Yoga Calms Down Prisoners

07 April, 2000

Chennai, March 13: "I came in after committing a murder. Had I gone out, I would have committed two more. Now I see them all as a part of me," says one of the inmates of Coimbatore central Prison.

Here is another. "I cook food for the wardens. Many a time, I have felt like throwing hot food on their faces. But now I only feel love for them."

These are bytes from voices of convicts and remand prisoners in the Coimbatore jail. This change and more, that they talk about was wrought by the Isha Yoga conducted for 67 lifers in 1992 by the Isha Yoga Centre.

This has made many convicts in Tiruchi, Madurai and Coimbatore pen their reformation into beautiful Tamil verses. Says one, "Jathikku Kodi Pidithen Komaliyai; Aneedhikku Thunaiyaned Emaliyai’.

What has brought so much change that the Tamil Nadu Prisons Department has sent a circular to all prisons asking the yoga center to hold SSY classes in Salem, Madurai, Tiruchi and Palayamkottai before they launch it in Chennai and Vellore? This was on thee request of NHRC director general D R Karthikeyan, Home Secretary Shantha Sheela Nair and Inspector General of Prisons K V S Murthy. This yoga, which translates as “State of Natural Being”, was formulated by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev who consecrated the Dhyanalingam at Velliangiri in Coimbatore.

Says N Raja, a former textile machinery manufacturer, now a yoga teacher, "In Coimbatore there is a punishment cell where at least 30 persons are sent to if they create problems. After 40 days of the classes, none went to the cell. Shakti Chalana Kriya, meditation and a little bit of Hatha Yoga worked wonders."

It was difficult to convince the inmates. "When one sadhak does Surya Namaskar, two others will pull his legs," remarks K Shekar, former deputy manager, now teaching yoga at Madurai.

More than the prisoners, the need was felt to hold such classes for warders and police.

And Jaggi Vasudev said in his recent interaction with prisoners, "the greatest crime one can commit is to be a joyless person."