

MAKING MENTAL HEALTH A HUMAN RIGHT
Mindfulness-Based Mental Health Programs for Charter and Public Schools



WHO WE ARE

FoundedinNewJerseyin2007,KulaforKarma wasapioneerinteachinghealingmindfulness practicestohelppeopleincrisisstrengthen theirmentalandphysicalhealth.Sincethen, Kulahasgrownintoanational501(c)3 nonprofitorganization.


We believe every human being deserves the space, time, and tools to understand, manage, and improve their mental health. Our expert staff and teachers curate custom mindfulness-based mental healthcare programs to meet the specific challenges and needs of a wide range of populations.
WHAT WE DO
IN SANSKRIT, THE ANCIENT LANGUAGE OF YOGA, OUR NAME MEANS:
“COMMUNITYFORSERVICETOOTHERS”




children,teens,andadultsexperiencingtrauma,addiction, andmentalhealthconditions.
“Mindfulness-basedmentalhealthcare”isKula’stermfora medically-endorsedcombinationofawareness,breath,and movementthateffectivelysupportsandtreatsallaspectsof mentalhealth:mind,bodyandspirit.Kulaprogramsinclude restorativeyoga,guidedmeditationsandmantras,breathing techniques,andeducationaboutthephysiologyoftrauma’s effectsonthebodyandbehavior.
OUR MISSION

Ourmissionistomakementalhealth ahumanrightbyprovidingequitable, inclusive,affordableandaccessible mindfulness-basedmentalhealthcare forourpost-pandemicworld.Kula’s mindfulness-basedmentalhealth programsareaneffective,scalable solutiontothementalhealthcrisis plaguingournation. Readaboutthementalhealthcrisis here.

Mental Health Is My Human Right
WHO WE SERVE
Wehaveapassionforunderservedand


Schools
Hospitals
CommunityCenters
AddictionRecoveryCenters
DomesticViolenceShelters
JuvenileJusticeFacilities
Prisons
JobTrainingPrograms
GrouporTransitionalHomes
Spaceswherefirstresponders
serve:Doctors,nurses,EMTs, firefighters,police,etc.
Tolearnmoreaboutwhatwedo,visit kulaforkarma.org/what-we-do









OUR WORK IN SCHOOLS
Today’sstudentsarestrugglingwithmentalhealthat unprecedentedlevels.Andforunderservedand marginalizedstudents,thelackofequitableaccessto resources,tools,supportandservicescreatesinequities wecannotignore.
YouthofallagesweretraumatizedduringtheCOVID-19 pandemicbyisolation,lackofsocialization,disrupted routinesanddailyuncertainty,includingfearfortheir ownhealthandthelivesoftheirfamiliesandfriends. Manyfamilieslostjobsorhomes;somebecamefood insecure.

Thiswascompoundedformanyby increasedproximitytofamilyviolence, caregiverdrugandalcoholabuse,sexual abuse,orneglectthatchildrencouldn’t escape.Wemayneverknowwhatsome childreninourschoolsendured.Then theywereexpectedtojumpbackinto schoolandpickupwheretheyleftoff.
Thementalhealthsystemhassince beenoverwhelmed.Childreninneed continuetobeturnedaway. Insurance,ifafamilyhasit,often doesn’tcoverconsistentcareor providersdonotacceptinsurance. Formany,schoolistheonlysafe placewheretheadultsinleadership mightthinktoarrangeforthemto receivementalhealthservicesto addressanxiety,depression,anger, grief,interpersonalrelationshipsand dailystressors.

AFEWSTATISTICS:
AccordingtotheNationalCenterforEducation,eighty-seven percentofpublicschoolsreportedin2022thattheCOVID-19 pandemicnegativelyimpactedstudentsocio-emotional development.Eighty-fourpercentofpublicschoolsagreedor stronglyagreedthatstudents’behavioraldevelopmenthas beennegativelyimpacted.
Teachersatalllevelsanecdotallyreportanastonishingincrease inbehavioralproblemsandclassroommisconductlinkedto increasedanxiety,depression,inabilitytofocus,emotional outbursts,physicalaggression,andthoughtsorattemptsofselfharm.
AndyetMentalHealthAmericarecentlyreportedthat60%of youthwhosaidtheyexperiencedatleastonemajordepressive episodeperyeardidnotreceiveanytreatment.

Kula for Karma at Paterson Public Schools
THECDCSTATES:
Youthwithpoormentalhealthtendtostrugglewithschooland grades,decisionmaking,andoverallhealth.Mentalhealthproblems inyouthareassociatedwithincreasedbehavioralriskssuchasdrug use,high-risksexualbehaviorsandexperiencingviolence.Andthe impactripplesoutthroughfamilies,schoolsandcommunities.

THE KULA SOLUTION
Weprideourselveso mindfulness-basedm programscreatedan specificallyforstude theiragerange,scho collectivecommunit
Weworkcloselywiths administratorstound onthegroundatasch particularissuesandc developprogramstha effectivelyfitandben groupofchildren.
Itallbeginswithaco outtoustoday:
JenniCrumptonRoss, jenni@kulaforkarma.o 917-456-2222
Learnmoreaboutour staffatKulaforKarma.

