Welcome to the June-November 2025 YTT Cohort!

Hello! I am Mary (she/her) from San Diego. I've worked as a mitigation specialist in public defense for the past six years. Through my work I've seen how much pain, trauma, and resilience live behind prison walls. My own yoga practice has been a source of grounding and healing, and I was called to this training to learn how to share some of these tools with incarcerated individuals. I believe yoga can offer moments of peace, self-connection, and dignity in an environment that often strips people of all three. Looking forward to meeting everyone!

Hi all, my name is Lindsay (pronouns: she/her) from San Francisco, CA. I feel so fortunate to be joining this program and community. I felt called to this program as I am particularly interested in exploring the intersection of trauma-informed yoga for birthing people and for youth and future opportunities to volunteer with these populations through PYP. Looking forward to being in community with all of you!

Hello all!

I’m Zoha, and I am joining from Chicago, IL! I am a dedicated mental health advocate and social worker with years of practice in community mental health centers in the area. What brought me to the PYP community is learning about the links of psychological trauma and how it can trap us in our bodies with and without our conscious awareness. I am eager to find expansive ways to support my community and myself in order to learn new tools for trauma-responsive self regulation and collective awareness while working towards social justice and liberation for all.

I’m so grateful to be a part of such an important community at PYP! 

Hi PYP fam! My name is Daria, and my pronouns are she/they. I was called to this training because I want to help uplift the voices and experiences of system-impacted individuals through movement and breathwork. I have been in nonprofit fundraising for 14 years, currently work at PETA, and teach yoga throughout South Jersey in the US. I'm also a PYP Board Member, and I'm thrilled to grow alongside such open-minded and big-hearted yogis!

Hi everyone! I'm Shivpriya (she/her), Priya for short, currently in Princeton but moving to South Jersey shortly. For the past 3 years I have worked as a prison professor, teaching introductory humanities courses to incarcerated college students, while pursuing my MDiv full time. I also had the chance to do 2 years of chaplaincy rotations in psychiatric facilities and prisons around North Jersey. Alongside this amazing PYP training, I am starting law school in the fall to continue expanding my service to justice-impacted communities. I am so excited to take a practice that has quite literally been body/mind-saving for me and learn how to share it with others!

Hey! 🌻 

I am Joëlle (she/her) from Switzerland (first language is French).

I’m really excited to begin this journey with you all. This training is something I’ve wanted to do for quite some time. I deeply resonate with the mission and philosophy of the project, especially the idea of bringing humanity into spaces that often feel inhuman.

This training seems to beautifully combine some of the things that move me most: movement, social justice, and inclusion. I’m also very interested in embodied healing. I studied psychology and children’s rights, and I’m always eager to be part of projects that blend art, bodywork and social impact. 

I feel most at home in inclusive and diverse spaces, and I’m looking forward to learning, growing, and connecting with all of you on this path! 

Hello,

My name is Lisa (she/her) and I live in Jacksonville, Florida.  I am a community based Social Worker with a specialization in Trauma and PTSD treatment.   I am also a volunteer Mental Health Specialist with the Red Cross focusing on disaster related mental health.  I have practiced yoga for 30 years but have never aspired to be a teacher until I took the time to meditated on what I can do in my community.  Guiding people who have experienced trauma through a somatic and healing process is a challenge but ultimately so rewarding to see people come through and find peace and solace, and share their healing.  I  have never been in prison or jail and I am sure it will be a little scary at first, but I have worked with pre-incarcerated people in the community and in schools and I hope to offer healing to those that are incarcerated.

Hi there,

I am Jennifer from Nevada and my pronouns are she/her. Fifteen years ago I embarked on my own personal yoga journey which has led to positive growth and transformation. Nothing brings me greater joy than helping others to transform their own lives in a similar way. I've worked in the field of education for 20 years with the last three of those years focusing on incorporating Restorative Justice programs into schools. I am passionate about the principles of Restorative Practices and I am always looking for creative ways to incorporate them into the community. This program called to me as a way to deepen my knowledge of yoga asanas and trauma-informed practices so that I can help others heal and transform their own lives, particularly in the areas of mental health and addiction. 

I'm grateful to have this opportunity and I'm looking forward to connecting with everyone!

Hi , my name is Steve ( he/him) and I’m joining you from the UK where I work as a Prison Officer . I’m really new to yoga and look forward to expanding my knowledge and then applying the skills learnt into my classes . I’m hoping to create a safe space where the men can spend time away from the violence of my workplace . 
Looking forward to connecting with you all !

Hello, I’m Julie from Rochester, NY (she, her). I was a classroom teacher for 30 years and currently work as a Restorative Practices Trainer, mostly with teachers in area schools. I also co-facilitate a program called “Houses of Healing” at Attica Correctional Facility. I’ve been a part time yoga instructor for 3 years and would love to bring yoga to incarcerated individuals in NYS. 

Hello! My name is Amanda (she/her), and I live in the middle of the U.S., specifically in central Illinois. I recently left a career in government relations to finish a master's degree in social work by completing a 900-hour internship at a trauma recovery center (TRC). My degree focused on mental health and integrated health. I've practiced yoga on/off (mostly off, lol) for 25 years, and while I've never intended to be a yoga teacher, I do hope to include yoga in my future social work practice because I've seen the positive impact not only for my clients at the TRC, but also for myself.

I pursued YTT with PYP because it aligns with my values. I'm super grateful to be able to join the program and look forward to learning in a community of others who see YPY as the right fit for them too.

Hey everyone! My name is Sean Brundrett (he/him), and I am joining from Denver CO. I was super fortunate to have my supervisor put this on my radar as it speaks to me both personally and professionally. I am a formerly justice-involved LCSW, and I work with kids who are currently incarcerated. Throughout my time working with this population, I have been exploring various ways to introduce these youths to mindfulness including formal meditations. Sitting still and focusing on breathing is hard for people, but especially for kids who often have mental health issues and histories of trauma. To me, the practice of yoga is something along the lines of a moving form of mindfulness, and I anticipate it will be transformational for the youths in our facility. I am looking forward to getting to know all of you in the coming weeks and months, and I am super grateful to be part of this program!

Hi everyone, I’m Carlee (she/her), and I'm joining from Washington State. I’m an E-RYT 500 and YACEP yoga teacher studying yoga therapy and psychology.

My mentor guided me to this training, and it immediately resonated. I’ve always felt called to hold space for trauma-informed healing, especially within marginalized communities. This program feels like the next step in aligning my practice with service and justice.

I’m looking forward to learning with all of you and finding new ways to share the practice in spaces that need it most.

Grateful to be here.

Hi! My name is Trung (he/him). I am joining from San Jose, California. I am super excited to be joining PYP in this 200-YTT! I was first introduced to PYP during my incarceration because my friends were trained to become yoga teachers as incarcerated folks. As mentioned, I am a formerly incarcerated social worker and substance use counselor. I aim to bring yoga practices into the healing spaces of addiction and behavioral health treatment for underserved communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. I also hope to one day return to the prison/jail settings to share this practice with our incarcerated folks.