Firefly Yoga International

Organizational Overview

Firefly Yoga International (Firefly) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization currently operating in Massachusetts and California, and expanding to Minnesota and Nevada in 2015. Firelfy offers evidence-based, population-specific, trauma-informed yoga programs to survivors of trauma (e.g., survivors of domestic and/or sexual violence, veterans, institutionalized youth, people living with HIV and/or other chronic STIs, etc). Trauma-informed yoga is a relatively "new" field in the West that is gaining traction (both from researchers and donors), as it is a highly promising, complementary form of care to be offered alongside more traditional approaches of therapy. This type of yoga provides a more holistic approach to care, addressing the connection between the mind, body, and spirit.

Mission: The mission of Firefly Yoga International is to promote psychological and physical healing for survivors of trauma by providing evidence-based yoga programming, creating a network of trauma-informed yoga teachers, and contributing to the fields of public health and yoga through scholarly research.

Vision: Our vision is to create a world in which survivors of trauma can access, and benefit from, the power of yoga to heal the mind, body, and spirit.

Firefly has three main priorities:

1. Training in Trauma-Informed Yoga (Firefly Training): Firefly provides professional trainings to Registered Yoga Teachers (RYTs), focusing on trauma-informed yoga principles and practice. RYTs who complete the training may audition to become Firefly Teachers (who will implement the Firefly Program to survivors of trauma). Additionally, every RYT that completes Firefly Training will be enrolled as a member in the Firefly Network, granting access to up-to-date research on yoga and trauma via the Firefly Newsletter, information on relevant yoga teaching opportunities, supplementary trainings, and more.

2. The Firefly Program: Through its network of yoga teachers and partnerships with various organizations, Firefly provides structured, population-specific, trauma-informed yoga to trauma survivors.

3. Research: Firefly contributes to the growing evidence base on trauma-informed yoga by implementing robust monitoring and evaluation of the Firefly Program, and reports measurable outcomes to better inform future initiatives in this field.