Evidence-based research shows that yoga and meditation help trauma survivors heal. The Shanthi Project, based out of Easton, Pa., skillfully weaves mindfulness into classes that include yoga, movement, meditation and breathdirected practices.

Denise Veres, Executive Director, founded the organization in 2010 and now works alongside a group of nearly two dozen other yoga teachers and board members to bring more than 1,000 yoga classes each year to hundreds of at risk-youth and trauma survivors, including children in the foster care system, veterans and the incarcerated.

Traumatic experiences interrupt the natural processes of the brain, and the ability to accurately assess one’s sense of safety is lost. By teaching them mindfulness— or, intentionally paying attention —life skills like impulse control, emotion regulation and stress response become possible again.

Shanthi Project’s mission is to help these individuals establish healthy and productive relationships with themselves and others. By learning to respond, rather than react, to adverse life experiences, these individuals develop a more optimistic outlook, experience improvements in mental and physical health and become more resilient to the challenges of life.

To learn more, or make a donation to Shanthi Project, contact Denise Veres at 610-737-8006 or [email protected]. Information for media inquiries and the Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher Certification can be found at ShanthiProject.org.