WE BELIEVE EVERYONE DESERVES A SAFE SPACE TO GROW.

The Mat Project provides free comprehensive yoga programming to women and youth who are underserved or have experienced trauma.

Through yoga, we build confidence and empowerment. Through scholarships, we provide educational and employable teaching opportunities!

We believe, by fostering a positive outlook that extends beyond the mat, we encourage our students to practice social good within and around the community.

Why are we called The Mat Project? Every student of ours receives a free, brand new yoga mat to keep. This is their safe space to be themselves, express themselves, and to take care of their mind and body. Together we write on our actual mats. These are messages of positive affirmations and beliefs in ourselves. We then practice yoga on our positive intentions as many times as we can get together.

Who and Where do we teach? Myself, along with our other Trauma Informed Certified Yoga Teachers have provided and/or currently provide yoga programming in the Cuyahoga Juvenile Detention Center. I currently teach the female youth, and our male instructor teaches the young men.

We are also affiliated with teaching women who have been victims of human trafficking, students in the PEP schools, mothers who utilize The Providence House, as well as local, open to the public outreach programs.

TMP is currently 3 years old, and we are small but mighty! Our efforts have been welcomed with open arms around Cleveland, and we are looking forward to being able to provide more services.

Our budget is small, and we greatly appreciate every dollar we can put to use.

One of our latest efforts has been a scholarship program for our students. We recently awarded 2, $3,000 scholarships! One female, who we taught through the human trafficking program loved yoga so much, we were able to send her to a 200 hour training program, and she is now a certified yoga teacher ready to give back to her community!