2022 Seva Award recipient brings trauma-informed yoga to asylum seekers and new immigrants

Last week the International Association of Yoga Therapists, with the support of Give Back Yoga Foundation, recognized Regina Barrett, C-IAYT, for her work in bringing yoga therapy to asylum seekers and new immigrants at the U.S. border. Barrett was the recipient of this year’s Seva Award, which recognizes projects supporting unserved populations that foster accessibility and inclusivity in local communities.

Barrett’s project, Trauma-Informed Yoga for Asylum Seekers and New Immigrants, brings holistic services like massage, art therapy, and trauma-informed yoga to the border of Texas and Mexico. 

In this video, Barrett shares more about the service trips, which started in 2019. 

View the acceptance speech →

The asylum seekers and immigrants the project serves are primarily families. “We’re really grateful that we have this moment at the border where they’re waiting so that we can do the holistic trauma support before they come into the U.S. and have all these other responsibilities,” she explains.

Barrett is currently Volunteer Acting Director of Casa de Paz SLV, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Crestone, Colorado. 

Watch the full video to learn more about the project. 

Find an IAYT-certified yoga therapist here.

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