LISTEN TO SOME OF OUR CLIENTS TALK ABOUT THEIR EXPERIENCE AND SATISFACTION WITH THE KULA SOLUTION:

Jenna – Director of Full Service Community Schools, Paterson, NJ


Jessica – Lead Site Coordinator of Full Service Community Schools, Paterson Elementary School 2


Jessica – Lead Site Coordinator of Full Service Community Schools, Paterson Elementary School 2


Jessica – Lead Site Coordinator of Full Service Community Schools, Paterson Elementary School 2
OUR WHY
WHY MINDFULNESSBASED MENTAL HEALTH?
TIMErecentlypublishedanexpose reportingthattraditionaltherapyand mentalhealthcareisnotsolvingour mentalhealthcrisis.Asseminal traumaexpertsDr.Besselvander Kolk(TheBodyKeepstheScore)and Dr.PeterLevine(Somatic Experiencing)haveshown,trauma livesinthebody.Forthisreason, Kulabelievesthemissinglinkin mentalhealthcareisthebody.
Traumatypicallyisnotprocessedby themind,becausetraumatic experiencesbypassthefrontalbrain (theseatofreasoning)andthesignal goesstraighttotheprimitive amygdala(theseatoffightorflight andsurvival).
Thisnaturalprocesskeepsusalive underunthinkablecircumstances. Yetthesympatheticnervoussystem getstriggeredtofight,flee,fawnor freeze,andthoseunresolved instinctsgetstoredinthebody,down tothecellularlevel.
That’swhyourmemoriesoftrauma areoftenblurryandfragmented,or evenremainhiddenforyears.And that’swhytherapyonlytakeshealing sofar.Traumaisn’twhathappened orthefragmentednarrativeinthe mind,it’sanimprintinthebodythat impactseveryaspectofthehuman being.


Wehavetensofthousandsof neuronsinourheartsandguts.The traumaresponsetrappedinour bodiesismeanttoalertusthatuntil itisreleased,oursystemwillstill operateasifitisinimminentdanger.
Thisiswhy,whenleftunattended,we developunbearablefeelingsinour bodies(anxiety,depression,fear, grief,pain,etc.).Then,notbeingable toreasonwhyorchangeitwithour thinkingminds,weoftenbegintoact outinuncharacteristicways.This leadstoultimatelyengagingin unhealthyorriskymaskingor avoidancebehaviorsthatimpactour health,relationshipsorjobs.
It’samyththatmentalhealthis onlyaboutthemind.Mentalhealth conditionsdon’tnecessarilyarise fromourthinkingminds,they developfromthisbiological processinourbodies.
Cultivatingawarenessofourbodies andthefeelingswithinthem, combinedwithyogamovementsand controlledbreathingtechniques, havebeenscientificallyshownnot onlytoregulateandreleasethe nervoussystem,butalsotoimpact theexpressionofourDNA (addressingintergenerationalor inheritedtrauma)andcreatenew neuralpathwaysthathelpus developnewskills,perspectives,and habits.
Readjustafewsnippetsofthe prolificstudiesandstatisticsabout howmindfulnessmitigatesandheals traumabyclickinghereandscrolling down.

HOW WE IMPLEMENT
Kulaconductsprogramsinschools thatequipkidsofeveryagewith toolsto:identifytheirfeelingsand wheretheyshowupintheirbodies, connecttothesafetyofthepresent moment,choosetheirbestpathto well-beinginanysituation,employ self-careandself-regulationthrough breathingandaccessible movements,makebetterdecisions, developresilience,andlearnto foreseesituationsthattriggerstress.

Mostimportantly,weletkidsknow thattheyarenotalone,theyarenot theonlyonesfacingthesefeelings, andtheycanaskforandreceivehelp.
Wedothisbyprovidingcustomized classestaughtbytrained,traumainformedprofessionalteachers vettedbyKulaandplacedspecifically toconnectwithaparticulargroupof childreninaparticularschool, includingbilingualteachers.
OUR TEACHERS
KulaforKarmaspecificallytrainsourteacherson mindfulnessfortrauma,addiction,andmentalhealth.All RegisteredYogaTeachers(RYT),manyofourteachersalsohave additionalcertificationsinmultiplemindfulnessand breathworkpractices,aswellasadvanceddegreesand experienceasmentalhealthprofessionalssuchaslicensed psychologistsorlicensedsocialworkers(LCSW).
Ourteachersestablishtrustandcreateengagementwiththose weserve,addressingeachgroup'suniqueneedswith compassion,patienceandnonjudgement.Theycreate customized,turn-keysolutionsformindfulness-basedmental healthprogramstailoredtostudentsintheirenvironment,and makethepracticesaccessibletoall.

WebelievetheKulateacherwhoworkswithyourstudents shouldreflectwhotheyareinasmanywaysaspossible,sothat theycanseethemselvesandimaginegrowinguptobethat balanced,thoughtful,resourcefulperson.Weworkwithyouto selectateacher(s)whobestreflectsthestudentbodyandwith whomthestudentscanidentifyandconnect.Therelationship withtheteacherbecomesahealingcenterpieceoftheprogram. Learnmoreaboutourteachershere.
OUR IMPACT

KulaforKarmaisanessentialpartofthesolutiontoournational mentalhealthcrisis,anduniqueinourfocusonincludingthemissing linkinmentalhealthcare:thebody.Inthefaceofmonumentalneed, ourprogramsarehavingamoredramaticimpactthanever.Our mindfulness-basedmentalhealthprogramsaremeetingpeoplewhere theyare,breakingdownbarriers,andprovidingdesperatelyneeded accesstoknowledgeandhealingpractices.Byworkingwithustoserve yourschool,youarealsocreatingopportunitiesforKulatoserve countlessothers.
Hearfromseveralofourclientsbycheckingoutourmissionvideo,above.
Watchandreadadditionaltestimonialshere.
Sam Waterston introduces the work and impact of Kula for Karma.

