Prison Yoga Project Launches First-Ever Graphic Novel with Support from Unlikely Collaborators

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Prison Yoga Project (PYP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing yoga and mindfulness with incarcerated and justice-involved individuals, recently announced the release of its first-ever graphic novel, This Time I Choose. The project was made possible through funding from Unlikely Collaborators.

For nearly two decades, PYP has provided trauma-informed yoga classes, teacher trainings, and resources to incarcerated people around the world. Publishing has long been central to its mission—beginning with founder James Fox's groundbreaking bookYoga: A Path for Healing and Recovery, which has reached more than 40,000 people behind bars. Later publications included Freedom from the Inside, a yoga resource for incarcerated women, and additional program materials for youth. Yet a gap remained: a tool specifically designed to connect with younger audiences.

This Time I Choose fills that need. Graphic novels are among the most requested reading materials in prisons and juvenile detention centers, offering accessibility for readers across literacy levels while engaging them through storytelling. PYP's team, led by Executive Director Nicole Hellthaler, collaborated with author Dr. Sheena Howard to shape the script, yoga educators to integrate lessons on nervous system regulation, and artists Ron Ackins and Dongyun Lee to bring the story to life.

The novel also features a foreword by Dr. Dan Siegel, renowned psychiatrist and pioneer in interpersonal neurobiology, whose book Brainstorm has inspired generations of educators and youth facilitators.

Unlikely Collaborators is a nonprofit organization, founded and chaired by Elizabeth R. Koch, dedicated to fostering transformative storytelling, developing human connection, and resolving internal conflict. UC's perspective is that external conflict arises from unconscious, unresolved internal conflict within each of us. Founded on the belief that the way we perceive the world is highly subjective, Unlikely Collaborators supports projects that challenge assumptions, spark meaningful dialogue, and invite people into deeper self-awareness in community.

Central to this mission is the groundbreaking Perception Box™ framework developed by Koch. More than just a metaphor, it represents the often unseen matrix of biases, beliefs, and personal narratives that influence how we interpret reality. Rooted in cognitive science and psychological research, this framework illustrates how each person's unique mental model shapes their understanding of the world—often limiting their ability to connect with new perspectives and ideas. By investigating and untangling our Perception Box beliefs, individuals and communities can unlock compassion, creativity, and new ways of thinking.

"This graphic novel is a resource created with and for young people," said Nicole Hellthaler, Executive Director, Prison Yoga Project. "It reflects years of listening, teaching, and learning, and it meets youth where they are, inviting them to understand themselves in new ways and make empowered choices for their futures."

"Stories have the power to transform the way we see ourselves and one another. This Time I Choose embodies that belief, offering incarcerated youth an engaging and accessible path to self-awareness," said Elizabeth R. Koch, Founder and CEO, Unlikely Collaborators. "We are proud to support Prison Yoga Project in putting this book into the hands of young people, knowing it has the potential to spark real change."

This Time I Choose is available for purchase here.

To learn more about the organization Prison Yoga Project, please visit https://www.prisonyoga.org/; for more information about Unlikely Collaborators, please visit https://www.unlikelycollaborators.com/.

SOURCE Unlikely Collaborators