Watch this video from Toronto Body Mind to learn more about New Leaf Yoga Foundation, our programs, and our team.
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We believe that yoga can be accessible to all people and can serve as a practical, powerful tool in creating personal change.
Our mission is to reduce suffering and increase peace in the lives of youth at risk as well as in our communities.
We are dedicated to teaching life skills through the practices of yoga and meditation so that youth can cultivate a commitment to nonviolent, compassionate engagement with themselves and others.
what we do
New Leaf serves youth who are incarcerated or considered “at-risk” due to a number of factors including socio-economic status, challenges in school, experiences of abuse and neglect, involvement with drugs, involvement with violence and crime, and marginalization
The scope of our work includes working with youth before they get to the point of being incarcerated, while they are incarcerated and creating opportunities for continued practice post-incarceration
New Leaf stresses making yoga ACCESSIBLE and RELEVANT to youth and offers yoga within a trauma-sensitive and anti-oppression framework
We set up, oversee and support every one of our programs, cultivating strong relationships with staff at our partner facilities and organizations and are committed to sustainable, long-term projects
Our teachers are strongly supported with initial training, followed up with monthly meetings, individual mentorship and on-going educational workshops on topics that relate to the sensitive work they are doing and their own personal development
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, Kitchener, Ontario Started 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, Rexdale/Toronto Started September 2010
Breaking the Cycle Gang-Exit Initiative, Scarborough Started September 2011
Youth Without Shelter, Rexdale/Toronto
Started April 2012
Regent Park/Duke of York Public School, Regent Park/Toronto
Started April 2012
St. Leondard's Attendance Centre, London, Ontario
Started April 2012
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.
In 2012 and over the next couple of years, we're going to be bringing more focus to the following areas:
RESEARCH
In the coming year, we will be carrying out our first formal research at one or more project sites; the first of it's kind done in Canada.
EDUCATION
So many individuals and organizations have contacted from across the country asking if we can bring our work to their province. In 2012, we will be pouring efforts into designing a series of workshops to pass on some of the tools we've developed so that others can reach out to youth in their areas in responsible, informed, and accessible ways.
TEAM
We will be building our Board of Directors and Board of Advisors, and fulfilling our commitment to bring more youth into our organizational structure so that young people can have power to shape the future of New Leaf.
