Feel free to revisit this recording and share anything that resonated with you from our final live session before graduation. A reflection is not required for this session, but you are more than welcome to share your thoughts or consider the prompts below!

We explored:

• Invitational cueing
• Accessible posture variations
• Supporting agency and safety through language
• Self massage and Yoga Nidra as tools for regulation and rest

Optional reflection prompts:

• What language or cueing approaches resonated most with you?
• Did anything shift in how you think about accessibility or offering choice?
• What are you taking with you from this cohort experience?
• What support do you hope to continue cultivating in your personal practice or facilitation?

This forum will serve as our shared community space throughout the training. Here you’ll find:

• Weekly live session recordings
• Slide decks and additional resources
• Announcements and reminders
• Space to ask questions and continue discussions
• Opportunities to plan study groups or practice shares
• A place to exchange ideas, insight, reflections, and support with one another

You are encouraged not only to post, but also to spend time reading and engaging with the introductions and reflections of others as our community begins to take shape.

Introduce Yourself 👋

When you’re ready, please share a short introduction including anything you’d like the cohort to know about you.

Some optional prompts:

About You

• Where are you joining from?
• What brought you to yoga or mindfulness practices?
• What communities or populations are important in your life?

Community of Service

• Are there particular communities you currently serve or hope to support?
• What draws you toward trauma-informed practice or social justice work?

Goals for the Training

• What are you hoping to learn, deepen, or explore during this cohort?
• Is there anything you’re especially excited or nervous about?

There’s no “right” way to introduce yourself — share as much or as little as feels comfortable.

Really grateful you’re here and looking forward to learning alongside all of you over the coming months 💛

I realized I should introduce myself here too.

I’m Jen, and I’ll be facilitating this YTT cohort alongside this session's teaching assistant, Alejandro and a wonderful community of guest lecturers, mentors, and support staff through Prison Yoga Project.

I’m based in New Hampshire, known also as N’dakinna, which is the traditional ancestral homeland of the Abenaki, Pennacook and Wabanaki Peoples past and present. I acknowledge and honor with gratitude the land and waterways and the alnobak (people) who have stewarded N’dakinna throughout the generations. It is here that I facilitate trauma-informed yoga programs in prisons, re-entry spaces, recovery communities, and nonprofit settings. My work with PYP began after my own experiences with trauma, addiction, and system involvement in my youth, which deeply shaped my understanding of both harm and healing. Yoga became an important part of rebuilding trust with my own body, mind, and relationships, and over time, this work evolved into service and facilitation.

A large part of my focus now is supporting accessible yoga education for communities impacted by incarceration, substance use, mental health challenges, and systemic harm. I’m especially passionate about creating spaces where people feel welcome exactly as they are — without needing to perform, prove, or already “know” yoga.

What continues to inspire me most is witnessing people reconnect with themselves and with one another in ways that restore dignity, choice, and possibility.

I’m really looking forward to learning more about each of you, the communities you serve, and what has brought you to this training.

– Jen
Director of Training | Prison Yoga Project

Feel free to watch or revisit this week’s session and share anything that resonated with you.

We explored facilitator voice through “I” statements, reflected on Samadhi (bliss), and revisited Ayurveda as a tool for self-care and balance.

You’re welcome to share freely, or respond to one of these prompts:

• What came up for you during the “I” statement reflection? How does your voice as a facilitator feel right now?
• How do you relate to the idea of Samadhi as moments of presence or connection, rather than something to achieve?
• Did anything shift in how you view self-care through the lens of Ayurveda?
• What support do you feel you need as you move toward completion of the training?

You’re also welcome to use this space to share questions or topics you’d like to revisit in our final session.

Feel free to watch (or revisit) this week’s session and share anything that stood out to you. This was our final module-focused discussion, exploring readiness, regulation, and responsive facilitation.

You’re welcome to share freely, or respond to one of the prompts below:

• What resonated with you in our discussion about assessing group readiness or regulation?
• What felt most clear—or still unclear—about how to adapt a practice based on the needs of a group?
• What tools or approaches do you feel most confident bringing into your facilitation?
• What questions are still coming up for you as you prepare for your final sequence or facilitation?

You’re also invited to use this space to connect with one another—whether to share reflections, ask questions, or coordinate practice sessions.

Thank you for taking the time to engage with the recording of our April 23 live session.

You’re invited to share anything that resonated with you—an observation, a question, or a moment that stood out during the session.

