Advanced breathing techniques help inmates’ mental health
PRISONERS have been learning advanced breathing techniques which can improve mental health and reduce aggression.
Art of Living Guernsey delivered the programme – known as Prison Smart – to provide prisoners with new ways of calming their minds, reducing feelings of stress, anger and depression, and controlling violence and other dysfunctional behaviours.
Prisoner Dan Gauvain signed up for the eight-day course.
He said he was open to anything positive the prison has to offer.
‘I didn’t know what to expect at first. We’ve been set a 40-day challenge using the techniques and I will definitely continue it,’ he said.
Another prisoner said he did not usually believe in programmes of this type and was unsure what he would make of it.
‘I signed up for no other reason than to break up the monotony of the day and so I had no expectations going into it,’ he said.
‘When you’re in prison your brain just does not stop spinning. It’s like a video playing over and over again about every single thing that happened for you to end up here... the court room, the judges.
‘The breathing exercises increase physical energy and require focus which breaks up those thoughts.’
James Bourgaize, who is also serving time, said he was apprehensive about whether the techniques would work but he had found them effective.
Prison governor John De Carteret said he had received positive feedback about the course and several prisoners were already applying the techniques daily.
‘The course is well-established in other cultures,’ he said.
‘We’re always on the look-out for new interventions for anxiety, stress and mental health.
‘I think anything that could help anyone should be explored.’
The course was delivered by Art of Living teachers Julie Madeley from Guernsey, Shrikanth Nimmakayala from London and Katrien Hertog from Belgium.
‘I did the course myself in 1996 and I wanted it to carry on, so I’ve been teaching it since 2002,’ said Ms Madeley.
‘I always wanted the course in prison to help people and I hope that we can do it again as a series.’
Dr Hertog said the techniques taught were scientifically proven to make a difference outside of prison and would help prisoners prepare for the lives they want to lead when they are released.
Art of Living is a volunteer-based, humanitarian and educational non-governmental organisation. It was founded in 1981 by Indian yoga guru Ravi Shankar.
It has centres in 180 countries and offers several programmes to help people develop through breathing techniques, meditation and yoga.
