From 2015 to 2020, when the pandemic put on hold a lot of Department of Correction programs, I went inside New York City jails to teach yoga to inmates through Liberation Prison Yoga, a not-for-profit organization founded and led by Anneke Lucas. Starting in 2022, I joined Woosaa Wellness, led by Liam Pfeiffer, and started going inside again and added working with young adults and teenagers in juvenile and re-entry to my regular movement and meditation classes on Rikers Island. I've also taught groups working through substance use disorders at Odyssey House and Freedom Institute.

There is no other place where my biases and unchosen belief systems are exposed as much as in jail, with the people who choose to share moments with me. There is not a day I come out and not feel tender and inspired.

“It is in your self-interest to find a way to be very tender.”

―Jenny Holzer

b and lama rod

July 7, 2024

I sort of failed at the yoga today. I mean, I only taught Asana for about half an hour.

But we talked a lot, played Uno and discussed the fear of coming out after serving time, the courage of facing 15-20 years, what to do with a baby mama out there in the wild…
I got to sneak in my two favorite quotes from Lama Rod: everyone wants to be free but not a lot of people want to do the work it takes to be free. And my personal favorite, Liberation is in the choosing, which was followed by B, who has not engaged so far but today sat and talked to me the entire time, saying that if he went away for that long it better be for something he really chose. I asked him what would that be. He’ll tell me next week. Because whatever he thought would set him free would also lock him up.

Does it count as yoga when connections happen? When questions are asked? When feelings are felt?