Here’s an article I did for the prison magazine about Yoga courses being run in the prison. Click below to see a PDF of the article as it appeared in the magazine. Keep scrolling to read a text only version.
Yoga in Prison – Text only version:
Yoga. I had always been curious to see what the fuss was. In fairness, I had never heard anybody that gave it a try say it was bad, at worst some said it just wasn’t for them. In the interest of journalistic integrity I decided to try it for myself in order to write this article.
To supply some context here, I am in my late 40’s, and have the proverbial ’bad back’ and sciatica resulting from two spinal surgeries and I am about as flexible as Jacob Rees-Moggs’ views on Brexit.
So it happened that this total novice turned up at the Sports Hall at 1.45 on a typical October Wednesday. There were a couple of things that surprised me. The hall was bright and clean and really well organised. There were an abundance of mats laid out ready for us. This was very reassuring. Compared to the mad dash to get equipment in other sessions there was a calmness in the hall as there were more than enough spaces for the 40 or so lads that began to arrive.
I chose my mat and when I looked around the hall i instantly felt better. There were plenty of lads here, I certainly wouldn’t be noticed or watched, so I was far less worried that people might take the Mick if I messed up! I kicked off my shoes and waited for the class to start.
Susana, the ‘Yogi’ or teacher welcomed us to the group. She acknowledged the new faces and assured us that we could all work to our own levels and abilities. We then enjoyed a gentle start to the session.
The first series of exercises were focused on breath and breathing. In the past I have tried the various relaxation techniques when I’ve been on courses like HRP or SCP. It just didn’t work for me. Maybe it was because of the group, maybe because we were sat facing each other, but whatever the reason, those group sessions did nothing for me.
However, this exercise was different. I lay on my mat, eyes closed, and followed Susannah’s instructions. I could actually feel myself relax! My breathing became deeper and fuller. I swear that I started to get taller, my rib cage was expanding. I can often feel like I’m being squeezed by the world and worries. I found that the stretching and breathing exercises helped me to push back against the pressure – I felt like I was growing and that I could
reclaim a little bit of space for myself. These breathing exercises were followed by a series of gentle stretches from my toes to my finger tips. By the time we were finishing this phase there was a calm, quiet in the hall.
Our session moved neatly into a series of Yoga poses. Once again our breathing was a critical part of each exercise and Susannah alternated between demonstrating the poses and talking us through them.
The exercise mats had been laid carefully so everybody could see Susannah and follow her guidance. I found that one of the hardest things was getting my lefts and rights sorted from each other – watching the demonstration and then trying to copy it felt like trying to work in a mirror! Afterwards I was assured that I wasn’t the only one but I soon got the hang of it and i started my first ever proper Yoga session in earnest.
It was the nuts!
In the early stages we worked on balance and I was shocked how difficult I found it to stand on one leg for any length of time – it was a far more shaky experience than I remember. Again, I was not the only one realising that I had a lot of work to do.
As the session progressed, so did the poses. I was assured by the way each new pose was introduced and explained. We were told how the pose should be entered into and exited from. We were told about the areas of the body that would be affected – the muscle groups that we would have to focus on and be mindful of. All the while we were reminded of the importance of our breathing.
As a novice I was relieved that every exercise had a moderator. Before we tried a pose we were reminded to work to our own level. We were warned that Yoga was not about making ourselves uncomfortable or pushing too far. In one exercise we had to ‘walk our fingers’ down beside our legs as far as we could. I got just past my knees – I think my toes are a way off yet! But one day I’ll get there!
There were some exercises that I felt more comfortable with, some that were hard work. It just highlighted the areas that I have not been using or stretching of late, and I know that I can change that.
Perhaps what most surprised me was the wide spread of people at the class. There were men from their 20’s to their 60’s of every shape, size and ethnicity. Some of the lads that enjoy heavy workouts in the gym told me they enjoy the way Yoga improves their core strength. They also referred to the importance of breathing when using weights – Yoga helped them to hone their breathing techniques.
So I have learned that Yoga has many fans. But will I be a Yoga fanatic in 5 years time? I hope so, but in all honesty I will certainly be going to the next session and I’ll take it day by day after that. I would advise you to do the same – it’s available to everybody.
SESSION TIMES:
WEDNESDAY 1.45 PM – SPORTS HALL
All welcome
FRIDAY 1.45 PM – SPORTS HALL
Enhanced Prisoners
& 1st Sunday Morning of each month
