Now that yoga is the big thing in fitness — with hot yoga, power yoga, rejuvenating yoga and all sorts of other varieties — it is no surprise that yoga has catapulted past wellness centers into gyms. But it might be a surprise to some that it has finally made it into prisons.
A recent article by Mary Polon in The New York Times points out "When many states have cut.. programs for inmates, citing cost and political pressures, some wardens looking for a low-cost, low-risk way for inmates to reflect on their crimes, improve their fitness and cope with the stress of overcrowded prison life are turning to yoga." Hey you only need loose fitting clothing and mats. Particularly if your teachers are volunteers.
This picture is from one across the country where women center themselves. There are 20 or so yoga programs in California alone; and while programs have not yet been tracked; more and more are bound to crop up. Men and women behind bars are getting in on the practice as a way to learn patience, quiet their minds and deal with the stresses of isolation and prison.
In one male program, says The Times, prisoners helped each other do handstands. "Then, after 90 minutes of class, one hit the light switch. In the pitch-black room, the men lay on their backs," and the teacher "led them in breathing exercises."
Most people don't realize how radical this is inside a prison. Having lights out in a group of prisoners takes enormous trust. There is so much fear that "You have to watch your back,"and many prisoners are terrified to lie down in a group or close their eyes at night, worrying that something could happen to them. These fears, of course, are not always unfounded. Getting to a deep level of quiet and calm is a great success. Trusting others is key as good teachers must make their students feel that they are watching out for them, that they are safe.
When I taught at Framingham, I often did breathing exercises with the women before play rehearsals, and at times, they wanted to have their eyes open. It took a lot for them to breathe slowly, to not break out into laughter, to not be afraid. But ultimately, as trust got deeper, they did get wonderful benefits from relaxation, which is essentially a kind of meditation in stillness.
Meditation has also gained some new-found cred in prison. In my days, Cheap Shot Howie Carr of the Boston Herald took down prison meditation with his angry columns, scathing commentaries on the oh-so-many privileges of prisoners. Just after he had gained some traction, it was disappeared. The fear was always that prisons would look "soft," if they allowed such activities.
However, according to a 2011 report from the Pew Charitable Trusts, states' spending on corrections has "quadrupled during the past two decades, to $52 billion a year." Prisons are more willing to try programs that seem a little off the beaten path as long as they have a track record, especially as they want to improve recidivism rates but are desperate to save money.
Meditation can help with anger, taking responsibility for one's life and as I learned in Sunday School, a willingness to listen to my own "still small voice." A good NPR show on meditation in prison can be found here.
While yoga and meditation can't help a prisoner find a job or take away stigma in our society when he returns, it's a great tool.