If it’s helpful to have a prompt, you might consider:

• How did the discussion of Ishvara Pranidhana (surrender) land for you? What does surrender or letting go look like in your practice or daily life?
• What thoughts or questions came up for you during the movement demonstration? How might you adapt or approach a sequence like this for the populations you serve or hope to serve?

As always, brief reflections, questions, or ongoing curiosities are all welcome.

Grateful to continue learning together.

Thank you for taking the time to engage with the recording of our April 9th live session.

You’re invited to share anything that resonated with you—a reflection, question, or moment that stood out as you moved through the recording.

This week, we explored Tapas (discipline) and Svadhyaya (self-study), and worked together to begin creating an introductory sequence for a new group of participants.

If it’s helpful to have a prompt, you might consider:

• How did the discussion of Tapas and Svadhyaya land for you? What do discipline and self-study look like in your own practice right now?
• As you consider building an introductory sequence, what feels most important to include when welcoming a new group to yoga? What considerations come up around language, pacing, and accessibility?
• What questions or curiosities do you have about facilitating a first-time experience for participants who may be new, skeptical, or uncertain?

As always, brief reflections, open questions, or evolving thoughts are all welcome.

Grateful to continue learning alongside you.

Thank you for taking the time to engage with the recording of our April 2nd live session.

As always, you’re warmly invited to share anything that resonated with you—a moment from the facilitation practice, an observation, or a question that came up as you watched.

If it’s helpful to have a prompt, you might consider:

• What stood out to you during the movement demonstration of the chair-supported sequence? Was there anything in the pacing, language, or structure that you found particularly supportive or interesting?
• As you review the sequence on page 50 of the facilitation guide, what questions or curiosities arise around facilitating this practice? How might you adapt it for the populations you currently serve—or hope to serve?

You’re also encouraged, if it feels supportive, to use this space to connect with one another. If you’re interested in practicing facilitation together outside of our live sessions, feel free to reach out here in the forum to find others who may want to connect and practice.

Grateful to continue learning alongside you.

Thank you for taking the time to engage with the recording of our March 26th live session.

You’re warmly invited to share anything that resonated with you—a reflection, question, or moment that stood out as you moved through the recording.

If it’s helpful to have a prompt, you might consider one of the following:

• How did the discussion of Santosha (contentment) land for you? What does contentment mean in your life right now, especially in relation to expectations, growth, or where you find yourself in this moment?
• Take a look at the sequence on page 54 of the facilitation guide. How might you adapt or offer this practice for the populations you currently serve—or hope to serve in the future? What considerations come up around language, pacing, accessibility, or environment?

There’s no right way to engage—brief reflections, evolving thoughts, or open questions are all welcome.

Grateful to continue learning alongside you.

As always, you’re warmly invited to share anything that resonated with you—a reflection, question, moment of insight, or even something that felt unclear or challenging.

If it’s supportive to have a prompt, you might consider reflecting on one of the following:

• What stood out to you when reviewing the sample slides of final reflection projects from previous graduates? Did anything inspire, challenge, or shape how you’re thinking about your own final project?

• How did the discussion of Saucha (purity/clarity) land for you? What does clarity—internally or externally—mean in your life or practice right now?

• What were your observations, reactions, or questions related to the Integration & Relaxation phase of sequencing or the movement practice offered? How did this phase feel in your body, or how might you approach guiding it?

There’s no right way to engage here—brief reflections, longer shares, or even open questions are all welcome.

Grateful for your continued presence and willingness to explore together.

This resource has been a foundational tool within PYP, and I am currently in the process of revising and expanding it. As part of this next edition, the sequencing section will be edited to offer more clarity around the sequence templates, along with additional guidance to support facilitators in adapting and customizing practices for the unique needs of the spaces and populations they serve.

I will also be adding a new section that outlines a step-by-step 8-week pilot program. This is designed to support those who are introducing yoga in new settings, particularly with individuals who may have little to no prior experience with the practice.

Additionally, the updated edition will include guidance around postures—highlighting those that are not recommended within PYP programming, as well as shapes that may be vulnerable or inaccessible depending on individual lived experience and environmental context.

I’d love to invite you into this process. As you review the guide, please feel free to share any feedback, questions, or suggestions here in this thread. Your insights can help shape this resource into something even more supportive and practical for facilitators, both in program settings and for personal practice.

Thank you for being part of this evolving work.