Anusara's Mexican Parinaama Yoga Prison Project

Donativos

A petición de algunos lectores y gente interesada en apoyar el proyecto de Yoga en prisiones, hemos activado botones y mecanismos para que puedan donar la cantidad que ustedes deseen. Antes había una cantidad fija establecida. Ahora la cantidad es abierta. Los botones para hacer los donativos se encuentran en la columna lateral <--- de esta página. El proyecto Anusara Parinaama de Yoga en prisiones tiene planes de crecer. Así que sus donativos nos serán de gran ayuda.

Text in english below

¿Por qué pedimos donativos?
Los donativos son usados para crear un fondo para la creación de una Asociación Civil y garantizar el trabajo a futuro en los penales de Atlacholoaya y poder replicar la labor en otros penales. También ayudan a cubrir las cuotas de la autopista de algunos maestros que viajan de la Ciudad de  México a Morelos para dar las clases. Atlacholoaya, Morelos, ubicado a una hora cuarenta minutos de la Ciudad de México en auto. Asimismo, estos donativos ayudan a generar material didáctico para los internos y que este material ayude a profundizar su enseñanza.

Más datos sobre algunos de los gastos que enfrentamos:
El peaje de las autopistas de ida y vuelta suman $202 pesos. Cantidad que multiplicada por 104 semanas (cada una de las 52 semanas del año se hacen dos visitas a la prisión; una en jueves para dar clases a las mujeres y otra el viernes para dar clase a hombres) suma más de $21 mil pesos al año.

Esto implica que generalmente los maestros deben salir de la Ciudad de México a las 5 de la mañana, manejar más de hora y media para llegar a la prisión, dar la clase y manejar de vuelta a la Ciudad de México. El cambio de altitud hace el día aún más cansado. También es un día en que los maestros dejan de obtener ingresos.

En una ocasión, un maestro sin automóvil, tuvo que viajar tres horas en transporte público para llegar a la prisión a dar la clase.

En resumen, sus donativos (ahora usted puede elegir la cantidad con la que no apoya) que usted haga haciendo uso de Paypal (clic en botones ubicados en la <--- columna lateral) nos ayudará a cubrir parte de los gastos de peaje a la prisión.

Después de hacer clic en el boton aparecerá una página de Paypal. En el campo Unit Price podrá indicar la cantidad (en dólares) con la cual quiera apoyarnos. Ahi se le indica que se va a procesar un pago en favor a Ann Moxey, directora del proyecto.

Paypal es un sistema seguro para enviar y recibir pagos en Internet, utilizando la misma infraestructura de bancos y tarjetas de crédito que previenen fraudes, creando una solución de pago global y segura.

Muchas gracias.

Más información sobre el proyecto aquí.

Testimonios de internos.

Testimonios y experiencias de maestros.

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DUE TO PETITIONS FROM OUR READERS AND PEOPLE THAT WANT TO SUPPORT US, NOW YOU CAN CHOOSE THE AMMOUNT OF YOUR DONATION.

Why we are asking for donations?

Donations are used for paying the transport costs and tolls that the yoga teachers incur each week when they travel from Mexico City to the prisons in Atlacholoaya, Morelos, an hour and forty minutes away by car. 

Tolls there and back come to approximately twenty dollars each time. Because the total expense comes to over U$ 2,000 -two thousand dollars a year.

Teachers give two classes, one on Thursday to the female inmates, and another on Friday to the male inmates. So this means 2 visits to the prision each week; that means around 104 visits to the prison every year. 

Teachers usually have to leave Mexico City by five a.m., drive over one and a half hours to the prison, give the class and drive all the way back to Mexico City. The change in altitude makes the long day even more exhausting.  It is also a day in which the teacher ceases to earn income.

In spite of all this, on one occasion, a teacher without a car took public transport (3 hour travel time one way) to be able to give her classes.         

With your donation (now you can decide the ammount), that you make using Paypal (click in button  on lateral column), you will support the project covering the tolls to the prison from Mexico City.

