Efforts in teaching yoga in prisons

I share news about our voluntary efforts in teaching yoga in prisons because we are celebrating our fourth anniversay this month of April (2007) - a rather miraculous occurrence in view of the many difficulties we've encountered during that time.

I was inspired to create this project by the example of Siddha Yoga's Swami Muktananda who, on arrival in the West, visited prisons in the USA and gave talks to inmates about the  inner freedom they could readily access by freeing themselves from the shakles of the ego.

Being a Psychologist with a Specialization in Addictions and Bereavement Therapy and a Certified Anusara Yoga Instructor I had already been using yoga therapeutically and teaching what I call Parinaama Yoga or Yoga for Stress and Addictions here in Mexico, being quite well known amongst the Psychologists working in this field.

I was fortunate that at the time I visited the prison in Atlacholoaya, Morelos, about 25 minutes past Cuernavaca on the highway between Mexico City and Acapulco, the director of the two CERESO institutions there (female and male prisons)  was an open minded Psychologist, Miguel Angel Calvo who welcomed a chance to deal alternatively  with the problem of substance abuse inside.

With the support received in the form of sticky mats from Certified Iyengar Teacher, Herta Rogg, I began to visit the men's prison once a week to give an hour and a half, sometimes when possible, two hour class.  Once I'd been doing this for a while I decided that the drain of keeping my own weekly schedule and driving back and forth to the prison from Mexico City every Friday (1 hour and forty minutes each way) was proving a little too much for me alone and I started inviting other teachers from different yoga traditions to help out.

 

We now have ten regular volunteers donating what amounts to a whole days worth of their time once a month in both prisons. These volunteers range from Ashtanga to Iyengar but the majority are  Anusara Inspired.  It is because of the financial support received from John Friend, the founder of Anusara Yoga, and the Anusara teachers/students in the USA that we continue operating - the highway tolls being as outrageously priced as they are in Mexico. 

To honour this I renamed the Parinaama Yoga Prison Project the "Anusara Parinaama  Mexican Prison Project" - two years ago.  It was thanks to a generous donation from Gaiam, orchestrated by Sue Hollingshead, one of the Anusara instructors, that we have mats enough for both prisons now.  Individual donations received from open hearted yoguis in the USA also made an enormous difference to our work.

Here in Mexico we have offered fund raising work shops at various studios, Amado Cavazo's and Jnanadakini's, with well known teachers donating their time and expertise free of charge.  At Ananda in Cuernavaca they offer discount rates for inmates who've been freed and want to continue their practice.

Felipe Cuevas, the inmate who led the practice sessions the inmates themselves requested to do on their own for a total of four years is now free.  We are requesting sticky mats for him to be able to teach yoga on the outside in his local community in Chilpancingo.

We are at present requesting permission from the recently installed prison authorities for shooting  a movie about the transformational (parinaama) experiences the inmates have been reporting and to document what this whole effort has done to us teachers!  In the four years the project has been running,  we have seen a total of four directors go by which has proven difficult as far as continuity and bureaucracy.

 

This has proven to be the best way of practicing yoga for me personally- before becoming a Psychologist I was a hard nosed war correspondent used to getting my own way with a television crew always behind me to heavy our way in!  My transformation as a result of teaching behind bars has been sparked mainly by my dealings with the prison administration in my role as coordinator and director of the Project.  The heart openings I have had during the actual teaching experience has been mirrored in the hearts of all the teachers supporting me in this work. 

We are all deeply moved by this opportunity to take yoga where it is most needed.

As for the group effort I spear head, I never cease to be astonished by it's dedication, commitment and  vision, in spite of all the multitude of difficulties. One of these difficulties, for example, is that for the last month and a half we haven't had access to the sticky mats due to internal bureaucracy matters.  The classes continue to be given anyway, Thursdays for the women, Friday for the men, be it on cemment or, luxury(!), on wet muddy grass.   I never cease to be amazed by the dedication, commitment and open hearts of  the yoga instructors that support me in what sometimes seems like an uphill battle . I can honestly say that in this effort, all the differences of personalities, styles and traditions amongst us have blended into one single shaft of light ...

If there is anyone reading this who would like to contribute to our efforts please see the left column in this website! We have a pay pal account specifically for this.

Namaste!
Ann Moxey

Comments

[DALILA]

I want to thank you for doing this.Bringing some peace and helping this people find a way out of stress and so many more things that practicing yoga provides,my father is a prisoner there in atlacholoaya i haven't seen him in eight years and it makes me feel sad that i have not been able to help him in any way since i am here in the U.S. and that's why i thank you very much you are a blessing for these people.

[Sandra Vallender]

hi....i would love to know more about any opportunities to teach yoga to the prisoners. I am a yoga and english teacher and am planning to come to mexico in September time. I am also a qualified youth worker with a wide variety of experience working with people of all ages and from varying backgrounds. would love to know how to get involved. thanks.