Full Circle: Welcoming Darnell “Moe” Washington to the PYP Board

With heartfelt gratitude and great enthusiasm, I’m honored to share that Darnell “Moe” Washington—a former participant in yoga programming at San Quentin—is Prison Yoga Project’s newest board member.

Why is this so meaningful? Because Moe embodies the transformation we hope for all those who practice yoga in prison—to become their full selves, to care deeply for their communities, and to move full circle from harm to healing.

I met Darnell “Moe” in November 2024. I remember the moment vividly. I was in California attending a conference, just days after the election, and I was feeling the weight of many emotions. I was reflecting on what it meant to face another four years of political division, and what felt like a growing acceptance of punitive approaches and the erosion of dignity for many people and communities . I felt discouraged by the vitriol I saw people directing toward one another, and how it distracted us from directing our energy to showing up for our neighbors.

And then, a few days later, I met Moe in person for the first time.

Our founder, James Fox, had developed a sincere and lasting friendship with Moe and was guest teaching a yoga class with Moe’s community at a local park in South Central Los Angeles. I joined them for the class.

In the circle were people who had never practiced yoga before, people who shared how grateful they were to practice each week with Moe, and people of different ages and genders. They were brought together by Moe—someone who, decades earlier, had caused harm in this same community.

There are so many of us who, whether we have been incarcerated or not, struggle to face the harm we have caused, or address the core wounds that led to that harm. Moe chose a different path. While incarcerated, he committed himself to a life of accountability and service.

When he was released, he wasted no time. Moe founded the nonprofit African American Community Healing, enrolled in Prison Yoga Project’s Yoga Teacher Training, continued the Buddhist practice he began while incarcerated, and began offering opportunities for healing in his community.

Through his nonprofit, he has ensured youth in South Central Los Angeles have backpacks for the start of the school year and opportunities for new experiences—like attending baseball games. He has worked tirelessly to instill pride in a community that has too often been overlooked and denied the resources it deserves.

And he recognized that healing practices like yoga could support that work—so he made it happen.

How lucky is Prison Yoga Project to have this kind of leadership on our board?

We are proud to welcome Moe into this role and look forward to learning from his wisdom, integrity, and deep commitment to community healing.

We also encourage our community to follow Moe’s work through African American Community Healing via Instagram: @africanamerican.ch, and their www.africanamericanch.org.