(After your click in the button you will see a Paypal page. There  you can decide the ammount to donate and read that PayPal securely processes payments for Ann Moxey, director of the Yoga Prison Project. You can finish your donation in a few clicks.)

PayPal enables any individual or business with an email address to securely, easily and quickly send and receive payments online. PayPal's service builds on the existing financial infrastructure of bank accounts and credit cards and utilizes the world's most advanced proprietary fraud prevention systems to create a safe, global, real-time payment solution.

Thank you very much.

More information about the project here.

Testimonies from inmates.

Testimonies and experiencies from teachers.

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

Historia

Parinaama, proyecto de yoga en prisiones de Anusara Yoga.

Fundado durante semana santa 2003, como el proyecto Parinaama de yoga en prisiones, este esfuerzo completamente voluntario para llevar hatha yoga a los presos del Cereso de Atlacholoaya, en el estado de Morelos, a una hora y cuarenta minutos de la ciudad de México, está actualmente firmemente establecido y aceptado como una de las actividades regulares de la prisión.

La idea original perteneció a un sueño que atesoraba la maestra certificada en Anusara Yoga, Ann Moxey desde hacia tiempo, sin que hubiera podido dar con los contactos apropiados para poderlo materializar. Cuando una amiga le presento a otro voluntario en la prisión, aprovecho para pedirle que la pusiera en contacto con el director de la prisión, en aquella época, el Psic. Miguel Ángel Calvo Barragán.

Como ex corresponsal de guerra y psicóloga con una especialidad en adicciones y tanatología, Ann ofreció enseñar Hatha Yoga a los internos como parte de un curso en manejo de estrés, una idea que fue bienvenida por el director, también psicólogo.

A los dos años de implementado el proyecto de Yoga en Prisiones, en una entrevista con la revista Milenio Semanal (1 de agosto 2005), el mismo director comento lo siguiente: "Ha sido muy útil para los internos con problemas severos de drogadicción y alcoholismo, que cumplen condenas muy  largas y que padecen enfermedades como VIH/Sida"

Residente de larga data en México, el sueno de Ann era "regresarles la verdadera libertad a los desempoderados - si lo aprovechan o no ya es cuestión de ellos".  Esto se los dijo a los presos el día de la inauguración del proyecto.

Ann dice que nunca se olvidara de esa primera sesión.  El director ya le había advertido que le estaba enviando a todos internos con los que ya no sabia que hacer! Resulto que casi todos estaban allí a la fuerza, no por voluntad propia, e incluían personas tan dañadas por las drogas y con problemas psiquiátricos tan serios que no solo tenían complicaciones para seguir las instrucciones verbales de la clase sino también para lograr las posturas. 

Desde esa primera sesión en adelante, la participación en las clases es totalmente voluntaria y el número de participantes oscila entre los veinte a treinta internos.  Este número coincide con el numero original de tapetes de yoga donados por la maestra Herta Rogg, del The Yoga Center, en la Ciudad de México.

Los internos dicen haber encontrado que las sesiones de Hatha Yoga, Pranayama, trabajo psico - corporal, y meditación les ha ayudado reducir los problemas de insomnio, agresividad, falta de concentración, limitaciones físicas y el "craving" (ansias de usar sustancias) y como resultado de esto, le rogaron al director permitirles reunirse para practicar otro día a la semana, aunque no pudiera estar presente un maestro.  Esto les fue concedido por la dirección de la prisión.

Una lista de espera de cincuenta internos la llevo a Ann a solicitarle ayuda a su maestro, John Friend, fundador de Anusara Yoga.  En la inmersión de maestros de Anusara Yoga en junio del 2005 en Denver, John les planteo la idea a los 280 maestros allí presentes y surgieron las donaciones que permitieron comprar mas tapetes de yoga para que más internos pudieran incorporarse a las clases. John Friend contribuyó el mismo monto que se recabo de los maestros de su propio bolsillo. 

Presente en la inmersión estaba Sue Hollingshead, una maestra que solicitó una donación de tapetes a Gaiam, una de las compañias mas importantes del ramo de productos relacionados al yoga, quienes generosamente donaron ochenta tapetes, lo que posibilitó el ofrecerles Hatha Yoga a las internas del Cereso femenil de Atlacholoaya.

