Do we have a special episode for you. Sonia Brown-Diaz joined us from Brisbane, Australia, on October 28th, 2022.

She shares her purpose, heart-work, and journey working with incarcerated populations throughout Australia. We witness the story of her path unfolding through chapters of navigating grief, PTSD, and finding yoga. She speaks so eloquently of how yoga helped her reconnect to her body and more.

As with most of the conversations we host, we speak of sensitive topics. We invite you to join when you are feeling resourced.

Sonia Brown-Diaz (RYT-200) has been using trauma-informed yoga practices for over 16 yrs as a path to healing from the seemingly insurmountable grief and subsequent PTSD she experienced following the stillbirth of her twin sons (Izaak and Kurtis) in 2003.

After having completed PYP training in Brixton in 2018, Sonia’s innate desire to work with marginalised groups didn’t require any further thought. Since then, Sonia has founded Yoga on the Inside (an affiliate partner of PYP and Australian Ambassador), and has introduced trauma-informed yoga classes and programs (over 15 programs across 9 prisons) around Australia. With the assistance of some wonderful facilitators that Yoga on the Inside has engaged, and the support and mentorship of PYP’s global sangha, the programs are gaining more interest as the evidence of their benefits on incarcerated persons continues to become more and more evident.

Being able to mentor and guide facilitators here in Australia who want to take on this path of karma yoga is a blessing and sharing this practice on a weekly basis with people who are incarcerated is something that is never taken for granted. Sharing space and building healthy relationships with other human beings is immeasurable.

Your host Blaire Embrey (RYT 500), is the Communications Manager for Prison Yoga Project and the producer of Prison Yoga Project Podcast. She is a student of Tibetan Buddhism, Post-Lineage Yoga, and Peruvian Mountain Shamanism; she is pulled towards the profound mystery of existence, cultivating compassion for all beings and holding space.

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