In this brave and transparent conversation, Fostering Meditation founder Demetrius Napolitano shares how his experiences in foster care and detention systems caused him trauma and how he was able to foster various seeds of light and hope to heal himself, make meaning, and support others. We discuss: *typical trauma reactions to abandonment *the impact of the environment on healing *race and belonging *spirituality *yoga in schools *Three and a Half Acres Trauma-Informed YTT *trauma-informed considerations for meditation *and so much more... When he was under a year old, Demetrius Napolitano was placed in New York City's foster care system. He was adopted at ten and then put back into foster care three years later before getting adopted a second time at 20. After experiencing 30 different placements, he transitioned from the system when he was 22. During his time in foster care, he was physically, verbally, and sexually abused; placed on psychotropic medications to treat depression, ADHD, and PTSD; and he experienced a short stay inside juvenile detention and a psychiatric hospital before deciding to take charge of his life. After graduating from St. John's University with his associate's in business management, he graduated from New York University with a bachelor's in political science. In 2019, after being introduced to the practice of meditation, he started a GoFundMe, raised over $17,000, and traveled to India to study further how to use Yoga and Meditation to help him heal from the complex trauma he incurred from the foster, criminal and mental institutions. Once Demetrius returned from his healing journey in June 2020, he founded Fostering Meditation (FM) to help young people nurture their mental development through the same tools he would later call "The Five Steps 2 Wellness": Meditation, Yoga, Expressive Writing, Community, & Nutrition. Demetrius envisions brining FM to youth within and without the foster care system nationally, creating more communities of people breathing, meditating, and healing together! Support Demetrius at www.fosteringmeditation.org Instagram -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lara Land is a trauma-informed yoga teacher trainer, forest therapist, death doula and mindfulness coach. Lara is the founder of Three and a Half Acres Yoga (THAY) nonproft. THAY trains yoga teachers in trauma-sensitive yoga and places them in organizations that serve survivors. Their next training is September 27th- 29th. Connect with Lara at www.laraland.us or on Instagram. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your support is deeply appreciated! Find me, Lara, on my Website / Instagram You can support this podcast with any level of donation here. Order The Essential Guide to Trauma Sensitive Yoga: How to Create Safer Spaces for All Opening and Closing music: Other People's Photographs courtesy of Daniel Zaitchik. Follow Daniel on Spotify.
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