mind, body and life skills for at-risk youth

Powerful Article on MBA in this Month's Tricycle Magazine

Read or download the full Tricycle Article here or take a look at the excerpt below.

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MBA TV: Episode 1 - What is MBA?

Bringing Mindfulness Practice to Troubled Youth

MBA was profiled in the News + Culture section of this months issue of Buddha Dharma Magazine.
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BUDDHADHARMA: WINTER 2009
Bringing Mindfulness Practice to Troubled Youth

The Khyentse Foundation recently awarded a special grant to the Mind Body Awareness Project (MBA) recognizing this unique program as a possible “new national model for the rehabilitation of incarcerated youth.” The foundation, started by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, awards grants to initiatives it believes will have a long-term dharmic impact on society.

MBA, founded in 2000, is based partly on cofounder Noah Levine’s experience in Santa Cruz Juvenile Hall, which he chronicled in his book Dharma Punx.

MBA’s training program combines mindfulness meditation, emotional intelligence exercises, and movement disciplines such as yoga and tai chi, to teach incarcerated and at-risk youth methods to counteract destructive patterns of addiction, violence, and crime. Based in inner-city Oakland, California, the program serves 1,500 young people in nearby prisons, juvenile halls, detention camps, group homes, schools, and teen centers. The ten-module program begins with learning to appreciate one’s true nature as good, and proceeds through a variety of skills that focus on transforming how participants work with their own mind states and interact with others. MBA also trains staff in other youth-assistance organizations and emphasizes attention to youths during the critical period following their return to the community from prisons and detention facilities.

The MBA’s advisory board includes Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction founder Jon Kabat-Zinn, emotional intelligence specialist and author Daniel Goleman, and George Mumford, who trained the Los Angeles Lakers in mindfulness meditation and helped develop the MBA curriculum.

MBA Featured in this Months Yoga Journal

Get the full article on newsstands or read it here as a PDF.

“ONE BREATH AWAY” BENEFIT CONCERT FOR MBA

And here’s the official release on the show:
PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release:

ALMA DESNUDA HOSTING “ONE BREATH AWAY” BENEFIT CONCERT FOR THE MIND BODY AWARENESS PROJECT – PERFORMING AT CAFÉ DU NORD SAN FRANCISCO, SEPTEMBER 30

San Francisco – September 17, 2009 – Alma Desnuda (www.almaDmusic.com), the Bay Area’s own four-piece, acoustic groove sensation will be hosting “One Breath Away,” a benefit concert at Café Du Nord in San Francisco on September 30th @ 8pm, to raise funds for the Northern California based non-profit, The Mind Body Awareness Project (MBA). Alma D heads a talent packed 5 artist bill, playing with the acclaimed Los Angeles-based Lady Danville .

The MBA Project is a non-profit dedicated to transforming the lives of at-risk youth by giving them tools to live a more meaningful life. Their unique mental training program successfully helps these at-risk and incarcerated youth by providing mindfulness meditation and emotional intelligence exercises designed to strengthen their minds, relieve stress, and build their ability to make better decisions.

Alma Desnuda is committed to utilizing the vehicle of music to support causes that help disadvantaged populations and is proud to be partnering with the MBA Project. Rounding out the bill for the evening is Lady Danville, Brett Hunter, Ilaya, The Davey G. Project as well as guest speakers from the MBA Project.
Alma Desnuda Official Website
The Mind Body Awareness Project Official Website

What: ONE BREATH AWAY Benefit Concert for the Mind Body Awareness Project hosted by Alma Desnuda with special guests
When: Wednesday, September 30 8:00pm
Where: Café Du Nord
Cost: $10
Tickets for this show are on sale at www.cafedunord.com, Café Du Nord’s Box Office or by phone at 415-861-5016

BIO Deriving their name from the Spanish translation of “Naked Soul”, their music aims to spread a poignant message of community and social awareness through the use of what they call, “socially digestible capsules.” Upon hearing the funk-inspired rhythm section by brothers Joe Glaser (Cajon) and Tony Glaser (Upright bass) paired with the clever harmonies and dueling guitars of Chris Bryden and Paul Suhr, the listener finds themselves “feeling more connected with the world around them.” Promoting the October release of their self-released debut album Middleway, they have taken their music all over Northern California, most recently playing to an adoring, sold out crowd at Yoshi’s in San Francisco. To listen, go here: www.myspace.com/almadesnuda

MBA's 2009 Info Kit Now Available ONLINE

You can download a PDF of it here.

The Official MBA Staff Shirt

The Official MBA Staff Shirt is now cheaper! Plus other products are now available via Zazzle. This shirt can be seen on our staff in various Bay Area Juvenile Halls, and is now available to the public as well. The Design uses original art from Mike Giant and all the money we rake in will go to funding MBA’s work. Mens, Womens, Organic and Fitted Shirts available!

Benefit Magazine on MBA 4. May 2007

Read the full Benefit Magazine article on MBA Project:
The Yoga Behind Bars article online , or download it here!

Meditate and Destroy Premiere 4. April 2007

Join MBA Project Founder and “Dharma Punx” author Noah Levine for the world premiere of “Meditate and Destroy”, a documentary about Noah’s transformation from substance-abusing skate punk to buddhist revolutionary. Featuring interviews with Jack Kornfield, Ajahn Amaro, Stephen and Ondrea Levine, and live performances by Good Riddance and Bold. Film-maker Sarah Fisher will also be in attendance.


Sunday, April 22nd, 3 pm

Santa Cruz Film Festival

Riverfront Theatre

Santa Cruz California

News and Updates at MBA 9. March 2007

Greetings MBA Friends and Supporters,
Thank you for your continued interest in the Mind Body Awareness Project. We are pleased to announce the addition of a steller new board member to the MBA family. Kim Watts, who joined the board officially on January 25th, 2007, is the Director of Finance for Catholic Charities CYO, where she manages an organizational budget in excess of $40 million. Kim will be lending her invaluable expertise to our Financial Oversight Committee. We would also like to welcome a new teacher, Minette Mangahas, to our teaching staff. Minette is a very accomplished meditator, has a strong background in movement, and is involved in a number of social justice initiatives in addition to being a remarkable artist. We are delighted to have her on our team.

In fundraising news, MBA has recently received foundation support from the Kalliopeia Foundation, as well as the Walter S. Johnson Foundation. We are delighted to be partnering with such excellent and well respected foundations to continue expanding our services to Bay Area youth.

In case you are not fully aware The Mind Body Awareness Project teaches essential life skills to at-risk youth through the practices of meditation and yoga. In juvenile halls, high schools, and group homes, we meet teenagers whose habitual behaviors are leading them down a road of substance abuse, crime and violence. Unfortunately, they are not being given any tools they can use to stop this momentum. The MBA project was founded with the mission to arm these youth with a skill they area not learning anywhere else. We are currently teaching over 44 classes per month in the juvenile justice system and we hope to double in the next 2 years. We see the impact we make on the lives of the most fragile and at risk youth in our society.

Thank you for your interest,
Gabriel Kram
Executive Director, The MBA Project