incarcerated and marginalized youth. Its founder, Hala Khouri, travels nationally and works with YogaEd to train yoga teachers working with the at risk community. A manual also is available through YogaEd.
  • Doing More Than Time Prison Project
    Doing More Than Time provides yoga and meditation instruction to inmates and staff members in the federal prison system in NYC.
  • Give Back Yoga Foundation
    The Give Back Yoga Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting certified yoga teachers in offering the principles of yoga to underserved socio-economic groups. They partner with other organizations and individuals to obtain funding for this work..
  • Heart Mountain Prison Project (HMPP)
    HMPP is a 501(c)(3) that provides non-denominational meditation and yoga classes at six prisons and juvenile facilities throughout New Mexico. In addition to offering classes, they have published an inmate's meditation manual. Classes are offered as monthly full-day workshops and as weekly one-hour classes.
  • Insight Prison Project
    The Insight Prison Project conducts in-prison rehabilitation programs for prisoners. Working in partnership with San Quentin State Prison, IPP conducts 19 weekly classes involving more than 200 prisoners. This project's programs include hatha yoga classes. There are currently three weekly yoga classes offered; two as part of the Success Program and one for life sentenced men. The class introduces them to a challenging yet at the same time nurturing practice. The class is additionally geared toward applying the principles of yoga to emotional competency, particularly as it relates to anger, frustration and impulse control.
  • Journeying Toward Wholeness
    Julie Russel teaches yoga in a Tennessee prison.
  • Karma Krew
    Karma Krew is a non-profit organization whose mission is to mobilize the yoga community to expand the practice beyond the walls of the studios and into the hearts of our communities. It provides yoga-based programs to underserved populations nationwide.
  • The Lineage Project
    The Lineage Project teaches at-risk and incarcerated New York City teenagers awareness-based practices, such as yoga and meditation. They also train teachers to do this work.
  • Living Yoga
    Living Yoga is an Oregon-based non-profit outreach program teaching yoga in prisons, drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers, transitional facilities, and to populations who would otherwise not have access to it.
  • New Leaf Yoga Foundation
    New Leaf Yoga Foundation teaches yoga asanas (yoga poses) and seated meditation to at-risk and incarcerated youth. They also provide support for teachers and facilities so that long-term, committed programs can be implemented and maintained. They also sponsor guest speakers, teachers and performers to visit youth at detention facilities.
  • Niroga
    Niroga™ brings yoga to underserved communities, including children with special needs, at-risk youth, and the elderly with their Yoga Corps™ community outreach (with classes and workshops in the Bay Area community and at their studio). They also are developing and disseminate yoga therapy protocols and educational materials for chronic medical conditions. Additionally, they are a leader in yoga therapeutics research.
  • One Yoga
    One Yoga's mission is to make yoga accessible to people who traditionally lack access. They do that by offering sliding fee studio classes and by partnering with non-profit and governmental organizations in the Twin Cities, offering on-site yoga programs to clients and staff.
  • Parinaama Prison Project
    The Parinaama Prison Project is a volunteer effort to bring hatha yoga (in the Anusara tradition) to the prisoners in the prison of Atlacholoaya (near Mexico City). It is a firmly established and an accepted part of the prison's activities.
  • Prison Phoenix Trust
    The Prison Phoenix Trust brings the practices of meditation and yoga to prisoners and prison staff around the UK and Eire through teaching, workshops, correspondence, books and newsletters.
  • Prison Yoga Project
    The mission of the Prison Yoga Project is to bring the practices of hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation to prisons and rehabilitation facilities, and to provide training for yoga instructors interested in teaching to at-risk populations in prisons, residential rehabilitation facilities, and community programs. The Prison Yoga Project therefore advises prisons, private entities and individuals about establishing yoga programs as part of a rehabilitation program, and provides an already proven to be effective curriculum and facilitation protocol.
  • Radha Yoga Youth Outreach
    This not-for-profit charity offers yoga to marginalized youth in approximately twenty-five locations in Ottawa. Their yoga and discussion classes offer gentle hatha yoga after establishing a safe space for all participants. Suitable for beginners, their hatha yoga classes focus on the use of breath, an introduction to the practice of awareness, and relaxation. The classes include open and reflective discussions on: stress management, goal creation, self-care, preventative strategies and self-empowerment. They also offer Body-Talks, a self-esteem initiative for girls and young women, using yoga, art, and writing.
  • Resolve to Stop the Violence Program (RSVP)
    RSVP's offender restoration programs for inmates include yoga.
  • Sanctuary for Families Yoga Program
    Sanctuary for Families is a vital organization that provides shelter and support to victims of domestic violence. Little Flower Yoga has partnered with Sanctuary for Families to bring yoga classes to children and mothers who couldn't otherwise afford them.
  • Siddha Yoga Prison Project
