Calendar

This series is brought to the community through the ARPA American Rescue Plan Act project "Resources, Service and Intervention for Youth and Families" to support mental health in the community. We have collaborated with Yoga4Change to instruct these classes using their curriculum. For more information, including an overview and details please read below. The series is free for teens and yoga mats will be provided. Friday dates:

September 8 and 22

October 13 and 27

November 17

December 1

Overview:

Yoga 4 Change (Y4C) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that fosters holistic wellbeing, resilience, and transformation for individuals and communities through evidence-based trauma-informed curricula. Through our proprietary programming, Y4C offers effective tools to underrepresented populations who have experienced, or have a high likelihood of experiencing trauma, systemic racism, and economic and environmental pressures to overcome and heal from these experiences on their own terms. Y4C achieves this by: a. Providing yoga classes to marginalized populations that explore breathing techniques and mindfulness movement practices aimed at addressing trauma stored in the body; b. Implementing a proprietary, theme-based curriculum that focuses on the physical and emotional aspects of healing from trauma; c. Integrating a therapeutic writing component in each class that draws from themes such as: gratitude, self-acceptance, peer pressure and influence, forgiveness, expectations, and vulnerability; d. Recognizing that the heart of our organization is our highly-qualified teachers who are trained specifically to teach populations affected by trauma and other mental health conditions.

Program components include:

• Grounding Mindfulness Practice • Physical Yoga Practice (e.g., yoga forms or yoga sequencing) that incorporates a Y4C curriculum theme • Mindfulness Practice (NOTE: The mindfulness practice allows individuals to focus on their breath, emotions, and feelings in a healthy and positive way.) • Discussion and Data Collection

Over the course of instruction, the outcomes participants can achieve include:

• Positive and healthy coping tools to increase mood and decrease levels of stress and anxiety • Physical health and techniques to naturally activate the Parasympathetic Nervous System (rest and digest) • Techniques to improve impulse control and emotional regulation reducing the risk of suicide amongst youth • Develop social and emotional competencies to integrate into daily life pressures such as abstinence from substance use and adolescent sexual involvement • Develop intrapersonal skills, positive attitudes about themselves and peers • Understand how to identify and articulate feelings