Free yoga for youth in Queens housing project

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - A Queens-based nonprofit wants to bring positivity to the community. The group is using free yoga classes to help reduce violence.

The Rose That Grew from Concrete is a collection of Tupac Shakur's poems. In practice, you could say there is a beautiful process of growth, despite difficult circumstances, happening at the Baisley Park projects.

"A lot of our kids and our young adults come from an environment that is not ideal," said Samantha Robinson of Life Camp. "A lot of them don't know how to deal with anger and frustration. So sometimes if they're not able to physically escape, we give them this so they can mentally escape."

Urban Yogis operates in schools and prisons. The group takes the mission around the country, like in Chicago.

Life Camp's Shanair Hogan said they introduced yoga to kids in Chicago and got a lot of push-back at first. But then the kids became excited and yearned for it each day.

Urban Yogis operates in South Jamaica, Queens, on Fridays. Juquille Johnston is one of the instructors. Originally introduced to the practice for his own good, he is now one of the leaders. His passion is rooted in his personal evolution.

This is all part of Life Camp, an anti-gun violence nonprofit organization committed to changing the mindset of youth and community norms. The group's work has become a real draw. Urban Yogis falls under the Life Camp umbrella. The impact of the work is undeniable. They believe yoga has played a role in the drop in crime in the neighborhood.