S1 Trailer 21 From a Pool Table to Prison Yoga: Jen Lindgren on Healing, Stigma & Finding Purpose Through Yoga (Part 1)

What if your healing journey began in the most unexpected place:  on a pool table in an after-hours bar? In this deeply moving episode of *The Inner Practice*, Jackie sits down with Jen Lindgren, Director of Training with the Prison Yoga Project, yoga facilitator, and teacher to explore a story rooted in pain, resilience, and profound transformation. Jen shares what it was like growing up with a father who was incarcerated, navigating the weight of stigma, and struggling with her own trauma. Through raw honesty, she speaks about the struggles of self-harm, the search for belonging, and how movement first became a doorway back to her body. Then, in an unexpected moment, yoga found her, changing the trajectory of her life. This conversation traces Jen’s path from early adversity to becoming a leader in trauma-informed yoga within prison systems. It’s a powerful reflection on grace, the complexity of human behavior, and the deep truth that beneath every label is a person longing to be seen, understood, and healed. In Part 1 of this two-part series, Jen shares her personal story of how yoga entered her life and set her on the path toward the meaningful work she does today, bringing healing practices to communities often forgotten and underserved. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt lost, judged, or disconnected, and is searching for a way back to themselves. Make sure you **tune in to Part 2** where we dive deeper into Jen’s work inside prisons and the transformative power of trauma-informed yoga. For more information on the prison yoga project check out their link.  https://www.prisonyoga.org/ Send us Fan Mail Support the show If you enjoyed this show, make sure you like, subscribe, follow and download the episode or simply leave a comment.  I would love to hear from you!  Please feel free to share your thoughts, episode ideas or simply to say "hello"! This episode is sponsored by Jackie Vandertuin Therapy.  With over 30 years of practice as a Certified Athletic Therapist and professor of Athletic Therapy, coupled with her experience as a yoga therapist, Jackie Vandertuin MSc, CAT(C), will help guide you in the management and treatment of various disorders including:  low back pain, sprains, strains, anxiety and depression.  Reach out www.jackievandertuintherapy.com  for a free discovery call. If would like to be a guest of this podcast, please reach out to jackie@jackievandertuintherapy with a short bio of your story and how yoga has helped you in your journey of healing. If you are interested in sponsoring an episode or this podcast, reach out to Jackie Vandertuin at jackie@jackievandertuintherapy.com. Stay in touch at: Website:  https://www.jackievandertuintherapy.com Instagram:  jackie\_vandertuin\_therapy Facebook:  Jackie Vandertuin Therapy To support the show, feel free to buy me a coffee at https://buymeacoffee.com/theinnerpractice