How Yoga Behind Bars Is Reshaping These Prisoners' Lives | NowThis
Summary
TLDRThe video showcases Yoga Behind Bars, a Seattle-based organization bringing yoga and mindfulness to prisons as a form of rehabilitation. Volunteer teachers travel long distances to help inmates find physical and mental balance through yoga. The program includes men, women, and juveniles, many with traumatic pasts. Inmates share how yoga helps reduce stress and offers a sense of freedom despite their confinement. Some even become yoga instructors themselves. The initiative highlights the transformative power of yoga, promoting humanity, healing, and self-worth for those behind bars.
Takeaways
- 🧘 Yoga Behind Bars is a Seattle-based organization using yoga and mindfulness for rehabilitation in prisons.
- 🚗 Volunteer yoga teachers travel long distances, up to 4-5 hours, to remote prisons like Clallam Bay Correctional Center.
- 🏋️ Inmates join yoga for physical benefits, such as targeting muscle fibers that weightlifting doesn’t work on.
- 💪 Yoga helps inmates with physical injuries, like gunshot wounds or chronic pain, by providing therapeutic movement.
- 🤝 The program encourages inmates to interact with individuals they wouldn't normally meet, promoting social harmony.
- 👨🏫 Inmates like David and Greg have become integral to the yoga program, with Greg even teaching yoga to other prisoners.
- 🧠 Yoga significantly improves mental health for prisoners, reducing tension and providing mental clarity.
- 🧑💻 Former inmates, like Joshua, credit yoga with helping them control their destructive behaviors during incarceration.
- 🌧️ Practicing yoga in confined spaces allows prisoners to mentally 'escape' from the harsh realities of prison life.
- 💖 The program emphasizes the humanity and worth of incarcerated individuals, promoting rehabilitation over punishment.
Q & A
What is 'Yoga Behind Bars'?
-'Yoga Behind Bars' is an organization that provides yoga and mindfulness classes to incarcerated individuals as a form of rehabilitation. They operate in prisons, jails, and youth detention centers across Washington state.
Who founded and leads 'Yoga Behind Bars'?
-Rosa Vissers is the executive director of 'Yoga Behind Bars.' She leads a team of volunteers that offer yoga programs in correctional facilities.
How do the volunteer yoga teachers reach remote facilities like Clum Bay Correction Center?
-Volunteer yoga teachers travel four to five hours each way by car and ferry to reach remote facilities such as Clum Bay Correction Center, which houses up to 858 inmates.
What type of inmates participate in the yoga classes at Clum Bay Correction Center?
-Inmates housed in medium to maximum security at Clum Bay participate in the yoga classes. These individuals often have varied backgrounds, including traumatic pasts, injuries, and chronic pain.
What are some of the benefits of yoga for incarcerated individuals?
-Yoga helps inmates reduce tension, manage pain, improve flexibility, and offers a mental escape from the confines of prison. It also teaches them mindfulness and creates an opportunity to connect with others in a peaceful environment.
Who is Greg, and what role does he play in the 'Yoga Behind Bars' program?
-Greg is an inmate serving a life sentence without parole under Washington’s three-strikes law. He is a yoga instructor in the prison and plays a significant role in recruiting other inmates to participate in the program.
What misconceptions might people have about prisons and how does 'Yoga Behind Bars' address them?
-Many people may have misconceptions about prison life, assuming it’s solely harsh or punitive. 'Yoga Behind Bars' addresses this by promoting rehabilitation, showing that inmates are people capable of change, reflection, and growth through yoga.
How did Joshua, a former inmate, benefit from yoga?
-Joshua, who was incarcerated as a juvenile, found that yoga helped him manage his destructive tendencies and find inner peace. After his release, he became involved with 'Yoga Behind Bars' to help others inside.
How does the physical environment in prison affect the yoga practice?
-Inmates often practice in cramped conditions, such as touching walls or beds during poses, but yoga allows them to 'take up space,' which is a meaningful and liberating experience given the limited physical freedom in prison.
What are some future aspirations of inmates who participate in yoga classes?
-Many inmates, like the one featured towards the end of the script, hope to continue practicing yoga upon release. Some also aspire to pursue jobs in fields like programming or technology while integrating yoga into their lives for continued personal growth.
Outlines
🧘♀️ Introduction to Yoga Behind Bars and Rehabilitation
This section opens with an inspiring message about the challenging yet rewarding nature of yoga and mindfulness. It introduces Yoga Behind Bars, a Seattle-based organization using yoga as a rehabilitative tool in correctional facilities. Volunteer yoga instructors travel long distances to teach yoga at Clallam Bay Correctional Center, which houses up to 858 inmates in medium to maximum security. The director, Rosa Vissers, introduces the organization as a group of passionate women operating in 16 facilities, including prisons, jails, and youth detention centers.
