The Art of Yoga Project: A Gender-Responsive Yoga and Creative Arts Curriculum for Girls in the California Juvenile Justice System

2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Arlanda Harris ◽  
Mary Lynn Fitton
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
Juvenile Justice ◽  
Visual Arts ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Juvenile Justice System ◽  
Underserved Population ◽  
Creative Arts ◽  
Arts Curriculum ◽  
Art Of Yoga Project ◽  
Gender Specific

As girls enter the juvenile justice system, they stand on the precipice of a lifelong cycle of crime and incarceration, yet still have the opportunity to turn toward healing and rehabilitation. With this in mind, The Art of Yoga Project (AYP) has designed a gender-specific intervention that combines Yoga, visual arts, and creative writing to help girls learn how to create a positive future for themselves. This article introduces AYP and shares the goals, objectives, and experiences of the program. A thorough description of AYP's comprehensive Yoga and Creative Arts Curriculum is provided, including a sample class plan and overview of the entire course. Eight principles of best practices are presented and discussed. We hope that this blueprint will inspire and empower other Yoga therapists to develop similar programs that serve this important and underserved population.

Gender–Specific Health Education in the Juvenile Justice System

2004 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia J. Kelly ◽  
Elisabeth Martinez ◽  
Martha Medrano
Keyword(s):  
Health Education ◽  
Juvenile Justice ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Juvenile Justice System ◽  
Gender Specific ◽  
Specific Health

scholarly journals A Mixed-Methods Process Evaluation of the Art of Yoga Project for Girls in Custody

2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 38S-60S ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Middleton ◽  
Danielle Arlanda Harris ◽  
Alissa R. Ackerman
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Emotional Regulation ◽  
Mindfulness Meditation ◽  
Creative Arts ◽  
Marginalized Communities ◽  
Mixed Methods Evaluation ◽  
Arts Curriculum ◽  
Trauma Informed ◽  
Art Of Yoga Project ◽  
Gender Specific

Many adolescent girls in custody have extensive histories of profound childhood trauma and abuse. They typically come from marginalized communities marked with gang violence. The Art of Yoga Project provides a gender-specific, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive approach to cater to this understudied and underserved population. The Yoga and Creative Arts Curriculum combines yoga, mindfulness, meditation, and art for girls in custody in several Californian counties. The findings are from a mixed methods evaluation of multiple sites over several years. Taken together, we saw an improvement in the self-reported emotional regulation of incarcerated girls. We discuss practical implications for extending this work in other jurisdictions and to other populations.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document