Teaching Yoga Without Cultural Appropriation When people talk about cultural appropriation in Yoga they often cite expensive mainstream studios where teachers are typically white, thin, cis and able-bodied. But the truth is that anyone - even a volunteer Yoga teacher in a prison or addiction recovery centre – can be guilty of culturally appropriating Yoga. So what's the best way of teaching service yoga without cultural appropriation? This article explains how Yoga Outreach prepares  our volunteer yoga teachers to address cultural appropriation in service settings, such as prisons, transition houses, and mental health and addiction recovery centres. Know the [...]

If you’re a holistic Yoga teacher, you may be wondering if it’s really necessary to take a trauma informed yoga training. But until you’ve tried an entire class with only invitational language, you just can’t know how it feels. Here are a few of the beautiful reasons that trauma informed Yoga is different for students.  1. Invitational Language Feels Incredible As I mentioned above, invitational language feels incredible in the ear, and on the mind. It's as if, at every moment, someone is passing you the power to decide how you want to spend your next moment.  Trauma informed [...]

Yoga Outreach has been providing trauma-informed yoga classes to justice-involved and at-risk youth for 18 years.   Based on the empirical studies that have established trauma-informed yoga as an evidence-based treatment intervention, and the observations of Yoga Outreach teachers, Yoga Outreach submitted a proposal to the Department of Justice to examine the efficacy of trauma-based yoga, and similar mindfulness-based stress reduction programs, as a promising adjunctive treatment intervention for justice involved youth receiving treatment for substance use disorders.   This study examines published studies and “grey literature” on both the standard substance use treatment models as well as a small, but [...]

Yoga Outreach has been providing trauma-informed yoga classes to justice-involved and at-risk youth for 18 years.   Based on the empirical studies that have established trauma-informed yoga as an evidence-based treatment intervention, and the observations of Yoga Outreach teachers, Yoga Outreach submitted a proposal to the Department of Justice to examine the efficacy of trauma-based yoga, and similar mindfulness-based stress reduction programs, as a promising adjunctive treatment intervention for justice involved youth receiving treatment for substance use disorders.   This study examines published studies and “grey literature” on both the standard substance use treatment models as well as a small, but [...]

Yoga Outreach and BC Society of Transition Houses launching 5-year  research project called "Reaching Out with Yoga"  funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada that will provide trauma-sensitive yoga programming for women and children in transition houses across BC.   VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA (March 30, 2016) - Domestic violence affects many women and children in BC. Programs that complement Transition House services, such as Reaching Out With Yoga, are an important part of supporting families as they leave their lives behind, and try to start over.   Yoga Outreach is non-profit that has been providing weekly yoga programs in various social [...]