Breath of Hope Programs, 2007
The Breath of Hope Foundation, Inc. (BOH), is a nonprofit organization that fosters empowerment and transformation in at-risk children and communities through a therapeutic intervention of yoga. In collaboration with educators and researchers, BOH is advancing knowledge of the benefits of yoga in promoting integrative healing and resiliency for trauma-affected children and other populations. Its educational and training curriculum is designed to rekindle hope and peace in at-risk children through school- and community-based yoga programs that stimulate a ripple effect from the child to the family, school, community and beyond.
The BOH yoga interventions and educational programs were developed by Therese Poulsen, a leading yoga educator and program director whose school-based programs have been adopted into the curricula of several of New York City’s most respected independent schools.
In the wake of recent natural disasters, human-created conflicts and population dislocations, health ministries and international relief agencies have documented the prevalence of psychological and emotional distress among children, who are observed to be especially hard hit by sudden change, loss and disruption. A systematic program of yoga offers the possibility of trauma recovery and resilience-enhancing effects for children at relatively low cost, without stigma and without straining the public health or mental health infrastructure.
BOH has demonstrated that a culturally sensitive, minimally invasive yoga program can be implemented quickly at the grassroots level. Begun in Sept 2005 in the aftermath of the South Asian tsunami, the yoga programs for children and teachers have been a catalyst for dramatic healing. The work is flourishing and we now serve over 10,000 children at 22 sites in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. The programs have been recognized by educators in the region as a tool for reinvigorating childhood development and building individual and community resilience.
BOH yoga programs are implemented at the grassroots level in educational and community sites and can become self-sustaining within a relatively short time. BOH trains local teachers in the science of yoga to equip them to lead the program after the initial on-site intervention. This is adeeply effective program that nourishes the potential of each child. A typical 21-month intervention includes:
Therese Poulsen
Founder and Director, Breath of Hope Foundation, Inc.PO Box 2235, Lenox hill StationNew York NY 10021212-628-4673, Cell: 646-479-6384
www.breathofhopefoundation.org breathofhope@gmail.com
Breath of Hope: Nourishing the deeper tides of human potential
In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. ---Mother Teresa
Be the change you want to see in the world. ---Gandhi
