Lost in Forms, Found in Purpose: Bringing Yoga Back to Juvenile Hall

For years, UpRising Yoga has brought trauma-informed yoga into juvenile halls, offering young people a moment of peace in an otherwise chaotic system. We’ve seen firsthand how these practices create transformation—how a single breath can help shift anger, anxiety, and trauma into something more manageable. And yet, despite our proven impact, getting back into these spaces has felt like climbing a mountain while carrying the weight of bureaucracy on our backs.

After a long hiatus, we are finally on the brink of returning. Our team has been cleared—our background tests are officially approved. This was a moment of deep relief for me, as I had my own worries about the process. But just when I thought we had broken through the biggest barrier, another one appeared: insurance.

Yes, insurance. A single policy stands between us and these young people who need us the most. We’re currently navigating the process of securing a quote, a task that should be straightforward but instead feels like another hurdle designed to keep programs like ours out. Why should bringing healing and mindfulness to incarcerated youth be so difficult? Why are systems that claim to support rehabilitation so resistant to it?

It’s frustrating. But it’s also fuel.

This moment is a reminder of why we do this work in the first place. If it were easy, the need wouldn’t be so urgent. If it were simple, it wouldn’t be transformative.
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So, we keep pushing. We keep advocating. We keep fighting to make sure that the young people who need these tools the most actually have access to them. And I will not stop until we are back inside, mats on the floor, breathing together again.
If you’ve ever fought for something you knew was right, you know the feeling. You know the exhaustion. You also know the fire that keeps burning despite every setback.

And we’re not giving up.

If you’d like to support us in this battle—whether through connections, resources, or simply sharing this story—please reach out. Because this work matters. And because every young person in that facility deserves the chance to find their breath again.

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