@andrewoarenagmail-com I used to go to Down Dog a lot and now I go to Pure Fire. Where do you go now?
@briannacave980yahoo-com Hi Brianna! I work at Laurel House. I'm not sure if you're familiar. It's a DV agency that serves people in Montgomery County. I've heard lots of great things about The Women's Center!
@vanessa-ruthgmail-com actually, I haven't been to a live yoga class in about four years. I was way into GX and studio yoga from about 2009 to about 2019, but then got into a relationship with a lady who had kids, and put myself completely into being a "family man". Lots to unpack, but short story, that just ended in divorce (amicably), and I'm returning back to what feels like home - yoga and fitness.
All through that time, I've maintained my personal practice, and I do a basic sun salutation based vinyasa series a couple times a week. But I've lost a lot of my advanced poses - flying crow, eight angle, scorpion. So I am eager to get back into that community practice.
I'd never heard of Pure Fire, but it looks awesome. Maybe I'll try it out someday. Bethesda is a hike (I'm in Alexandria, which as the crow flies isn't far, but DC traffic...) But I do go to Bethesda every once in a while to visit my uncle.
Regardless, those are some serious studios, much respect!
@andrewoarenagmail-com I love Alexandria! I go about once a month to visit with a friend - such a great vibe. I also stepped out of studio yoga but I've been back for a bit - I enjoy practicing in community and I like the heat too :). I am also recently divorced - didn't end too well but my former husband and I are in such a good place and I am immensely grateful for that. Someone told me when I began my divorce process that there was something beautiful on the other side of it all and that it would not be what I imagined and that is def true for me. And, although I never strayed to far from fitness, etc. - I have come back home to it in a real way the past few years. Anyway, happy to have someone kinda close by in the training!!
@anne-moorheadverizon-net Did you say you're in the Baltimore area? I have a friend (at HathaBreathe Yoga) who is a current PYP facilitator in that area and also a regional coordinator, she's got me onboarding now as a PYP facilitator. Check it out if you're interested!
Welcome everyone — I’m so excited to begin this journey together.
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
Hi everyone! I’m joining from Marin County (and I heard there’s at least one other Marin resident on the call today—yay!).
I’ve been practicing yoga and Pilates for more than 30 years and finally completed my first 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2025. It was a long-time goal and a truly rewarding experience.
I currently volunteer as a math instructor in the college program at San Quentin, where I’ve learned so much from the incredible community there. One of my aspirations is to eventually teach yoga there as well. In the meantime, I occasionally bring breathwork practices into the classroom—especially before exams—and the positive response has been wonderful to see.
I’m excited to be here and look forward to getting to know all of you and learning together!
Hello everyone! I am Marquetta, I am joining from Little Rock Arkansas.
I just want to say how grateful I am to be apart of this Cohort. I started my journey with the Prison Yoga Project while I was incarcerated in the Pulaski County Jail in 2024. I had the opportunity to participate in a yoga class once a week for 12 weeks. At first it was just another one of the classes but as time went by and I continued to participate I could not help but notice the way I felt was Shifting into a different space. I have struggled since childhood with my own parents being in addiction and incarcerated through out my entire life. I picked up on these same generational habits and ways of living. I have since been in recovery for Two years and have not turned back. I hope to continue to grow here in this space and learn more about these practices for my own personal growth but also for my community! So nice to meet all of you. Thank You
Hello Community, my name is Stephanie and I am joining from northern, Illinois. I am currently a licensed clinical social worker and hoping to expand my skill set to share with clients. I primarily work with complex trauma and believe this could be beneficial to them. I work with folx who are justice involved, complex trauma, and substance misuse. I am hoping to learn anything and everything. I am brand new to Yoga.
Will this weeks live recording be posted here ? I do not see it yet
@andrewoarena ahhh no I'm in Denver. I used to live and work in Philly but came back to Denver in 2012
Hello @fstephanie63gmail-com! Welcome to the yoga journey! And it is the journey that matters, not where we're at.
Seems you and I are equal and opposite in a way... This will be my first real training in anything therapy adjacent. I have been an yoga class facilitator since 2009, but no training or credentials in social work.
I find some lack of fulfillment in my technical profession. I am more humanist than technician. My heart is with people. I feel called to a career in human services and am considering going back to school for social work (I did minor in sociology). I look forward to supporting and encouraging each other as we all learn and grow together in this community.
Namaste!
@scalesmarquetta47gmail-com, wow! Thank you for sharing. Such vulnerability and strength. It's amazing what you've overcome. I am humbled by your story, and by those of other incredible people in this group. I can relate to inheriting negative patterns from my parents which have impacted me throughout my life. I still struggle with many of them, and they feel less serious as I consider the immense challenges you and others have made it through and shared. It seems we are all in for a life-changing and community-oriented growth experience.
Namaste!