Yogi-Inmate Collaborative

The Yogi-Inmate Collaborative is a partner of the Prison Dharma Network.

Sponsor a Yogi-Inmate!

$15 = mats for two yogi-inmates
$30 = books for six yogi-inmates
$45 = sponsors a yogi-inmate for 12 week session
$75 = sponsors a yogi-inmate for half a year
$150 = sponsors a yogi-inmate for a full year
$250 = sponsors a yogi-inmate for a full year and
purchases mats, books, props for start up

**At the bottom of the Prison Dharma Network donation form there is a
box to donate to a specific project-- choose "Yogi-Inmates!"**

Donations made via the Prison Dharma
Network are tax deductible.

For in-kind donations or to find out more, contact Rebecca at thecenterofjoy@gmail.com.

Or read Rebecca's blog re., yoga offerings behind bars: "Insights for Outside Yogis"

the center of joy

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Yogi-Inmate Collaborative

Mission and Objectives

Partnership with Prison Dharma Network

Programs: RI Adult Correctional Institute

Teaching & Project Management

Participating in the Collaborative

Outside-Yogi Collaboration Chart

Sponsor a Yogi-Inmate!

Yogi-Inmate Collaborative Blog: "Insights for Outside Yogis"

"The bottom line is, it's up to you in each and every moment-- not in a heavy, self-righteous way, but rather full of life and good humor-- to bring Light to whatever's going on."

~Bo Lozoff , founder of the Prison-Ashram Project, in a letter to an inmate serving his 17th year for a double murder.

Mission and Objectives

The Yogi-Inmate Collaborative seeks to bring the transformational power of yoga to bridge the walls (both concrete and conceptual) that separate us from our true selves and from each other. Specifically the Yogi-Inmate Collaborative is an opportunity for yogis (both practicing and by association) outside the walls of long-term incarceration to offer their support, commitment and encouragement to those on the inside, and vice versa.

The Yogi-Inmate Collaborative implicitly and explicitly acknowledges that:

In a very real sense, we are all “doing time” as we struggle with the basic human challenges that life offers;
Each one of us benefits when we foster a kinder, more loving approach to living; and
It is possible for each of us to discover our own natural source of joy and wellbeing that is not conditional on personal circumstance.

The Yogi-Inmate Collaborative has the following objectives:

Offer inmates access to the rich tradition of yoga, drawing on both its ancient roots and modern variants as a means towards nurturing physical, mental and emotional wellbeing;
Offer a “karma yoga” opportunity for yogis on the outside that connects directly to their own practice and enables them to share it with others;
Create meaningful linkages between yogis on the outside and “yogi-inmates”, with the aim of cultivating communication, mutual understanding and personal growth on both sides of the walls; and
Generate financial and in-kind resources to support a meaningful yoga experience within the prison system that honors the yogi-inmate as well as the yoga teacher.

Partnership with the Prison Dharma Network

The Yogi-Inmate Collaborative is now an official partner of the internationally recognized Prison Dharma Network (PDN). PDN's mission is to provide prisoners, and those who work with them, with the most effective contemplative tools for self-transformation and rehabilitation.

Sponsor a Yogi-Inmate via PDN's secure website

**At the bottom of the donation form there is a box to donate to a specific PDN project-- choose "Yogi-inmates!"**

Volunteer Opportunities (Yogi-Inmates & PDN)
Path of Freedom (PDN)
Books Behind Bars (PDN)

Current Programs at the Rhode Island ACI

The Yogi-Inmate Collaborative currently offers the following programs within the Adult Correctional Institute in Cranston, RI.

Donald Price Medium Security II: Stress Management

This course introduces inmates to contemplative practices that support wellness within the prison setting and beyond. Inmates explore three primary elements:

Simple breathing and stretching techniques drawn from traditional yoga to support physical wellness and relaxation;
Mindfulness meditation to calm the mind and develop insight into the nature of stress, anger and isolation; and
Laughter yoga to promote relaxation, connection and inner joy.