💪 Inmates' Perspective on Yoga and Physical Wellness
Inmates share their experiences with yoga, particularly in how it targets muscle groups often overlooked in traditional bodybuilding. One inmate mentions that yoga helped with chronic back pain from a gunshot wound. The practice provides physical benefits and also encourages camaraderie, as inmates are placed in close environments with people they wouldn't normally interact with. David, an inmate who attended the first yoga class at Clallam Bay, has continued practicing since then and finds it relaxing and beneficial for his well-being.
🏋️♂️ The Transformation Through Yoga
This paragraph describes the restricted mobility inmates face, having limited time outside their cells, making the practice of yoga in small spaces a significant shift. It discusses how preparing for prison life can be challenging due to misconceptions about the environment. Yoga Behind Bars works with men, women, and juveniles from diverse and often traumatic backgrounds. Greg, an inmate serving life without parole under Washington's three-strikes law, teaches yoga and aspires to train other inmates to become instructors, further spreading the practice in prison.
🙏 Greg's Leadership in Yoga Behind Bars
Greg’s role in the yoga program is highlighted, showcasing his leadership and commitment to making a difference in prison. He has been instrumental in recruiting others who might not have otherwise tried yoga. He teaches a specific breathing exercise, helping inmates manage stress. Greg’s influence in the program makes him a respected figure, and his efforts are helping foster a sense of community and mental well-being among the participants.
🌟 A Skeptic's Journey to Embracing Yoga
Another inmate reflects on how he used to view yoga as something 'just for girls,' but after taking classes, his perspective changed. He now sees the immense benefits of the practice, both physically and mentally. The speaker acknowledges that while these inmates made serious mistakes in their pasts, they are still human, capable of growth and change. Mentoring is a significant part of the rehabilitation process, and this inmate has found personal transformation through yoga, both in prison and after his release.
🌱 Finding Peace Through Yoga During Incarceration
This paragraph features Shua, who was incarcerated as a juvenile and spent 10 years behind bars. He discusses how yoga helped him temper his destructive tendencies and how joining Yoga Behind Bars allowed him to deepen his practice. He recalls practicing yoga alone in his cell and later outdoors, despite initial skepticism from his peers. Now free, Shua looks forward to returning to prison to share his yoga knowledge with others, continuing the cycle of healing and growth.
🌧️ Yoga as a Mental Escape from Prison Tension
An inmate reflects on how yoga offers a mental escape from the tension of prison life. Despite the rainy and gloomy environment in the correctional facility, yoga provides a sense of freedom and peace. The practice allows the individual to temporarily transcend the physical limitations of prison walls, which helps significantly with mental well-being. The inmate is optimistic about his future upon release, with plans to pursue a career in programming while continuing to practice yoga to further his personal growth.
❤️ The Impact of Yoga Programs in Prisons Nationwide
The closing remarks emphasize the importance of yoga in discovering the goodness and humanity within inmates. Yoga Behind Bars and similar programs across the country convey the message that incarcerated individuals are worthy, valuable, and cared for. The segment invites viewers to reflect on the value of alternative rehabilitation methods and to share their thoughts on such programs in the comments. It concludes with a gentle reminder of how yoga fosters connection and transformation, even within prison walls.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Yoga Behind Bars
💡Rehabilitation
💡Mindfulness
💡Trauma
💡Incarceration
💡Three Strikes Law
💡Volunteering
💡Mental Health
💡Self-awareness
💡Community
Highlights
Yoga Behind Bars is a Seattle-based organization using yoga and mindfulness for rehabilitation.
Volunteer yoga teachers travel long distances, including using ferries, to reach remote prisons like Clum Bay Correction Center.
The program serves men, women, and juveniles in 16 facilities, including prisons, jails, and youth detention centers.
Participants include those with back pain, injuries, or physical trauma, demonstrating the physical benefits of yoga.
Yoga is not only a physical practice but also helps inmates cope with emotional and mental challenges of incarceration.
David, one of the long-time participants, highlights the space yoga provides in an otherwise confined prison environment.
Yoga Behind Bars challenges misconceptions about prison life and fosters connections among people who might not normally interact.
Greg, an inmate serving a life sentence, teaches yoga to fellow inmates and recruits others who wouldn’t typically engage in yoga.
Inmates like Greg are learning to teach yoga, with hopes to sustain these programs within the prison.
The mental health benefits of yoga are emphasized, with inmates sharing how it helps alleviate tension and stress in prison.
Joshua, a former inmate, reflects on how yoga helped him during his time in prison and now contributes to Yoga Behind Bars as a volunteer.
Yoga practices introduced by Yoga Behind Bars help inmates discover their humanity, worth, and value, combating feelings of isolation.
