Over the past few months, we’ve examined the complex web of challenges faced by America’s homeless and those providing them with services. Some of these issues are large and systemic while others are small and human. One of the recurring themes — which keeps coming up, whomever we talk to — is that homeless people are often stripped of their everyday dignities.
Wanting to honor and support the dignity of the homeless seems to be at the very core of Ama Yoga’s outreach. The 501c-3 charity, run by Amiee Schoof, aims to serve people in shelters or transitional housing by helping them restore balance in their lives. While that may seem like a slick metaphor, there are real, measurable benefits of yoga when it comes to stress regulation. Just imagine the perils of day-to-day homelessness — a life fraught with danger and lacking any sense of security — isn’t it relatively easy to see how mindfulness practice might help homeless people feel better both physically and emotionally?
“More than anything these people need someone to care about them,”Schoof tells Uproxx Reports. “With that strength behind them they’re able to make moves.”