Each course runs for 12 weeks with approximately 18 inmates. Inmates completing the course may continue to participate in subsequent courses if they so choose. Texts include: "We're all doing time" by Bo Lozoff, "Doing Your Time with Peace of Mind" by Doug Booth and "Yoga: A Path for Healing & Recovery" by James Fox.

Dorothea Dix Minimum Security: Yoga / JourneyDance

This course engages women in a combination of yoga and a playful yoga-inspired dance called JourneyDance. Journey Dance, which grew out of the Kripalu Yoga-Dance tradition, inspires connection, introspection as well as

physical and emotional release. With an emphasis on healing the body, heart and mind through the wisdom of the body's natural expression, inmates cultivate a more holistic sense of self, challenging old and destructive patterns and learning to celebrate life in nourishing ways. This course is ongoing and serves 12-20 inmates.

Teaching & Project Management

Rebecca Foster, RYT200 & CLYT, currently teaches hatha yoga, laughter yoga, meditation and JourneyDance in diverse settings throughout Rhode Island. She has also served as resident dance teacher at the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in Rhinebeck, NY and presented on Laughter & Spirituality at the 2010 All America Laughter Yoga conference.

Rebecca holds a Masters in Public Administration from Princeton University and has lived and worked all over the world, focusing primarily on health and education programming. She served as the Associate Director of the Rhode Island Service Alliance between 1998 and 2001 and later as evaluation consultant for the state's AmeriCorps programming. She is proficient in Spanish.

While Rebecca will spearhead the project initially, her intention is to allow for the Yogi-Inmate Collaborative to grow in a measured yet organic way. Currently Stephen Young is also serving as an Associate Yoga Teacher in the Stress Management program at Price. Several other teachers have expressed interest in working with the Yogi-Inmate Collaborative as well.

Participating in the Yogi-Inmate Collaborative

The Yogi-Inmate Collaborative will consist of “outside yogis”, yoga teacher(s) and “yogi-inmates.” A fundamental intention is for participation to be a personal experience for those involved—that is, outside-yogis are connected personally (or by close association) via the yoga teacher to the yogi-inmates and vice versa. All participating outside-yogis are invited to stay connected via the blog "Insights for Outside Yogis", which reflects on the experiences of the yogi-inmates to bring insight and inspiration into our own practices and lives outside the prison walls.

Becoming an official “outside-yogi” is as simple as contributing to the Yogi-Inmate Collaborative in some way. Please see the chart below for suggestions but know that there is always room for new ideas and creative alternatives.

"Outside-Yogi" Collaboration Chart

In-kind		Donate used (and usable!) yoga mats and props
$15		Purchases mats for two yogi-inmates
$30		Purchases yoga book ("Yoga: A Path for Healing & Recovery" by the Prison Yoga Project) for six yogi-inmates
$45		Sponsors an inmate's regular practice for 12 week session
$75		Sponsors an inmate's regular practice for ½ year
$150		Sponsors an inmate's regular practice for a full year In addition, outside-yogi will receive a private one hour yoga session with Rebecca Foster.
$250		Sponsors an inmate's regular practice for a full year Purchases mats, books and other yoga props for start-up of program In addition, outside-yogi will receive a private hour and fifteen minute yoga session with Rebecca Foster & become a founding member of the Yogi-Inmate Collaborative!

Sponsor a Yogi-Inmate!

**At the bottom of the donation form there is a box to donate to a specific PDN project-- choose "Yogi-inmates!"**

Donations made via the PDN website
are tax deductible.

$15 = mats for two yogi-inmates
$30 = yoga books for six yogi-inmates
$45 = sponsors a yogi-inmate for 12 week session
$75 = sponsors a yogi-inmate for half a year
$150 = sponsors a yogi-inmate for a full year
$250 = sponsors a yogi-inmate for a full year and
purchases mats, books & props for start up

For in-kind donations or to discuss other ways of getting involved, contact Rebecca at thecenterofjoy@gmail.com or explore volunteer opportunities at the Prison Dharma Network website.

Visit the Yogi-Inmate Collaborative's blog: "Insights for Outside Yogis".

Listen to "Kiss The Ground", a song which references teaching behind bars.