Freeing The Human Spirit

08/20/2026

One of the reasons that Yoga (and meditation) are vital tools for inmates.

Yoga Sutra 1.2 offers one of the clearest definitions of yoga:

“Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ.”
Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind.

Let’s break it down:
Yoga - union, integration, a state of inner connection.
Citta - the mind (including our thoughts, memories, emotions, and perceptions).
Vṛtti - the movements or fluctuations of the mind (the stories, worries, judgments, plans, and distractions constantly passing through).
Nirodhaḥ - stilling, quieting, or allowing those fluctuations to settle.

The sutra isn’t necessarily asking us to stop thinking. Instead, it points toward a practice of becoming less entangled with every thought that arises.

Through yoga, we learn to notice the movement of the mind without being carried away by it. We create a little more space between awareness and thought.

Yoga is the practice of returning to presence.

Save this for the next time your mind feels especially busy. 🤎

12/02/2025

Today is GIVING TUESDAY, and your support can change a life.

At Freeing the Human Spirit, we witness moments of transformation every week — moments like Jordan’s.
Jordan, convicted of fraud, joined the prison yoga program a year ago, unsure of what to expect. He said he walked into that first class angry, guarded, and disconnected. But slowly, breath by breath, something shifted.
“Yoga has given me room to pause instead of react. It’s helped me repair relationships with guys on my range, and even with some of the guards.
For the first time in years, I feel like I can talk instead of explode.”

As his practice deepened, he began reaching out to his family again — calls that once ended in arguments now end in hope.
“My daughter is nine. She’s growing fast, and I’ve missed so much.
When I get out next year, the thing I’m looking forward to most is sharing yoga with her — showing her the breathing that helped me through the hardest days.”

Jordan attends every session we offer. He says yoga gives him purpose, focus, and a sense of dignity he thought he’d lost forever.
“I want to be the kind of man my daughter can look up to. This program is helping me become him.”

Your Giving Tuesday donation helps make stories like Jordan’s possible — stories of healing, connection, and real change behind the walls… and beyond them.
✨ Every $50 provides a yoga & meditation manual to a prison.
✨ Every gift supports trauma-informed yoga programs that change lives.
✨ Every donation helps someone rebuild a future.

Please consider donating today at:
👉 www.FreeingTheHumanSpirit.com
or search for us on CanadaHelps (https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/freeing-the-human-spirit/)

Your giving = real impact.

12/01/2025

YOGA and MEDITATION help everyone — no exceptions.
Inside correctional facilities, yoga and meditation give people tools to breathe, regulate emotions, and reconnect with their humanity.

And here’s the truth:
Most people in prison will return to our communities. They may one day be your neighbors.

Your Giving Tuesday support helps us bring trauma-informed yoga and meditation to those who need it most — giving them a chance to heal, grow, and re-enter society with more stability and compassion.
✨ Your giving = real impact.
✨ Every $50 supplies a yoga + meditation manual to a prison.
Please donate today through CanadaHelps: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/freeing-the-human-spirit/