What We Do
Mission
We believe that yoga can be accessible to all and can serve as a practical, powerful tool in creating personal change.
Our organization is dedicated to teaching life skills through the practices of yoga and meditation in order to provide youth with skills to turn over a new leaf in life, cultivating a commitment to nonviolent, compassionate engagement with themselves and others..
We hope to bring these practices to as many youth as possible, and our priority is to create exceptional, sustainable, long-term programs.
We also endevour to support teachers in this valuable work, as well as to study the effects that yoga can have on youth struggling in our communities.
Projects
PROJECTS IN CUSTODY FACILITIES:
Bluewater Youth Centre, Goderich, Ontario
Started June 2007
King Street Detention, London, Ontario
Started June 2008
Genest Detention Centre for Youth, London, Ontario
Started June 2008
Brookside Youth Centre, Cobourg, Ontario
Started September 2008
Roy McMurtry Youth Centre, Brampton, Ontario
Started November 2009
Ray of Hope, Petersburg, Ontario
Scheduled to begin in September 2010
PROJECTS IN NON-CUSTODY SETTINGS
Pathways to Education Rexdale, Etobicoke, Ontario
Started April 2009
Trails Youth Initiatives, Toronto, Ontario
Started September 2009
Breaking the Cycle Gang-Exit Initiative
Scheduled to begin September 2010
If you are interested in bringing yoga classes to your organization or facility, please download our Host Application form.
LIVING YOGA SPEAKER SERIES
Because we know that positive role models can make a huge difference in the lives of youth, we sponsor guest speakers, teachers and performers to visit youth at detention facilities.
These special guests need not always be yoga practitioners, but are people who, just by the way they live their lives, embody the qualities of self-respect, non-violence, and positivity.
Rap Artist Choclair - December 31,2008
Canadian fundamental hip hop recording artist and Juno Award Winner, Choclair (a.k.a. Kareem Blake) visits Bluewater Youth Centre to speak about rising to challenges and following your passion.
International Teacher & Author Frank Boccio - June 22,2009
Internationally renowned teacher and author of “Mindfulness Yoga”, Frank Jude Boccio from NYC, visits Bluewater Youth Centre youth and staff to give a talk on mindfulness and guest teach a yoga class for program participants.
Hip Hop Artist Maestro Fresh Wes - August 25, 2009
Canadian "god-father of hip hop", Maestro Fresh Wes visits Bluewater Youth Centre to give an inspiring motivational talk and performance.
Buddhist Teacher & Author Noah Levine - October 2009
Former youth offender turned acclaimed Buddhist teacher and bestselling author, Noah Levine from Los Angeles, spends an afternoon with youth at Ministry-run Bluewater Youth Centre.
Vision
We feel there is a need to reach youth not only in detention settings, but also as a tool for prevention as well as a form of support after youth are released from custody.
So, while continuing to implement projects in youth detention facilties, in 2009 and 2010 we will begin to bring a great deal of our attention to partnering with community-based organizations working with youth who are vulnerable to the challenges they face.
In our long-term vision, we hope to expand our programming beyond Ontario to address needs in other provinces.
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