Teaching Yoga in Prisons
With the support of the Prison Phoenix Trust, a charity based in Oxford, I teach a weekly yoga and meditation class in male and female prisons. The PPT encourages prisoners in their spiritual lives through regular practice of yoga and meditation, working with silence and the breath.
Yoga works as a non-religious practice of using the breath, body and attention to help relieve physical and mental tension by bringing the systems of the body into harmony. People in prison say that yoga and meditation help them to sleep and feel more at ease. They also say that their relationships improve with family, fellow prisoners and officers. Meditation and yoga help them see that they are not separate from the rest of the world, they discover a sense of hope and purpose in their lives often for the first time. They speak of feeling less fearful, of wanting to give back to society, of feeling connected with something positive.
How do yoga and meditation help this to happen? Day to day stress as well as tension from traumatic events in one’s life are held not only in the mind, but also the body. Yoga keeps the body’s systems strong and healthy, and also releases tension in a safe, controlled way. Seated meditation, sustaining attention on the breath over time, allows the normal activity of the mind to slow down, so that thoughts and feelings can be more easily managed. This allows us to see that strong physical and mental conditioning can be responded to with wisdom, instead of habit.
Many prisoners take yoga and meditation seriously and discover that their thinking and feeling become clearer, and that they have fresh energy and creativity to engage with their lives.
Benefits of Practicing Yoga and Meditation in Prisons
The benefits of yoga and meditation for prisoners have been researched by Oxford University and the Swedish Prison and Probation Service.
Inmates:
- Have reduced impulsiveness
- Feel less angry and aggressive
- Sleep better
- Are less prone to taking drugs
- Are more ready to take up other educational activities
- Develop self discipline and concentration, often for the first time
- Find something in themselves they like. They feel less isolated and more inclined to socialise, which prepares them well for resettlement
Yoga also works for prison staff and regular classes are in place for them. Yoga helps prison officers to manage stress, release tension physically and mentally and experience some peace and deep relaxation, leaving them refreshed and prepared for their demanding work.
If you are a yoga teacher reading this and want to get involved with the work the PPT do the next prison yoga course is being run in 2020. You can also volunteer to help out by writing to prisoners and encouraging them in practice of yoga and meditation.
Contact the PPT for more details or check out their website www.theppt.org.uk
"YOGA IS 99 PERCENT PRACTICE, ONE PERCENT THEORY"PATTHABHI JOIS