Calm Minds: Meditation for Change

Mental health

Expand existing project, program, or initiative (expanding and continuing ongoing, successful work)

In Los Angeles, toxic stress is a silent epidemic affecting everyone, especially our most vulnerable neighbors. This relentless stress leads to severe mental health issues, substance abuse, and alarmingly high suicide rates. The hardest hit are often prisoners, who face extreme challenges. Our understanding is that by tackling this root cause, we can transform lives. Michel Pascal Inc. provides in-person meditation classes proven to reduce prisoner suicides to zero and achieve a 92% non-recidivism rate. Imagine the impact of extending this success to our entire community. By calming the mind, we can help residents break free from the cycle of stress and despair, fostering resilience and well-being. Supporting this initiative means creating a healthier, more vibrant Los Angeles for everyone.

With the grant, we will deliver daily meditation sessions in prisons and community centers, and share these sessions on YouTube to extend our reach. Additionally, we will offer 100% of your awardees the opportunity to calm the mind through at least one session, whether as a group or individually, online or in person. Our methods, adapted for modern high-stress environments, provide immediate and lasting benefits. By fostering resilience and well-being, we help individuals break the cycle of despair and rebuild their lives. Support this initiative to create a healthier, more vibrant Los Angeles. Please watch a short video of Michel Pascal and Juliana Klinkert teaching this program, "Calm Minds: Meditation for Change," to prisoners at the Amity Foundation and unhoused individuals in Skid Row at LACAN. https://vimeo.com/970186088/0cb74d8239?share=copy

Imagine a Los Angeles where the cycle of despair is broken, and individuals rebuild their lives with hope and purpose. By extending our program, we will create safer, more supportive communities. Leaders, policymakers, and citizens will experience increased clarity and peace, leading to more effective and compassionate decision-making. The overall atmosphere will shift from survival to thriving, with lasting benefits of mental calmness and resilience. Supporting our initiative means investing in a healthier, more vibrant Los Angeles where everyone can overcome stress and live fulfilling lives. Together, we can make Los Angeles a beacon of mental well-being and community strength. We plan to scale our impact by establishing a training program in prisons, shelters, rehab centers, and hospitals, enabling 15 instructors in the first year and increasing teachers each year, fostering resilience across the county.

Michel Pascal's "Meditation for Daily Stress" published by Abrams in 2017, has been practiced weekly at the Amity Foundation for over nine years in Los Angeles. These programs work with prisoners, including lifers, both men and women, reaching over 2,000 participants. We also share video classes aired in 19 prisons, benefiting up to 35,000 people across California. Currently, we have only two teachers, Michel Pascal and Juliana Klinkert. We conduct qualitative assessments after every class, with participants reporting feelings of being "free," "better," and "relaxed." Conversations with foundation directors confirm zero suicides over 10 years. According to the LA Times (Dec 2023), 92% of those participating in programs like Amistad for at least nine months are not reconvicted within their first year of release. We aim to scale by training 15 new instructors annually in the LA prison system, shelters, expanding our impact to create a healthier, more resilient Los Angeles.