How Yoga Behind Bars Is Reshaping These Prisoners' Lives | NowThis

Summary

The 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.