Full Circle: Welcoming Darnell “Moe” Washington to the PYP Board
With heartfelt gratitude and great enthusiasm, I’m honored to share that Darnell “Moe” Washington—a former participant in yoga programming at San Quentin—is Prison Yoga Project’s newest board member. Why is this so meaningful? Because Moe embodies the transformation we hope for all those who practice yoga in prison—to become their full selves, to care deeply […]
It’s an Inside Job: A Book, a New Beginning, and a Growing Movement in Sweden
By the Prison Yoga Project Scandinavia Team We have some big news to share — and we’re taking a moment to celebrate. Prison Yoga Project Scandinavia has officially launched our new website, and we now have formal nonprofit status in Sweden. This has been a long and sometimes challenging journey. Navigating the Swedish bureaucratic system as […]
From Incarceration To Leadership: Nicole B’s Journey With Prison Yoga Project
By Nicole Belonga, East Coast Regional Coordinator, Prison Yoga Project Last fall, I found myself standing beside Jen Lindgren who teaches yoga inside the prison where I was once incarcerated. We were at a public luncheon, representing Prison Yoga Project, answering questions about a program that had quite literally changed the trajectory of my life. […]
Clarity, Community, and the Refusal to Look Away
By Jen Lindgren, Training Manager, Prison Yoga Project As of last week, Prison Yoga Project’s 10th cohort of Yoga, Social Justice, and Leadership—our 200-hour virtual yoga teacher training—is officially underway. Our first live session took place on Thursday, January 15, marking the beginning of our largest cohort to date. This cohort brings together participants from […]
Yoga as a Path to Freedom: The Journey of Tien Nguyen
Photo: Anna Proctor, Tien Nguyen, and Jeff Kohler, representing Yoga Bridge, Prison Yoga Project, and the Omer G. Voss Family Foundation. By Tien Nguyen, Prison Yoga Project Facilitator and Family Bridges Instructor I often say that yoga found me when I needed it most. My name is Tien Nguyen, and I am a yoga facilitator […]
The Quiet Work of Changing a Culture of Violence
By Nicole Hellthaler, Executive Director Earlier this month, The New Yorker published a powerful and painful article titled “A Year of Convulsions in New York’s Prisons”. It recounts the killing of Robert Brooks, a man who was beaten to death by correctional officers while incarcerated at Marcy Correctional Facility, and the months of upheaval that followed across New […]
At Pendleton, Yoga Is Community
By Betsie Davis, Prison Yoga Project Facilitator and Operations Coordinator When people hear “Prison Yoga Project,” they often imagine straightforward yoga classes in prisons. But for those of us facilitating these sessions, the reality is far more profound. I began volunteering with PYP in 2019 at Indiana State Prison, one of the country’s oldest facilities. […]
Healing the Body, Healing the Heart: Lessons from Yoga and Restorative Circles in Mexican Prisons
Prison Yoga Project is deeply grateful for the leadership and vision of Luisa Pérez, who has guided PYP–Mexico for the past eight years. As she steps down from her role, Luisa shares—in her own words—the journey, challenges, and profound impact of bringing yoga behind bars in Mexico. I write this article in the final month of […]
Behind the Scenes: Creating PYP’s First Graphic Novel
By Nicole Hellthaler, Executive Director At Prison Yoga Project, we love to share stories of impact—how yoga is reaching people in prisons and jails, and how it’s reshaping communities. Today’s story is a little different. We want to take you behind the scenes and share how our team created something brand new: our first-ever graphic […]