Una cuenta Pay-Pal ha sido abierta para recibir donaciones al proyecto Parinaama que ha sido renombrado proyecto Parinaama de Yoga en Prisiones de Anusara Yoga, en gratitud a la generosidad del "kula" - la "familia" de yoguis y yoguinis de Anusara.

Nuestra visión para el futuro es que este esfuerzo continúe creciendo y atraer más maestros voluntarios para compartir la carga del trabajo de enseñanza. 

Gracias a los corazones abiertos del Kula Anusara en México y los de maestros de otras escuelas, ya contamos con más maestros enseñando al menos una clase por mes (Bindu de la Parra de Cuernavaca, Fernando García Aguinaco, Liluli Millan, Adela Pablos, Tania Torres, Amado Cavazos y Jorge Espinoza de la Ciudad de México).      

History

ANUSARA YOGA MEXICAN PRISON PROJECT

Founded during Easter 2003, as the Parinaama Prison Project, this entirely voluntary effort to bring hatha yoga to the prisoners in the prison of Atlacholoaya, in the State of Morelos, about 1 hour and 40 minutes from Mexico City, is now firmly established and an accepted part of the prison’s activities.

The original idea was a dream Certified Anusara Teacher Ann Moxey had had for quite some time without finding the right contacts to be able to materialize it. When she was introduced to another volunteer at the prison by a friend, she asked to be put her in touch with the Director. 

As a a former War Correspondent and Psychologist with a Specialization in Addiction Therapy and Bereavement Counseling, Ann was able to offer hatha yoga sessions as part of a course in Stress Management for inmates, an idea which was welcomed by Prison Director Lic. Miguel Angel Calvo, a Psychologist himself. 

A long time resident in Mexico, Ann’s dream was to “give the disempowered  back the key to their real freedom – whether they used it or not is up to them”, which is exactly what she said in her presentation to the inmates before the very first session. 

The Director had already warned her that he’d sent her “all those the prison had no idea what to do with next”.  That first session was indeed quite a colorful event, as she describes it, because most of the participants had been forced to go to it and they included several who were so damaged by drugs and psychiatric problems they had trouble following the verbal instructions, let alone doing asana.  Since that session on, participation has been entirely voluntary and numbers have stood at approximately 20 to 30 inmates which corresponds to the original number of sticky mats generously donated for this project, by a local Iyengar Teacher Herta Rogg, of The Yoga Center in Mexico City.

The inmates found the sessions of Hatha Yoga, Pranayama, Body Mind work and Meditation so helpfull in reducing their insomnia, agression, lack of concentration, physical limitations and craving that they requested another day be authorized to be able to practice on their own.

After two years of having Anusara Paarinama Yoga Prison Project in place, Prison Director Miguel Angel Calvo Barragan in an interview with the local Mexican magazine Milenio said: "It has been very useful for inmates with severe drug addiction and drinking problems who are facing long sentences, some of whom are HIV positive".

A growing waiting list of 50 inmates led Ann to request help from John Friend, her teacher and the founder of Anusara Yoga.  At the 2005 Master Immersion in Denver, John presented the idea to the 280 teachers present and donations came in to purchase more sticky mats and props.  John Friend matched the amount which had come in as his own personal contribution.   

Present at the Immersion was Sue Hollingshead who was instrumental in requesting Gaiam for a further eighty mats, for the male prison and the female prison next door. 

A Pay Pal account has been set up for donations for this program which has now been renamed ANUSARA'S PARINAAMA MEXICAN PRISON PROJECT in gratitude for the generosity shown by the ever growing and ever more expansive Anusara Kula (family). 

It is our intention that this endeavour will now continue to flourish and attract more teacher volunteers to share the teaching load.  Thanks to the open hearts of the local Mexican Anusara Kula , we now have more teachers teaching a class or so a month, (Bindu de la Parra, from Cuernavaca, Fernando Garcia Aguinaco, Liluli Millan, Adela Pablos, Tania Torres, Amado Cavazos, y Jorge Espinoza from Mexico City).