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 brought together over 8,000 professionals from across the country.
Across four powerful days, RISE25 featured hundreds of training sessions and continuing education opportunities for professionals working in justice, treatment, peer support, and social services. From reentry to recovery management, trauma-informed care to community policing, the conference created a dynamic space where ideas were exchanged, lessons were shared, and hope for systemic change felt tangible.
Leading with Practice
Conference attendees participate in a morning chair yoga session led by Nicole Hellthaler
Each morning, Prison Yoga Project was honored to offer yoga sessions for conference attendees. These sessions provided a unique opportunity for people—many of whom had never practiced yoga before—to experience our evidence-based, trauma-informed chair yoga sequence. We welcomed judges, probation officers, peer specialists, and more into the space of mindful movement and breath. One moment that particularly stood out was a heartfelt exchange with a judge from Alabama who joined his first-ever yoga class with me—and loved it.
Greg Nardi of Yoga 4 Change also led two sessions each day. His offerings—a mindful yoga practice rooted in trauma-informed principles, and a deeply restorative Yoga Nidra session—introduced participants to powerful tools for managing stress, reconnecting with the body, and supporting personal growth. His presence and curriculum, built on research and years of experience, complemented our shared mission beautifully.
Breath, Movement, Mind: Our Collaborative Presentation
One of the highlights of the week was our Thursday presentation: Breath, Movement, Mind: Tools for Enhanced Recovery, Treatment, and Self-Care. I was joined by Greg Nardi and Tremonte Flowers from Yoga 4 Change, along with Judge Dan Healy, a graduate of PYP’s yoga teacher training. Judge Healy opened the session by speaking candidly about how yoga has supported his own well-being—and why he believes it belongs in the justice system.
I followed by exploring the connection between trauma and the nervous system, and how yoga and mindfulness can help people regulate their internal experiences. I shared research demonstrating the impact of yoga on those who are incarcerated—including increased emotional regulation, empathy, and impulse control.
Session attendees practicing a mindful movement break led by Prison Yoga Project.
Greg shared compelling impact data on Yoga 4 Change’s curriculum, and Tremonte brought the power of personal testimony, describing his experience teaching yoga in prison and witnessing transformation firsthand.
Over 200 people attended the session, and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Many approached me afterward, eager to learn how they could bring yoga and mindfulness into their own institutions. While there is still work to be done in shifting perceptions around the role of embodied practices in justice settings, being given the space—and the audience—for this conversation felt like a real milestone.
Why We Show Up
At the heart of our work at PYP is weekly, in-person practice. My favorite part of this job remains leading yoga classes each week at my local jail. It’s in those moments—on the mat, in community—where healing happens.
But attending conferences like RISE25 matters, too. If we want to change systems, we have to meet people where they are. That includes engaging with judges, parole officers, social workers, and other justice professionals to offer them new tools, perspectives, and possibilities. We must continue to advocate for a more compassionate, trauma-informed approach—one that includes practices like yoga and mindfulness not as “extras,” but as essential components of healing justice.
We are also eager to partner with treatment courts, drug courts, and veterans courts to bring our evidence-based practices to a larger community of system-impacted people.
This week reminded me: change happens through relationships, through courage, and through showing up. And we’re here for it.
You can learn more about Yoga 4 Change here: https://www.y4c.org
You can learn more about All Rise here: https://allrise.org