Yoga Behind Bars demonstrates the transformative potential of yoga for rehabilitation, impacting mental, physical, and emotional well-being.
The program offers an alternative form of rehabilitation that promotes healing, self-awareness, and community building within prison walls.
Similar programs to Yoga Behind Bars are growing across the nation, indicating a wider trend in using alternative rehabilitation methods.
Transcripts
[Music]
inhale and exhaling As you
move some of this is hard work it's
intense we love the workout
today it was good you did beautiful love
thank you thank you thank
[Music]
you Seattle base yoga Behind Bars is one
of about a dozen organizations using
yoga and mindfulness in their approach
to Rehabilitation today we're going to
go go all the
way over here volunteer yoga teachers
travel four to 5 hours each way through
cars and fairies to the remote Clum Bay
correction center it houses as many as
858 inmates in medium to maximum
security custody I'm Rosa vissers I'm
the executive director of yoga Behind
Bars we are a team of Super Rad women
currently we are at 16 facilities
prisons jails and youth detention
centers is this your first time yeah
first time welcome I signed up for yoga
because I heard it works the muscle
fibers that you really don't get you
know while your bodybuilding or lifting
weights in here I'd love to hear if
there's chronic back pain or you're
recovering from an injury or back injury
and a shutter injury okay is a herniated
disc or it just I been I had a gun shot
on so Yoga Works because it accesses so
many different parts of a
person you have difficulty just being
put in an environment with someone that
you wouldn't normally uh spend time with
so you learn to accommodate uh probably
about 5T 6 feet maybe David actually was
in the first class at colum Bay that I
taught when we started the program and
he's been in that class ever since yoga
comes in CU it's so relaxing it helps
you to uh interact I can do this pose or
a lot of other balancing poses you can
extend your arms out to the side and
you're touching a wall you're touching a
bed there's not a lot of room and when
you're in a yoga class and you're
invited to take up space that's a big
shift uh we have day room time so we can
go out in the day room throughout the
day uh but otherwise we can't really go
anywhere we want to I think it's
difficult to prepare for anybody to go
into prison if you've not been there
because there's so many misconceptions
about what a prison or a jail might be
like yoga Behind Bars is Network of2
volunteers work with men women and
juveniles with varied backgrounds and
traumatic pasts Greg faces life in
prison as a result of Washington's three
strikes law he instructs yoga and hopes
to train other inmates to teach it
imprison so I get the students in a in a
wide-legged stance like this with the
toes pointed out bring the fist together
and it's a it's a two-part inhale and we
hold it and then it's a thrustful exhale
two-part exhale like that Greg one of
our teachers Behind Bars is serving a
life without parole sentence and he's
been so instrumental in the yoga program
at CLM Bay because he's a leader people
really look up to him and so he's been
recruiting people that I think otherwise
would never have tried to come to yoga
slowly peel the chest off the mat
pressing into the hands very
lightly using exhale to ride back
down untucking the
toes I'm also one of the students in the
yoga class I didn't believed in yoga I
always thought that yoga was for girls
or whatever the case may be until I
really started taking yoga classes these
are people like you and me some of us
make pretty bad mistakes there's a lot
of time that goes into mentoring people
and preparing them all together I spent
from like 15 to 25 years old I just got
out two years ago shua was first
incarcerated as a juvenile spending 10
years behind bars on the inside he says
he tempered his destructive Spirit
through yoga and today contributes to
yoga Behind Bars hearing about yoga
Behind Bars was awesome because I had
started playing with yoga um by myself
like in my cell and so to hear that
there was like an organization that was
bringing it inside of the prison was
really rad the first time that I
practiced yoga outside of my cell um I
practiced in the yard big yard and U
like all of my friends were like the are
you doing like you're not supposed to be
doing yoga man that's not cool now I'm
excited and looking forward to going
back inside a prison and uh sharing
sharing this practice with
folks we got get a lot of rain this is
the rainy City we most definitely have a
lot of rain you can see it through a
little bit but you really can't see cuz
it's still Double Glass so yoga affects
my mental state so much because you got
to realize like we're in prison so
there's so much tension and there's so
much stuff going on just being able to
do yoga it takes you outside of these
walls it it helps me so
much I'm supposed to get out in the near
future and I'm hoping to get a job in
programming application development and
uh I hope to find somewhere where I can
practice yoga and continue to progress
in that skill yoga is a way to discover
the goodness our humanity and I think
it's so important that people behind
bars get that message that they're
worthy that they're valuable and that we
care about them we featured yoga Behind
Bars of Washington but there's a dozen
other similar programs Across the
Nation what do you think about programs
that offer alternate forms of
Rehabilitation let us know in the
comments below
[Music]
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