Breathe For Justice

Be the change you want to see in the world. 

– Mahatma Gandhi

At Ivy Child we believe, 

Be the Light you want to see in the world.

Youth are leaders not just tomorrow, but today. 

The Youth Leadership Yoga and Mindfulness Teacher Training Program

An initiative and movement led by Ivy Child International 

Ivy Child International’s Breathe for Justice Program is a 200 hour Youth Yoga and Mindfulness training, followed by a one year mentorship and apprenticeship program anchored in social justice.  This offering is through a combination of in person, online and hybrid opportunities to broaden access and equity and equip our young people to be not just the leaders of tomorrow but of today..

The program integrates mindfulness through the body and sensations providing an excellent vehicle to integrate yoga into a complete mind-body training transcending traditions leaving the youth ambassadors to choose their own path to personal development.

The program not only aims to create mindful youth ambassadors who can practice and teach mindful practices to the community but also making them financially independent. The youth ambassadors can also get associated with Yoga Alliance to create a safe space for teaching and practicing mindful yoga.

Mindfulness is being aware. It’s noticing and paying attention to thoughts, feelings, behavior, and everything else. Mindfulness can be practiced at any time, wherever we are, whoever we are with, and whatever we are doing, by showing up and being fully engaged in the here and now.

Mindfulness are mirror-like reflections of each other: mindfulness supports and enriches meditation, while meditation nurtures and expands mindfulness. Where mindfulness can be applied to any situation throughout the day, meditation is usually practiced for a specific amount of time.

Mindfulness is the awareness of “some-thing,” while meditation is the awareness of “no-thing.”

Mindful Yoga

Mindfulness has always been an essential aspect of the physical practice of yoga. The difference between Mindful Yoga and the wide variety of yoga practices out there is that with Mindful Yoga, the main focus is on mind-body awareness, as opposed to alignment details and the exact physical posture.

Bringing mindful awareness to any physical activity creates an alert focus to whatever you are doing in that exact moment, thereby transforming the movement into a form of meditation.

Another characteristic of this type of yoga is its emphasis on observing rather than reacting. Although this should always be the case in yoga, this practice, in particular, places great importance on observing your mind and feelings while you are acting out the yoga pose.

The truth is, young people are mostly on their own when it comes to skills development in managing the challenges they will face as they transition into their adult lives. Vulnerability and uncertainty with self-image, relationships, career prospects, outlook on community and the world can hamper preparedness for the demands of the real world.

In some cases, when youth mental health plummets, there is a risk for more serious outcomes such as difficulty managing their emotions and behavior, depression, substance abuse, and social isolation. While the education system helps youth with cognitive development, once they step outside the classroom they face challenges where knowing the square root of pi cannot help.

Breathe for Justice program, changes that story.

Breathe for Justice Program is an initiative of Ivy Child International, partnering with Yoga Alliance, to deliver a combination of mindfulness and Yoga in various formal and informal settings for underprivileged youth.

The program teaches to integrate Mindfulness through the body and sensations providing an excellent vehicle to integrate yoga into a complete mind-body training transcending traditions leaving the youth ambassadors to choose their own path to personal development.

The program not only aims to create mindful youth ambassadors who can practice and teach mindful practices to the community but also making them financially independent. The youth ambassadors can also get associated with Yoga Alliance to create a safe space for teaching and practicing mindful yoga.