Dahn Community Activities

HEALING FROM THE INSIDE OUT

After more than 10 years of working with teens who entered the juvenile detention system in Montgomery County, Terri C. Mendez was beginning to feel a little hopeless. "I had been getting a little discouraged," the sole practitioner said. "I started wondering what we should do with our teenagers. They're still young enough to change, but they're not changing. I thought, 'Dahn yoga works for me, why not for them?"

Mendex considered enrolling some of her clients—many of whom are drug offenders—in the healing, non-combative martial art of Dahn Mu Do. She thought Dahn Mu Do, with its emphasis on the connection between the mind and the body, might be more beneficial than probation or counseling alone. It would help focus on repairing the teens' psychological problems. "A lot of times, we focus on things like making sure their hair is properly combed, that they get good grades, mostly on outer things," she said. "But we need to start building them from the inside out."

Mendez negotiated with the Dahn Foundation to attain two Dahn masters to teach a summer program for 20 juvenile offenders, ranging in age from 10 to 17. Through the donations of members of the Montgomery County District Attorney, the six-week program kicked off in mid-June with one-hour classes the teens attended twice a week.

Early into the program, Mendez said she could see a difference in the teens. At first, they were dismissive of the program, often laughing at the techniques and not paying attention. But 10 minutes into the first class the teens were quiet and focusing on their breathing techniques and their posture. "These kids had no balance or focus when they first came in, but they've improved fast and some of their attitudes have changed," she said. "Dahn Mu Do is especially good for the drug recovery children because of its stress-relieving benefits."

The program has made such a difference that parents are pleased with the results. One mother explained how her daughter, a rape victim, can now sleep through the night and has managed to hold down a job. Another commented that her normally surly son was in the best of moods after attending class. The two masters were so impressed with the results that they lengthened the class time.

Mendez is more than pleased with the program. "This area of law can be discouraging, especially when you look at the recidivism rates," she said. "There's a point when you think, 'There's got to be something else. We've got to think outside of the box.' This program makes me happy. It makes me feel like there is hope. If we reach just one kid out of these 20, then it's worth it."

While Mendez acknowledges that six weeks is not enough time for the teens to make a complete change in their lives, she hopes the discipline and focus they are learning in the class will stay with them. Because of the program's success, the Montgomery County Juvenile Department plans to continue the project, which the Dahn Foundation intends to support through donations of shoes and T-shirts for the students.