Today in the local newspaper I read about a young woman, Adhyatma, who has been a yoga enthusiast for more than 10 yrs. She travelled to India and Australia and studied yoga at world-renowned yoga academies.

Satyananda yoga is a classical, traditional style of yoga. Its not only physical practice, but has mental and emotional advantages.

She says:"It helps to balance all aspects of the personality, and many people will really resonate with the benefits of the meditation."

Adhyatma approached Waikeria Prison and asked if she could teach yoga. with prisoners in the addiction unit.

A group of 25 prisoners would attend her classes and responded, they were sleeping better and the breathing exercises were working well to calm them down.

tey were hungry for it and were interested to learn more, to read the books.

Adhyatma took prisoners through a 10-week block course, teaching simple concepts and slowly building on them, "helping them evolve".

The dream for Adhyatma is to get yoga into prisons nationwide, to get it recognised as a form of rehabilitation, and recognised nationwide.

For more information on Adhyatma's classes at the Srinivasa Yoga House go to www.srinivasa.co.nz

Arohanui, Fenna

This reminds me of how they do Vipassana meditation in the prisons in India. It worked so well there that they started it the USA and other western countries.

Hi guys,

this week at a breakfast breifing the presenter actually did a 3 minute laughing yoga exercise with us all....   once everyone got over their self consciousness (it was in a cafe!) it was quite amusing.

There was actually a film on the Spritual Cinema in the past few months about Laughing Yoga in India in corporations... which lets face it, are pretty much like prisons!!

Oops did I say that?

Brendan