The Art of Yoga Project currently teaches in several sites in California, including the Margaret J. Kemp Camp for Girls, the San FranciscoJuvenile Justice Center, and the James Ranch Residential Center in San Jose, California. The project has a curriculum that runs for a fall, winter, spring and summer session. Generally the girls in the program participate once or twice a week in a two-hour class, practicing yoga for the first part of the class and transitioning into art and journaling for the second part. Studies have shown that practicing yoga produces a number of biochemical responses that reduce stress and improve one's mood. After the participants leave the justice system, the Project tries to provide each girl with a yoga mat, a journal, the art she created in the program, and a list of local studios where she can practice for free. "Program sites" on /ref>
Organization
Mary Lynn Fitton founded the Art of Yoga Project after noticing the widespread body image issues, teen pregnancies, and physical and sexual abuse among teenage girls she worked with as a nurse practitioner. She felt that yoga could be a way to improve the self-esteem of teenage girls trapped in a cycle of negativity. A large proportion of girls in the juvenile justice system are survivors of physical or sexual abuse, come from homes where domestic violence is common, and have engaged in self-inflicted violence.
Impact
In 2008, AYP served approximately 400 girls from the Juvenile Justice Systems in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Francisco Counties. Key outcomes from 2008 winter and spring participant evaluations: Self Awareness: 80% reported that they "often" or "always" talk more easily with their therapists since they started doing yoga Self Respect 100% reported that they respected themselves more and had more positive thoughts about themselves, with 80% doing so often or almost everyday. Self Control 100% of girls reported using breathing techniques outside of class 90% reported that yoga helped them manage their anger either sometimes, often, or almost everyday 80% of the girls agreed or strongly agreed that the spring program kept them from doing harm to themselves 100% of students reported that since they started doing yoga, meditation and creative arts, they can focus better in school.
