Sonia Brown-Diaz – PYP Australia
Australian Ambassador – PYP
Sonia Brown-Diaz (RYT-200) has been using trauma-informed yoga practices for over 14yrs as a path to healing from the seemingly insurmountable grief and subsequent PTSD she experienced following the stillbirth of her twin sons in 2003.
After having completed PYP training in Brixton in 2018, Sonia’s innate desire to work with marginalised groups didn’t require any further thought. Since then, Sonia has founded Yoga on the Inside, and has introduced trauma-informed yoga classes and programs to over 6 prisons in Queensland, Australia since early 2019 and is now about to embark on running 2 pilot programs in a female and male Tasmanian prison. With the assistance of some wonderful facilitators that Yoga on the Inside has engaged, the programs are gaining more interest as the evidence of their benefits on incarcerated persons continues to become more and more evident.
Working with marginalised community groups is a deep passion of Sonia’s and Yoga on the Inside has also been humbled to be engaged by Beyond DV (a Domestic Violence service) to run weekly classes for the women they engage with, and also for youth groups that they support.
Being able to mentor and guide facilitators here in Australia who want to take on this path of karma yoga is a blessing and sharing this practice on a weekly basis with people who are incarcerated is something that is never taken for granted. Sharing space and building healthy relationships with other human beings is immeasurable.