When RN and Health and Wellness Coach Judy Black received the gift of a book from a colleague, she had no idea it would spin her life in a new direction.
The book was Just Mercy by Equal Justice Initiative founder, Bryan Stevenson, in which he recounts an early case that affected his subsequent legal work on behalf of the poor and wrongly condemned. It was the case of Walter McMillian, convicted of a murder he insisted he didn’t commit.
“I was so moved by this book, so touched,” says Judy, “that I had to do something.”
What began as writing to prisoners eventually led her to reach out to a few friends and then the Assistant Warden for Treatment (AWT) at the Morgan County Correctional Complex in East Tennessee with an offer to lead meditation classes at the medium security facility. The AWT was interested, and so she and other volunteers got to work.
Three years later, the courses continue. There’s even a waiting list, as word-of-mouth has spread. Those who attend are hugely motivated to be there. Monthly reunion classes are held by popular demand and offer ongoing support.
“Yoga Calm’s approach works beautifully with the participants,” says Judy. “They really enjoy and benefit from all aspects of the class.”
At the beginning of the first class of the eight week series, each participant completes the Perceived Stress Scale, and after the last class of the series, they complete it again. So far, every person has moved toward an improved sense of being able to cope with daily stressors – some markedly.
Most of the people will leave the prison at some point. This program helps them cope with life inside the prison on a daily basis, and the transformation helps them re-enter society with more resilience and secure footing in their ability to respond thoughtfully to daily stressors.
For instance, there was one participant who told Judy about another inmate who had really been pushing his buttons all week. (“I don’t like the word ‘inmate,’ though,” explains Judy. “I like to call them ‘my friends who are in prison.’”) He told her, “The old me would have punched him in the face and gone to the hole for 30 days. But Miss Judy, I walked away. I breathed like you taught me to do. And then I went and meditated.” He had tears streaming down his face as he spoke.
This gentleman will be leaving prison in the next few years. So not only will the time he spends living there be more in tune with how he wants to live; he will be a more thoughtful neighbor, friend, and co-worker when he returns to society.
Classes in the facility are small, capped at 15 participants. A trauma-informed structure is crucial. “Ninety to one hundred percent of these men are dealing with trauma,” Judy explains. “Most grew up with trauma and nearly all experience some form of trauma while incarcerated.”
So Judy designs their practice with this in mind. They are always in a circle, for instance, so each participant has a clear view of everyone else. Always, she uses language of invitation. “If it feels right” is an important phrase in presenting any specific meditative practice or movement.
All of the poses that are incorporated into the classes are standing poses, since they’re not allowed to use mats in the group. They are permitted to use a breathing sphere, however, so always, the group starts by breathing, slowing down and regulating together.
While most of Judy’s work is with the general population, she has also been doing one-on-one sessions with a young man currently in “High Max” solitary confinement. He’s just 26 years old. A colleague had mentioned him to Judy, suggesting that he might benefit from meditation. So one person in the group who visits the prison began visiting him weekly, and Judy is able to visit him on occasion.
Because of his confinement, they aren’t able to meet in a room together. Instead, they talk through the small slot in his cell door. There, through the slot, they meditate together. They talk about the importance of developing a daily practice. She shares poses to support self-regulation and mindfulness.
“He’s even expressed interest in leading Mindful Meditation groups once he gets back into the general population,” Judy says.
While Judy also incorporates Yoga Calm processes into the mindful movement work she does as a Health Coach and RN, it’s her work in the prison system that is perhaps most meaningful. “This experience – I never dreamed I’d be doing this kind of work,” she says, her voice sparkling. She envisions doing more outreach once she completes her Yoga Calm certification – in particular, providing classes to an afterschool program for inner city children.
But the prison work will always matter, and she hopes others will be inspired to reach out to this underserved population in real need.
“Really contemplate the reality of mass incarceration in this country,” she says. “Think of all the human beings locked away, isolated from the rest of life. Ask yourself what that means to you – and to the country that we live in.
“Reaching out can do so much for both you and them.”
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I have an upcoming opportunity to work with a few incarcerated people and would love any suggestions. I’ve been leading mindfulness presentations and have been asked to take it to this group. This group is not only near and dear to my heart through personal life experiences but I would really like to make an impact. With that I have some simple questions that would really help since it’s mentioned in this article.
What is a breathing sphere might I ask and my biggest challenge is leading in a circle which makes so much sense in this group and any other group experiencing trauma which is rapidly increasing.
Thanks in advance for any advice
Found the breathing sphere, thank you!:)
Hi, Celestine! I’ll forward your comment to Judy for reply, since she’s the expert here! Meantime, this is the kind of sphere she’s talking about: https://shop.yogacalm.org/product/breathing-sphere/. You can learn more about how it works here: https://www.yogacalm.org/using-a-breathing-sphere/
Greetings Celestine,
Thank you for your comment. I believe the most important aspect of working inside a prison doing Mindfulness, or any other activity, is humility and respect. The endeavor is to be in service of life. I always try to speak very calmly and assure people in prison that I am there to share with them as they will share with me. The circle is very important as a way to practice in a trauma informed way, and any direction I give is by invitation–“if it feels right I invite you to close your eyes. Or you can also look with a downward gaze about 6 feet in front of you, not really looking at anything in particular, so as to rest your vision.” The poses we do in Mindful Movement are standing and specific poses to boost the parasympathetic nervous system, such as the forward fold. I always stress that this is about you and what is comfortable for your body. No comparing ourselves to another, no competition. People respond favorably to the class and really seem to relax and engage in the process of Mindful Movement and Mindful Meditation. We begin and end each meditation session with Mindful Movement and that seems to work really well. I hope this is helpful to you. One more thing— what you are doing will have enormous impact on the lives of these human beings, most of whom have suffered trauma from early in life. Like Bryan Stevenson (author of Just Mercy) (and he has a wonderful TED Talk) “We are all more than the worst thing we ever did. Much more.”
Very best wishes to you.