Welcome to our 2025 Guest Lecture Panel thread!
As part of your YTT journey, we are joined by a truly extraordinary panel of guest teachers, leaders, scholars, and movement workers who generously bring their experience and insight to deepen our collective learning.
Each guest brings a different lens—rooted in personal practice, social justice, trauma-informed healing, and systemic wisdom. This series is an invitation to expand our understanding of what it means to teach, serve, and hold space—especially in carceral and system-impacted environments.
❗Please note:
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All recordings will be added to this thread as they become available.
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Any materials shared by the guests will also be posted here.
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You are invited to attend live or watch the recordings and post your reflections in the forum.
🗓️ Guest Lecture Schedule (Chronological)
Robert Sturman
Date/Time: Tuesday, August 12 | 2:00 PM EST
Title: To Be Seen: Yoga, Dignity, and the Art of Witnessing in Prisons
Bio: Award-winning photographer known for capturing healing and dignity in prison yoga spaces.
Dr. Jennifer Bourgeois
Date/Time: Wednesday, August 13 | 12:00 PM EST
Title: Cultural Responsibility & Humility in Criminal Justice Work
Bio: Trauma-informed counselor and researcher focused on justice-impacted communities.
Nikki Myers
Date/Time: Tueday, August 19 | 3:00 PM EST
Title: Healing in the Margins
Bio: Founder of Y12SR, working at the intersections of recovery, justice, and embodied healing.
Nicole Hellthaler
Date/Time: Tuesday, September 9 | 3:00 PM EST
Title: Managing Challenging Behaviors in Trauma-Informed Spaces
Bio: Executive Director of Prison Yoga Project and expert in trauma-informed systems and care.
Sonia Brown-Diaz
Date/Time: Wednesday, September 10 | 10:00AM EST
Title: Maintaining Facility Relationships & Self-Regulation in a Carceral Setting
Bio: Founder of Yoga on the Inside and Australian PYP Ambassador, focused on ethical service in prisons.
Dr. Haunani Chong Drake
Date/Time: Tuesday, September 23 | 1:30 PM EST
Title: Cultural Stewardship and the Five Elements
Bio: Native Hawaiian scholar integrating Indigenous healing and trauma recovery practices.
Diane Ambrosini
Date/Time: Wednesday, September 24 | 12:00 PM EST
Title: Understanding the Vagus Nerve Through a Yogic Lens
Bio: Yoga therapist and educator specializing in nervous system health and trauma-informed movement.
Hari-Kirtana Das
Date/Time: Tuesday, September 30 | 1:30 PM EST
Title: Exploring the Bhagavad Gita
Bio: Yoga philosophy teacher making classical texts accessible through humor and social ethics.
Bill Brown
Date/Time: Wednesday, October 1 | 11:30 AM EST
Title: Beyond Asana: Integrating Wisdom from Tradition, Science, and Life
Bio: Programs Director of Prison Yoga Project and longtime yoga educator weaving together insights from yoga philosophy, science, and lived experience.
Sachi Doctor
Date/Time: Tuesday, October 7 | 2:00 PM EST
Title: Healing with Ayurveda: A Trauma-Informed Approach to Restoring & Maintaining Balance
Bio: Ayurvedic practitioner and founder of Elemental Alchemy, bridging science and spirit.
Judge Victor Reyes
Date/Time: Wednesday, October 8 | 11:00 AM EST
Title: Authenticity in Service Work
Bio: Retired New Mexico judge integrating yoga, mindfulness, and justice reform.
Kim Peacock
Date/Time: Wednesday, October 15 | 11:00 AM EST
Title: Guiding Incarcerated Youth
Bio: Canadian PYP Ambassador with deep experience teaching yoga to system-impacted youth.
Josefin Wikström
Date/Time: TBD
Title: Adapting Trauma-Informed Yoga for Mental Health
Bio: Global leader in trauma-informed yoga in psychiatric and carceral systems.
Vanessa Ramos
Date/Time: TBD
Title: Disability Justice & Accessible Yoga Practices
Bio: Disability justice advocate and accessible yoga facilitator grounded in body liberation.
We look forward to learning alongside you in each of these powerful conversations. All questions, curiosities, and reflections are welcome in this space.
With gratitude,
🌿 Jen & The PYP Training Team