YEAH YOGA

Help a Young Person Find Calm in the Middle of Chaos

In Greater New Orleans, thousands of young people are navigating the impact of trauma, incarceration, and systemic barriers, often without access to consistent mental health support.a

YEAH! YOGA brings evidence-based tools of yoga and mindfulness directly to youth involved in or impacted by the criminal legal system. We teach inside juvenile detention centers, alternative schools, shelters, and community programs, meeting young people exactly where they are.

Our trauma-informed, healing-focused classes give youth something many have never been taught:

How to calm their nervous system

How to regulate intense emotions

How to pause before reacting

How to feel safe in their own bodies

How to imagine a hopeful future

And it works. 

Youth in our programs report:

Significant decreases in symptoms of depression and anxiety

Increased clarity of mind

Greater self-esteem

More optimism about their future

Since 2016, YEAH! YOGA has provided 900+ classes to more than 6,000 youth across the Greater New Orleans area — both inside and outside of detention facilities. What began as a small group of volunteers teaching at Rivarde Juvenile Detention Center has grown into a community-supported nonprofit working to interrupt cycles of trauma and incarceration.

In 2024, we expanded our impact by launching Youth Yoga Teacher Training — a free program that offers young adults job skills, leadership development, and a pathway to employment. We are not just teaching coping skills. We are cultivating community leaders.

What Your Gift Makes Possible

When you donate to YEAH! YOGA, you are not funding a yoga class.

You are funding:

A young person learning to breathe first, then chose their actions

A moment of calm inside a detention facility

A skill that follows them home after release

A pathway to leadership and employment

One student recently shared:

“I didn’t know what to expect; I was nervous. I’ve been dealing with a lot of losses lately, but I feel really calm right now.”

Another said:

“I honestly feel happier.”

And one simply said:

“Yoga has helped me to be calm.”

That calm matters. That shift changes lives.

Join Us

Your support helps us expand access, train teachers, and continue delivering consistent, research-backed programming to youth who need it most.

Together, we can ensure that every young person has tools for resilience, healing, and hope.

Give today and be part of the movement.