Donations
The Prison Yoga Project (PYP) was founded by James Fox at California’s San Quentin State Prison, where he’s been teaching yoga and mindfulness practices to prisoners since 2002. James’s groundbreaking work with prisoners has earned international acclaim in the yoga community and growing recognition in American prisons. Please help us accelerate this incredible momentum. Help spread the transformational values of yoga and meditation to every prison!
An Opportunity To Be Of Service
You may never set foot in a prison, but you can directly and profoundly influence a prisoner’s life — help transform the lives and behavior of those who are released into our communities.
ESTABLISH AND SUPPORT CLASSES IN PRISON
Winning prison administrators over is job one. They insist on sustainable programs. Once programs begin, teacher well-being has a direct impact on the consistency and quality of classes taught. Our teachers work entirely voluntarily now, bearing all costs themselves. To maintain consistency we need to begin to help teachers meet their expenses which include training, transportation, preparation, work missed. Help teachers help prisoners.
Can you chip in $10 or more?
TRAIN FORMER PRISONERS TO BECOME CERTIFIED YOGA TEACHERS
It’s not unusual for a select group of former prisoners who have become committed yogis under our guidance to wish to become teachers. These men have transformed their lives and wish to give back upon their release. On average it costs $3,500 to complete a 200 hr. RYT certification training. Your donation provides scholarships for these well-qualified men to lead productive, service-oriented lives. Help prisoners teach yoga.
Can you chip in $10 or more?
PRINT AND SHIP BOOKS TO PRISONERS
Since early 2010, our illustrated manual for prisoners “Yoga, A Path for Healing and Recovery” has been sent at no cost to more than 7,000 prisoners. With modest promotion we can create and meet the demand for 3,000 – 4,000 books next year alone! When we can’t reach a prisoner personally, this is the next best thing. Send a prisoner a book (or buy one for yourself), here.
*We ship free to prisoners, we ship free to you.
PayPal provides us with your shipping address.
Send A Book A Month To A Prisoner
TRAIN YOGA TEACHERS HOW TO TEACH IN PRISON
More Trainings mean more teachers going into more prisons. We’ve conducted Trainings in six large prison-intensive American cities NY/New Jersey (12-1,2) still on this year’s schedule. With Chicago confirmed for April, our goal for 2013 is to train in one to two new cities every month. We operate at or near breakeven to make the weekend Training affordable to teachers…accelerating the schedule means new expense, chip in to help cover costs and provide partial and full scholarships when needed. Help train more teachers.
Can you chip in $10 or more?
SUPPORT THE OVERALL WORK
Imagine the personal value of a yoga practice to someone in constant confinement, solitary or worse. Think of the impact on prisons and prisoner culture when more-and-more prisoners are practicing yoga. The effect borders on the miraculous. We need your help to expand our efforts, to conduct research, advocate with prison administrations, provide training materials, yoga mats, class curriculum…and train new leaders. Bring the transformational value of yoga and meditation into every prison in this country! Your generous donation and continuing support is gratefully received…and tax deductible.
If you’d like to donate, make your check payable to Prison Yoga Project or Give Back Yoga Foundation, PO Box 415, Bolinas CA, 94924. Give Back Yoga Foundation (our sponsor) is a 501c3 non-profit organization.
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“What I received from the yoga classes is an avenue to live a life that is, well, so much more alive. I’ve learned that I can live in the present with an awareness I never felt possible and lead a life that is healthy, grounded and true.” PYP Incarcerated Student
