You're viewing the archived Hearts Center Forum.

Laura Sygrove, yoga instructor at youth detention centers in southern Ontario, Canada, was interviewed on the merits of yoga for kids in prison by Nick Aveling. His article was published in the National Post, on June 12, 2010, in the form of seven questions. Following is one of the questions with Laura's answer.

Q Is it working?
A Youth are telling us they notice a difference in their ability to concentrate and deal with anger. They'll use breathing techniques instead of fighting. We also hear a lot from the staff, especially the social workers, who say they've noticed a difference. I often think of one youth I've worked with for quite a long time – he's in on some quite serious charges, and I only know that because of the length of his sentence – who told me he thought the first two classes were "mostly bulls–––". Fast-track a year-and-a-half and he credits yoga with being one of the things that have really helped him change. Another youth told me it's the only time he feels like he's not in jail. And we have waiting lists, both in terms of youth who want to take classes and facilities who want us to go in. We need more funding.