“It will be a chance to relax, catch up, and learn about future plans for the Youth Yoga Project,” says Julia Handelman, co-founder of Youth Yoga Project on her upcoming event Breath, Brew and Something New.
The special event will serve as a fundraiser for the Youth Yoga Project and attendees will be first to know of the group’s plans for the future. “We will have an adult yoga class at 11am then a brunch and fun raffle,” says Handelman.
Julia Handelman and Lauren Greenspan created the Youth Yoga Project (YYP), a non-profit organization, to bring yoga into schools in 2017.
“I worked with kids and yoga in NYC schools,” says Handelman, who graduated from Columbus Public Schools. “I saw very positive things happen there. Some kids bring a lot of trauma in with them. When I moved back to Columbus, I knew that getting kids access to yoga in schools would be my passion project.”
Youth Yoga Project now brings yoga and mindfulness programming into schools during the regular school day or for after-school programs. They also go into community settings and yoga studios such as GIVE Yoga.
School counselor Greenspan and curriculum expert Handelman develop programs that meet CASEL and Ohio Physical Education standards to help kids both physically and mentally.
It is well-known that yoga and mindful breathing can reduce the stress hormone cortisol. “It is really fun to see the boys get into the strength-building poses that are challenging, but it is also about being flexible mentally,” says Greenspan. “Learning to breathe to calm yourself before a math test, for example.”
The Yoga Youth Project is a non-profit providing yoga and wellness programming to improve physical, social, and emotional well-being and increase academic success. On Saturday, April 9, 2022 they will hold a yoga class and fundraising raffle at the Parsons North Brewery, 685 Parsons Avenue, Columbus, OH 43206. It is a donation-based event. For more details and registration visit the registration link.
