Greetings from the
Executive Director,

After now being at Lineage for two years, I realize that it is time to put an updated message on our website.

This is a time of enormous growth and opportunity at Lineage. We have added six energetic and talented new board members. Sites where we teach have reported striking behavioral changes as a result of our classes and we continue to be approached by new sites and have been asked to expand and extend our presence at current locations. Our programs reached 600 youth in 2009 and over 900 youth in 16 classes per week during 2010. We are now projecting to serve more than 1,500 youth in over 25 classes per week in 2011. Programs will be hosted by Sunnyside Family Services, Hudson Guild, Humanities Prep High School, Fortune Society's Alternative to Incarceration Program, Big Brothers/Big Sisters of NYC, The Center for Community Alternatives, Louis Nine House and the two NYC Juvenile Detention Centers: Horizon and Crossroads, with additional sites pending final confirmation.

We are also providing eight teacher training workshops to the community in 2011. In 2010 we only offered three but there has been an overwhelming interest in learning our methods and we have made a commitment to expand.

As always, our youth best describe our impact:

"I feel like someone put a new life inside of me. At this moment I'm feeling calm and relaxed. Nothing is really bothering me and I feel some of my anger melting away. I got in touch with my inner self. I know who I am on the outside but really never knew who I was on the inside."
James, age 17

"My home is really chaotic and I used to get stressed as soon as I stepped in the door. Thanks to the teachings the minute I get home I can go into a small space I set up for myself and do the breathing. Then I can face the drama in my house in a calmer way".
Shawna, age 16

Well, I can honestly say that me being incarcerated for 11 months, this yoga program is very helpful. I have grown accustomed to my new coping skills which is learning a lot of multiple methods to stay calm and a new way of expressing myself."
Roseanne, age 14
Peace,

Beth Navon
LMSW, RYT
For more information contact Beth Navon: beth@lineageproject.org

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MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to share yoga, meditation and awareness based practices to empower youth to find alternatives to stress, violence and incarceration

VISION STATEMENT
We are committed to teaching skills that reduce recidivism and encourage New York City youth to become vital and contributing members of their communities. We hope to inspire personal growth through continued practice and the development of higher levels of empathy, tolerance and interpersonal skills.

Our Mission and Program

The Lineage Project's mission since its founding in 1998 is to address the high rate of youth incarceration and the disproportionate confinement of racial minorities from low-income neighborhoods. Our programs use awareness-based practices such as yoga and meditation as a positive means of intervention. The Lineage Project has developed an innovative program model and is in the second year of a formal research project to comprehensively evaluate the impact of our programming. Preliminary research through self-report surveys and focus groups has been collected and analyzed, showing distinct improvement in areas such as stress and anger management.

The Lineage Project's teaching model is unique in its combined use of yoga and meditation practices with class discussions, intentionally built around a theme. Every aspect of our teaching is well-planned and fully considered, and the seven components of our curriculum provide all the key supports for an effective, resiliency-based approach to positive youth development.

Upcoming Training Sessions:

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We are pleased to announce that we are now offering our training to the public. Our workshops are appropriate for anyone currently interested in or working with incarcerated or at-risk youth. Participants should have some experience in the practice of yoga and/or meditation.

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Sun., Jan. 22, 2012
12 P.M. – 8 P.M. (2 hour break 3:45 P.M.-5:45 P.M.)
Cost: $75 before December 31, 2011;
$90 after January 1, 2012
Location: Abhaya Yoga, 10 Jay Street, Brooklyn, 11201

To register for this class, or to get more details, please click here.

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