We have offered classes weekly to Correctional Programming since 2014, and have grown to offering 8 classes/week, in each correctional facility in Duval County. It costs our organization $55,000 a year to run the program. Every dollar donated will ensure our programing can empower those inside to believe that they are stronger than they know, that they are able to forgive themselves and make amends, and that they can change their own outcomes.
Incarceration results in multiple short- and long-term detrimental effects on the incarcerated individual, their family, and their community. People who are incarcerated suffer from greater than average rates of psychological distress, vulnerability to disease, premature death, cardiovascular disease, depression, behavioral problems, under- or unemployment, and other physical and mental stressors. Incarceration and its effects are a public health crisis.
Yoga 4 Change offers a novel low-cost, healthy way to treat trauma and improve mental and physical health by integrating physical movement with thematic teachings. These teachings are specifically developed for people who are incarcerated. This approach breaks down barriers and confronts emotional and physical limitations, while providing tools tools that help students reconstruct their thinking so they can focus on how to move through their past and start contributing to society.
To date, Yoga 4 Change correctional programming has demonstrated statistically significant improvements in health, sleep, forgiveness, self-compassion, emotional regulation, and anger management. Participants experience less anxiety and more positive growth in response to highly stressful or traumatic life events. Yoga 4 Change programming offers concrete tools that can change how participants manage stress and improve mental and physical well-being.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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