Healing Trauma Inside San Quentin with Bessel van der Kolk and Licia Sky, co-founders of the Trauma Research Foundation
By James Fox, PYP Founder What happens when some of the world’s leading voices on trauma step inside a notorious prison? On April 10, San Quentin welcomed Dr. Bessel van der Kolk—psychiatrist, researcher, and author of the groundbreaking The Body Keeps the Score—along with somatic educator Licia Sky. Hosted by San Quentin Mental Health in collaboration […]
From Inner War to Inner Peace: Yoga for Men in Norrköping, Sweden
Prison Officer. Space Holder. Healer.
By Nicole Hellthaler, Executive Director, Prison Yoga Project Author’s note: I usually use the term “incarcerated people” when referring to those behind bars, as it centers their humanity. In this piece, you’ll also see the word “prisoner,” which reflects the language more commonly used in the UK and in my conversation with Oana. Language, like […]
Bringing Yoga to Parliament: Emma Smallman on Centering Hidden Voices
Hi, I’m Emma Smallman, based in Birmingham, UK—originally from the Lake District, where my journey began in very different surroundings. For 14 years, I worked with Geese Theatre Company, using drama in prisons and recovery settings to help people explore change and personal responsibility. It was deep, transformative work—and it led me to places I […]
Showing Up Matters: Reflections from RISE25
By Nicole Hellthaler, Executive Director, Prison Yoga Project From May 28th through June 1st, I had the privilege of representing Prison Yoga Project (PYP) at the RISE25 Conference in Kissimmee, Florida. Hosted by All Rise—a national training, membership, and advocacy organization focused on improving justice system responses to substance use and mental health disorders—this conference […]
Yoga and Active Listening in the Juvenile Justice System: A Meeting Ground for Transformation
By Paulo Gombos, Co-Founder of The Atma Institute and PYP Brazil Director We believe that true transformation happens when we are seen, heard, and welcomed. Since I began teaching yoga in a juvenile detention center a little over two years ago, I’ve experienced moments that reaffirm this belief every day. The practice of yoga goes […]
Prison Yoga Project at the 36th Annual Trauma Research Foundation Conference
By James Fox, Founding Director On May 14, Prison Yoga Project had the honor of presenting at the 36th Annual International Trauma Conference, hosted by the Trauma Research Foundation (TRF) in Boston. As a proud therapeutic alliance partner of TRF—founded by world-renowned trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk—we were invited to offer a workshop […]
From the Inside Out: How Yoga Teacher Training is Transforming Lives Behind Bars
Inside a correctional facility in New Hampshire, a group of women came together each week from June to December 2024—not just to stretch, breathe, or learn how to guide a yoga class, but to take part in something far more profound: a process of self-reclamation. Fourteen women completed the Yoga, Social Justice, and Leadership 200-Hour […]
House of Lords Presentation
I along with PYP’s European Program Director Josefin Wikstrom, and the principal researcher for our programs in Europe, Nora Kerkes, were invited to make a presentation at the UK Parliament’s House of Lords for a special convening on Yoga in Society: Yoga in the Criminal Justice System. This is part of an ongoing Parliamentarian program […]