Recovery Yoga offers awareness-based practices to release stress, reclaim one’s inner strength and find liberation by freeing the mind in a supportive environment. These programs are free of charge and are offered to adults, teens and small children in treatment centers and to incarcerated people:
*weekly veterans class at Mystic Yoga Shala
* Weekly yoga and meditation for incarcerated women
* Weekly yoga and meditation for incarcerated teens
* Weekly yoga to the staff at Waterford Country School
* Weekly yoga to teens at Waterford Country School
* Weekly yoga and meditation Safe Futures of Southeastern CT
* Mommy and me class at Amethyst House treatment Center in North Haven, CT
* Yoga Nidra class for the mothers at Amethyst House.
* weekly classes at Norwich Veterans Center
* weekly class at Noank Group Homes
*weekly class at BP Learned Mission for the parents of the children in the subsidized after school program.
Amethyst House – New Haven, CT
http://www.crossroadsrecoveryct.org
At the Amethyst House in New Haven, Shaun introduces the tool of yoga as a stress reliever for addictions. She works with pregnant and new mothers who are in recovery. She helps them develop a bond with their babies and encourages confidence between mom and baby. The women learn to see cues from the baby and give consciously nurturing communication back to the baby. This is also an important time for the women to talk with each other, share advice, and get support. The women delight in self-discovery as Shaun guides them in some breathing and body awareness exercises that encourage the women to be present and aware of themselves as a woman and a parent. In Shaun’s sessions everyone feels comfortable, welcome, and the common interest in healing and relieving stress brings everyone together. Shaun started out her Recovery Yoga career teaching teenagers at York Correctional Institute four years ago. She recently had a mother at the Amethyst House come up to her and was excited to see her because she used to participate in Shaun’s yoga classes at the prison, and was happy to do yoga once again with the woman who taught her in the first place. Mothers that do bond are undoubtedly helped by the mom & baby yoga. Currently, there is a mother that initially shunned the classes while she was pregnant, but with much encouragement decided to participate in the Itsy Bitsy Yoga class when her baby was suffering from colic. The poses taught her ways to soothe and calm her baby. She relapsed when her baby was 5 weeks old, but then returned to the program committed to parenting drug-free. When Shaun took a vacation one week, this mom was eagerly waiting the next week, wondering where she had been and was looking forward to doing Itsy Bitsy Yoga with her baby and Shaun.
When a mom calms her baby with a pose you can see her become proud and relieved; when the moms can see their baby likes the songs and poses, they feel the pleasure of parenting that exceeds exhaustion. Teaching these classes is a happy part of Shaun’s yoga practice. She arrives every week prepared and committed to the Recovery Yoga mission statement.
At Amethyst House, Recovery Yoga also offers a yoga and meditation class to adult women. The women are eager for yoga and for the opportunity to practice a skill that they can use in between the weekly classes for peace of mind, to relieve aches and pains, and to increase body awareness. They’ve mentioned to Shaun that they enjoy her presence and teaching, and wish class were everyday. There’s something about her coming weekly that gives these women something to look forward to. She is a support and a witness to their efforts. The ones that feel the benefit encourage others to join the fun, and recently more new women have joined the group because the women participating are spreading the word about how much they enjoy it.
Safe Futures – New London, CT
Shaun also teaches for Recovery Yoga at Safe Futures of Southeastern Connecticut. Yoga helps relieve muscle tension and stress from caring for a child as well as a tool for relieving trauma from a history of domestic violence. Shaun delights in witnessing bonding moments; recently a toddler and his mother had a moment while doing a meditative body scan. The mother was going through each body part with touch and telling the toddler the names as she went along. He locked eyes with her, relaxed, and concentrated on what his mother was teaching him. The women often tell Shaun they look forward to their yoga sessions. The weekly yoga sessions provide structure in an independent living environment. Recovery Yoga brings yoga to a place where it adds relief and teaches people a tool where it wouldn’t otherwise be available without Recovery Yoga.
York Correctional – Niantic, CT
http://www.ct.gov/doc/cwp/view.asp?a=1499&q=265454
Yoga for Veterans – Mystic Yoga Shala
This FREE program will introduce you to the fundamentals of healing Baptiste Yoga. Reconnect with your body, mind and spirit through deep breathing practices and physical postures – leaving you feeling deeply relaxed and rejuvenated. Taught by Recovery Yoga teachers.
Sundays 4-5pm
Drop-ins welcome and encouraged
No experience necessary
Free of charge
http://www.mysticyogashala.com
Waterford Country School – Quaker Hill, CT
Waterford Country School serves special needs children in Connecticut referred to the facility by the Department of Children and Families. Aside from just being a school, Waterford Country School also provides full room and board to children, along with therapy as well.
The school stands on 350 acres in Quaker Hill and includes traditional school buildings, a children’s farm and a nature center. The school is a private, not-for-profit human services agency.
http://www.waterfordcountryschool.org
Cranston Women’s Prison – Cranston, RI
Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institute
http://www.doc.ri.gov/index.php
Noank Group Homes
Noank Group Homes & Support Services is dedicated to improving the lives of young people by providing specialized and individualized services, the development of healthy relationships, access to resources, connection to the larger community, and hope for the future.
www.Noankgh.org
Norwich Veterans Center
http://www.va.gov/directory/
B.P. Learned Mission
The purpose of B.P. Learned Mission is to serve its community by providing educational, recreational, cultural, and family support services, including counseling, to the underprivileged and those in need, without regard to race, sex, religion, or national background, with emphasis on children in grades 1st through 5th
http://www.