Yoga in Prisons

I am interested in becoming involved in a program that sends yoga teachers to prisons and facilities where women are coming off the streets from the sex trade, addictions, have experienced a variety of abuses, etc. These are people with wounded and damaged minds (and bodies).

Their question to me was if this style of yoga has been utilized under these conditions and what was the best way to approach/teach it to these emotionally, physically, psychologically battered people.

Does anyone have any experiences and insights they can share with me??

I will be attending one of their meetings on Sunday April 25th, so feedback by then would be appreciated. (They do offer a training program and practicum opportunities).

Joy & blessings to your day!

Mary

ANSWERS:

From Nikki Weihe, Boise, ID AYTT 2002

I started a sadhana program for incarcerated women in the Idaho State Correctional Department. We have been meeting weekly for a year and a half. The class is very successful in many ways.

For yoga teachers interested in practicing karma yoga in this way, please feel free to contact me for further information. 208.383.0187

[Note from Gyandev: I've interviewed Nikki for an Awake & Ready! article about her experiences. The interview is now being edited and is scheduled to appear in either the summer or fall issue this year. It's very interesting and inspiring.]

From Sahaja:

Hi Mary,

I have only gone into a prison once to do a yoga program. It was a 4 hour retreat for women. I just simply offered Ananda Yoga as I would teach it anywhere and a "How to Meditate" for those interested. Out of 22 women who attended only three left when the "How to Meditate" began. It was amazing how attentive everyone in the workshop was. Ananda Yoga is especially beneficial because it calms the central nervous system, and then of course the affirmations are very powerful for anyone wanting to make positive changes.

Hope this is helpful.

In Joy

Sahaja

From Marsha Freitas:

Dear Mary,

I am an AnandaYoga instructor. I received my certification from The Expanding Light.

I am sorry that I do not have any experience teaching Yoga in prisons. However, it is a subject that I have thought about many times. If you do receive any good information regarding the subject, I would really appreciate it if you would be kind enough to share it with me. In the meantime I do have a friend who works in the women's prison system. I will try to get some info. from her for you.

Blessings to you,

Marsha Freitas

From: Heather Barnes YTT 2004

Mary,

There is a website you might find helpful. It is: www.freeingspirit.com

Blessings,

Heather

From Rebecca Smith, Olalla, WA

Hi Mary:

I have been teaching recovering women addicts for close to four years. Email me directly and we can talk.

rebeccajean@centurytel.net

From Susana Mullen:

CAUTION: I think it is important to consult psychiatrists first. I once met a woman psychiatrist who was working in NYC with suicidal women, usually former junkies, etc. When I asked if they use yoga and meditation, she told me that they found that these women are in so much pain that the process of looking inside, which is what yoga and meditation do, can push them over the edge.

So, I recommend that, if you do this, that you absolutely must work with experienced mental health professionals.

From Beth Howard, Cheyenne, WY (AYTT Feb.2001)

Dear Mary,

I have been teaching teens with substance abuse and violence issues for awhile now. Many of these kids have been diagnosed with behavior disorders, also. My first experience was a six-week session for kids in a drop-in treatment/group therapy setting. For the past year, I have been teaching kids in a residential (live-in) treatment program. Many of these kids have previously been incarcerated within the juvenile justice system. I teach one class at week at both the girl's and boy's house.

Ananda Yoga is extremely beneficial. Working with the breath is a real tool in learning to control the emotions. Many times the kids have started class agitated and edgy and we have used the practice to release and/or transform that energy. Learning to identify tension in the body and appropriate ways to release it are very valuable lessons. Ananda yoga is an excellent learning tool for girls to develop a positive relationship with their bodies.

Many girls have issues with both sexual and substance abuse. Ananda Yoga is a very deep and gentle way to honor the body, but also to begin to feel and notice ways to care for the body. Encouraging each person to listen to her body and to notice what she feels, supporting them all to stop in a pose when their body tells them to, fosters the building of understanding and a positive self-image. The whole practice is conducive to building physical, mental and emotional strength and well-being. Further, it helps to build confidence and poise.

The environment the girls live in is tense. To learn to consciously and deeply relax is a gift. To learn that it is even possible to relax deeply within that living environment is very important. Extended deep relaxation is requested often.

The staff does not often participate, but have commented that my teaching voice is very soothing and relaxing to them. This is an added benefit. If your entering into the prison environment brings energies of peace and relaxation it can be a benefit to all, not just the women that you teach.

I know that I am teaching teens, but I feel certain that these same benefits will be there for incarcerated adults. I wish you well and believe that you will find that your Ananda Yoga Teacher Training has prepared you well for this service. Please, feel free to contact me any time if I can be of help to you.

Yoga in Prisons:

From Stuart Moody:

This is a fascinating and important question. My experience of teaching in the prison is outside the Ananda frame, but there are probably many applications. I was involved in teaching Transcendental Meditation at San Quentin State Prison in California for most of the 1980's. We taught over 400 inmates and a number of staff, including the warden. A major research paper on the reduction of criminal recidivism included participants at San Quentin as well as Folsom and DVI.

The spirit of Ananda and TM have much in common, although naturally there are organizational and procedural differences. We did only a little bit with asanas and pranayama (which the men loved), focusing instead on twice-daily meditation with some inquiry into higher states of awareness. Measurable drops in hostility, anxiety, and other negative traits were observed, often quite quickly. Also, men reported improved sleeping patterns, better health, increased involvement in positive activities, and more harmonious social relations.

Although we discontinued the TM program in 1990, San Quentin continues to support meditation programs (all volunteer, it should be noted) in the form of Vipassana and Zen meditation. With the great national interest in yoga, the time is ripe for more programs such as Ananda Yoga to offer a path to inner freedom and joyful living to prison inmates across the country. The greatest benefit of these programs could be the "field effect of consciousness" generated by group practice of meditation in a prison -- reducing hostile tendencies in the environment of the meditators. This translates as less stress and fewer crimes in the community.

I commend anyone who is considering taking on this work, and will be happy to talk with you about your goals and plans.

Stuart Moody, AYTT, Nov 03

stuartfieldmoody@hotmail.com

From: Lise Thom, Portland, OR, AYTT Aug 01

Dear Mary,

In Portland we have an outreach program for women in prison called Living Yoga. I will direct you to their website. www.living-yoga.org, Sarah-Joy Marsh, the director, built this program from the ground up. She may be reached at www.yogajoy.net or Sarahjoy@yogajoy.net

I am involved with Street Yoga (a limb or Living Yoga), we provide classes to homeless youth, women in recovery and youth in foster care. Their website may offer you links or the contacts you are looking for. www.streetyoga.org, Mark Lilly, our director is always willing to offer help.

Outreach is a wonderful way to teach Ananda yoga. Since my involvement with Street Yoga and working with teachers from other backgrounds I have come to a new level of appreciation for our wonderful teachings.

In joy,

Lise Thom