"After a Street Yoga class I feel more collected, not scattered."

- Street Yoga Youth Participant
Dear friends,

As we mentioned in our last email, Street Yoga is shifting to using the language of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) to talk about traumatic life stressors.  We're dedicating this email giving you a little more information about what ACEs are and why they matter for Street Yoga and our communities.


 

In 1995 the Center for Disease Control and Kaiser Permanente studied 17,000 Kaiser patients regarding childhood abuse, neglect, and exposure to other traumatic stressors, and looked at their health outcomes. Their research findings showed that as exposure to toxic stress before the age of 18 increased, so did the individual's risk for health problems such as alcoholism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, depression, STDs, adolescent pregnancy, drug and tobacco use, and suicide.  The CDC made a list of these traumatic stressors and called them Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).  


This might seem like grim news for a holiday season letter, but know that yoga offers hope!  By offering yoga and mindfulness classes to youth with three or more ACEs (the large majority of the population Street Yoga serves) we are reaching young people at a critical time in their lives and offering them a toolkit for self-directed healing, regulation and grounding.

The benefits of yoga for youth are grounded in research, and span the physical, mental, emotional and relational spheres (visit our website for the entire list).  In our classes with young people we hear about the benefits of yoga first hand.  One eight year-old girl shared that now, after taking Street Yoga classes, 

"When I am upset or anxious I will put my hand on my heart 
and just listen to it beat."  

Another participant told us, 

"When I feel like I am being carried away or that I am out 
of control, I stop and press my feet into the ground, 
so that I can feel myself firmly on the earth."

We hope that you are touched by Street Yoga's heart for youth with ACEs, and inspired by our mission to make the benefits of yoga and mindfulness available to those who need them most.  Please consider making a contribution to helping us continue our work in 2016.  We have provided five levels of giving on the lower right hand side of this email so you can see the impact your gift can make. 

Our wish for you this season is for you to breathe in lightness, peace and hope, and that you exhale joy. 

With gratitude,
Everyone at Street Yoga

Gratitude to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for the infographic.
TRAUMA-INFORMED YOGA TRAINING UPDATE
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While today we only offer our weekly class programming in Seattle, we endeavor to bring the healing benefits of yoga and mindfulness to young people everywhere.   To do this we equip youth and yoga professionals across the country (and in 2016-- the world!) with the skills they need to bring trauma-informed yoga, breathing techniques, mindfulness and meditation to the youth in their cities.

In 2015 Street Yoga trained more than 200 individuals through our Trauma-Informed Yoga Training and Advanced Yoga Service Training programs through 13 trainings in nine cities.  See the map below to hear how a few of our training graduates are using what they learned Street Yoga's training program to impact their local communities.
 
"[The Trauma-Informed Yoga] training is the bridge between yoga and mental health.  You walk away prepared to serve."
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- St. Petersburg, FL Training Participant
 

 
"What an incredible, amazing weekend.  I am so inspired and rejuvenated by all of the people I met here and I feel empowered to go out and work with this population of youth"
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- Seattle, WA Training Participant
 

Street Yoga is a nationally recognized non-profit organization that teaches, yoga, mindfulness, and compassionate communication to youth and families struggling with homelessness, poverty, abuse, addiction, trauma and behavioral challenges, so that they can grow stronger, heal from past traumas and create for themselves lives that are inspired, safe and joyful.  Learn more at www.streetyoga.org. 

What your gift can do
- $1200 - 

Provides a yoga for youth class at one partner site for one year.  That's 45-50 classes for up to 20 youth per class.  

 

- $600 - 

Provides all of the scholarships for one of Street Yoga's Trauma-Informed Yoga Trainings (4-5 partial scholarships)

- $250 - 

Provides five one time trial classes for organizations deciding if Street Yoga classes are right for their Program Site.

- $100 - 

Provides three continuing education trainings for our volunteer teachers, including workshops on trauma, the science of addiction, and adapting yoga postures. 

 

- $25 - 

Provides mats, mat cleaner and blocks for one partner site. 
Take a Trauma-Informed Yoga Training
Training overview
Training calendar