It’s an idea so groundbreaking, we knew it had to come out of our own Magic City. All across our country, at-risk children labored with trauma are faced with two unappetizing choices: Either pretend as if nothing has happened and endure psychological scars, or enter the dicey world of often-overloaded school-based or government-sponsored support programs. Intent that there be a middle way whose foundation is a centuries-old tradition of mindfulness and wellbeing, the Connection Coalition (formerly the enthusiastically named “Yoga Gangsters”) and their founder, Terri Cooper, has seen on a personal level just what a boon the right tools can make to someone struggling. “I started Connection Coalition in 2003 because yoga saved my life,” she says. “I suffered the symptoms of trauma (depression, anxiety, addiction, etc), but through yoga my nervous system started to regulate and my symptoms began to disappear. I knew immediately that I needed to get these tools out there to others who suffer.” Both training instructors and leading workshops in a variety of settings including jails, schools and rehabs, we can’t wait to see what an impact this mindful movement makes in generations to come; TheConnectionCoalition.org.
