Mindfulness for Police

We are a Nonprofit Organization dedicated to improving the mental health of the community

Overview

With the current chaotic times, police officers are under more stress and pressure than ever before and there is a need for an effective option to address these issues. Although psychological treatment can be effective, it is generally done after an incident and does not prevent these problems from arising. By using a mindfulness-based preventative measure with the YOG Foundation, police officers can gain the skills necessary to cope in stressful circumstances and decrease their likelihood of having difficulties in the first place.

A Vision for a More Mindful Future

Police officers currently face an average of 188 critical incidents during their careers, undergoing extreme situations such as murder, suicide, domestic violence, sexual assault, and more, leading to various issues both at home and on the job. Additionally, officers are much less likely to reveal their internal struggles, preventing them from getting the assistance they need and leading to greater problems down the line. By implementing a preventative mindfulness program with the YOG Foundation, officers can gain benefits both physically and mentally, beckoning a brighter future.

If you are a police department, then click here…

Goals

Objectives

Today – Without Mindfulness

Over 1 million people reported experiencing force or being threatened with force by the police in 2015 and they were disproportionately Black or Hispanic.
Over 5,000 police shootings have occurred since 2015
There are an average of 64 deaths per year in police vehicle accidents
The average officer dies within 5 years after retirement and has an average life expectancy 12 years less than the general population
40% of police officers have instances of domestic violence at home
40% of police officers struggle with sleep disorders
15% of police officers have experienced PTSD at some point

Tomorrow – With Mindfulness

65% lower levels of implicit racial bias
21% decrease in anger, potentially reducing the use of excessive force
Can increase attention, concentration, and focus after only a 4-day intervention, potentially reducing accidents and public shootings
25% increase in life expectancy for long term meditators
23% decrease in domestic violence
43% decreased risk for depression and suicide
79% decrease in insomnia
50% decrease in symptoms of PTSD
12% decrease in addiction relapse
17 out of 100,000 police officers commit suicide on average, a 30% higher rate than the general population
2 to 3 times higher levels of alcohol or drug abuse among police officers than in the general population

Change the community

The YOG Foundation Implements Mindful Yoga & Mindful Meditation Sessions Across Various Police Organizations

With the many problems of the current times, police officers are under high levels of stress leading to mental health issues and decreased job performance. But, by implementing a mindfulness program with the YOG Foundation, it can not only improve the lives of the officers but also improve the communities that they serve.

The Benefits of Mindfulness for the Police

A recent study analyzed the potential of a mindfulness-based program for police officers. In this study, an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Resilience Training (MBRT) program was performed with a group of police officers.

This program for police officers resulted in significantly improved levels of:

Not only can mindfulness meditation and yoga programs for police officers assist them mentally and physically, but it can also improve their on the job performance by decreasing their likelihood of overreacting in stressful situations. Mindfulness programs have been further studied with other police precincts around the country and have shown similarly positive results as well.