    The Prison Project provides more than 150 trained satsang coordinators who visit prisons and conduct satsangs. In these satsangs students chant, meditate, and participate in exercises on the current focus of Siddha Yoga study. The project also includes corresponding with inmates to answer sadhana questions and donating Siddha Yoga books and photos. They also offer a free home study course for prisoners. More than 6000 inmates are enrolled in the course in more than 1500 prisons in North America, Europe, and Australia.
  • Southern Arizona Prison Project
    The Southern Arizona Prison Project teaches Buddhist philosophy, meditation and yoga in prisons across the United States. The courses and accompanying materials are offered free of charge.
  • Sivananda Prison Outreach Project
    The Project: sends Yoga books to prisoners; correspondence with prisoners; teaching hatha yoga, yoga philosophy, and meditation in prisons; and making personal visits to prisoners.
  • Street Yoga
    Street Yoga teaches yoga, mindfulness and compassionate communication to youth and families struggling with homelessness, poverty, abuse, addiction, trauma, and neurological and psychiatric issues. They serve more than twenty-two schools, shelters, treatment centers and residential facilities in Portland and Seattle, and they train teachers to do this work around the world.
  • Tapas Yoga Project
    This Oregon-based project offers yoga courses with the aim of providing at-risk youth yogic tools. Furthermore, teens who demonstrate a keen interest in yoga are allowed to attend publicly held yoga classes. Aside from further supporting their rehabilitation, this opportunity provides teens with an opportunity to interact with a diverse population of yoga practitioners. The project also offers yoga scholarships to the staff and faculty of the organization where they conduct their teen yoga programs.
  • TeraMundi World Wellness
    TeraMundi World Wellness is a not-for-profit organization founded by Joseph & Lillian LePage in an effort to get therapeutic yoga to underserved populations. TeraMundi grants funds to certified yoga instructors for specific programs and populations, but also provides expertise in setting up and implementation of these programs. TeraMundi has funded yoga for breast cancer survivors, yoga for alzheimer's, yoga for the deaf and blind, yoga for depression, yoga for inner city youth, yoga for weight management for Hispanic and Native American populations, and yoga in domestic violence shelters. There are several more programs waiting to get started.
  • Tranquil Space Foundation
    In partnership with schools and community groups, this DC-based nonprofit foundation's TranquilTeens program provides workshops for girls in grades 9-12 that focus on yoga, health, creativity, and leadership. The foundation also contributes to a wide range of programs and organizations that benefit women and girls.
  • Y.O.G.A. for Youth
    Los Angeles-based Y.O.G.A. for Youth offers arts, yoga, and meditation classes for programs to youth in the juvenile detention system, Upward Bound, Boys and Girls clubs, and other after school programs and youth centers. The classes include applications to stress, anger management, and other life situations. They also offer teacher training in the Kundalini tradition as well as certification to teach with their program.
  • Yoga Behind Bars
    Yoga Behind Bars offers yoga to prisoners and "at risk" populations in Seattle.
  • Yoga Dana Foundation
    Yoga Dana Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable organization whose mission is to support yoga teachers who bring yoga to underserved communities. Yoga Dana Foundation is funded by grants from its supporting foundation, the California Yoga Teachers Association. They have funded several of the projects listed on this page.
  • Yoga Outreach
    Volunteer yoga teachers with Vancouver-based Yoga Outreach work with people in health care settings (physical and mental), shelters, treatment facilities and correctional institutions who would not otherwise have access to yoga. The organization supports volunteers with educational programs, equipment, meetings, and newsletters.
  • Yoga Youth Dharma
    Youth Yoga Dharma offers meditation and yoga classes at a variety of San Francisco Bay area organizations, including schools and youth residential facilities. They also offer stress reduction and yoga for the staff of youth organizations, mindfulness training for educators and staff of youth organizations, and a parental wellness program.
  • YogaEd
    YogaEd offers training to use YogaEd Tools for At Risk Youth. These are simple, yoga-based exercises and activities, such as breathing, basic poses, games, relaxation and visualization, that are designed for a classroom or recreational room type setting, need no extra space or equipment and take only 5 - 15 minutes. Their workshops for working with at risk youth and adults are offered in cooperation with Hala Khouri's ARRIVE Program.
  • yogaHOPE
    yogaHOPE offers rehabilitative yoga programs in residential facilities for underserved women in substance abuse recovery, poor and homeless women, and victims of domestic violence. They provide donated yoga clothing and supplies to the students and make the practice accessible to all abilities. They also offer scholarships to attend teacher certification programs and become eligible for employment as a yoga instructor.

yoga for people with socioeconomic challenges yoga teacher training for people with socioeconomic challenges
 

yoga for people with socioeconomic challenges books
 

yoga for people with socioeconomic challenges selected video media available online
 

yoga for people with socioeconomic challenges selected publications available online
 

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