Yoga on the Inside recently moved into Witton Barracks. We sat down with the founder and director, Sonia Brown-Diaz, to find out more about the social enterprise and its impact.
Yoga on the Inside is a social enterprise dedicated to providing trauma-informed yoga and embodied mindfulness to underserved community groups, particularly those who have experienced or are experiencing trauma.
A lot of their work takes place within prisons (with more than 20 programs in correctional facilities across the country), although they are expanding their reach into other areas.
Their mission is to make yoga accessible to all. This means accessible in language, in allowing individuals to have choice and control in what their practice looks like (making decisions that make them feel safe in the practice), and in being intentionally invitational in every aspect.
This approach has been shown to help equip individuals with skills and techniques to manage stress and anxiety, reduce impulsive behaviours, and better manage trauma responses.
Sonia Brown-Diaz, the founder and director, has a deeply personal connection to this mission, born out of her own experiences with trauma and the healing power of yoga.
A personal journey of healing and resilience
The end of July marked 21 years since the stillbirth of Sonia’s twin sons, Izaak and Kurtis. Despite the time that has passed, Sonia says the pain at times can be very “raw”.
This devastating loss brought about a level of grief that was difficult to process and not linear in any sense.
This was further compounded by the birth of her daughter a short time after, who was diagnosed with a major congenital heart defect and Down syndrome.
“At the time, we were told her heart defect was terminal, but she is 19 now,” explains Sonia.
Despite these challenging circumstances, Sonia found solace and strength in yoga, which became a crucial part of her healing process.
“Yoga helped me reconnect with my body, which I had dissociated from due to trauma,” Sonia shares.
“I don’t believe in silver bullets but in conjunction with the therapy, medication, and community support yoga shifted things for me.
“It allowed me to manage my hypervigilance and dissociative behaviours (which weren’t serving me) and helped me feel back into my body.”
Building a trauma-informed practice
Sonia’s passion for yoga led her to pursue yoga teacher training at Byron Yoga Centre.
“I had always wanted to do my yoga teacher training, but I never had the time, space or money but in 2018 things aligned and I decided to do it,” she says.
Later the same year, she saw that the Prison Yoga Project, an organisation she had been following for some time, was conducting training so she signed up.
“I went and did my training with the founder James Fox in the UK. While I was there I had conversations with him and Josefin Wikstrom, the European ambassador, about how we could bring the program into Australian correctional facilities,” Sonia says.
“I was never keen on working in studios. I wanted to bring yoga to spaces and places where people aren’t given the same opportunities as the rest of us.
“Having a child with a disability, I know firsthand what it’s like not to have access to things purely because you have a label. I believe that people who need the most often get the least, and I wanted to change that.”
Expanding reach and impact
What followed was six months of intense research, trying to contact the right people within corrections.
“The websites don’t exactly tell you who the general manager is or give you an email,” Sonia laughs.
But she persisted. The first prison they worked with was Brisbane Women’s Correctional Centre, starting with a 10-week program.
Since then, Yoga on the Inside has grown significantly, now running 21 programs in various correctional facilities across the country.
The feedback from participants has been positive, with many reporting improved sleep, reduced impulsiveness, less physical pain, and better connections with themselves and others.
Sonia says the work is incredibly rewarding.
“It’s a really hard thing to describe, but I walk out of there with my heart very full,” she says.
“It’s reciprocal, it’s not just us facilitating a class — we’re getting something back too. More than the yoga it’s about the relationship with those that we’re serving and the humanity that you see in everyone who shows up to each class.”
Future directions and broader impact
Yoga on the Inside continues to expand its reach, with upcoming programs for youth at risk in Townsville and ongoing work with survivors of family and domestic violence, and frontline and first responders.
They have also recently been engaged by immigration detention centres and are about to start two programs, one at Yongah Hill detention centre in WA, another in Broadmeadows in Melbourne.
Sonia emphasises the importance of taking the practice off the mat and into everyday life, adapting it to suit individual needs and circumstances.
“When people hear about our prison work, they think ‘Yoga on the Inside’ makes sense. But it’s multifaceted—it’s about the inside of you, wherever you may be,” Sonia explains.
“Your breath is always with you, and that’s something you can carry regardless of your circumstances.”
Visit the website to find out more about Yoga on the Inside.
