Yoga for rehabilitation of Women in Prison
Yoga for rehabilitation of Women in Prison by ShareLove.Fund’s Social Enterprise Endeavor.
Yoga enables one to attain complete control over one's physical and psychological well-being. The effects of yoga on women in rehabilitation can be largely beneficial. According to the American Addiction Centers, yoga is quite often considered a form of natural medicine. https://americanaddictioncenters.org/therapy-treatment/yoga
It is essential to understand the cause for incorporating yoga in the routine of Women prison inmates. Recovery for women in prison is a sensitive issue and needs a proper procedure. It has been considered as a complementary treatment along with other modes of assistance. The term yoga is derived from Sanskrit, meaning integration. Women seeking support to overcome substance abuse must incorporate yoga to undergo a complete all-rounded recovery.
Let us now take a look at the various benefits of yoga for women in rehabilitation. We will analyse the physical and psychological benefits of yoga on women:
Health benefits of Yoga– Substance abuse can have detrimental effects on a woman's body. Weight gain, muscle loss are common issues. Fat burning, muscle development, and enhancing flexibility are the benefits of incorporating yoga as a part of women's life in recovery. It can be practiced by women after they have recovered completely for maintaining a healthy lifestyle post-rehabilitation period. It helps in reducing fatigue, and increasing flexibility.
Effect of Yoga on the Brain –Substance abuse often alters the systems of the brain, which allows individuals to regulate their emotions, managing impulses, and taking decisions. Yoga can be potentially valuable in eradicating these issues. According to Scientific American, yoga helps in attaining a calmer and more relaxed mind. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-yoga-changes-the-brain/. It has been scientifically proven, that the area of the brain associated with tension that is the hippocampus, can be enlarged by practicing yoga regularly.
Psychological effects – Patients in rehabilitation often undergo PTSD or Post-traumatic stress disorder. It is noted that yoga is related to the physical and mental rejuvenation of individuals. It helps an individual in gaining mindfulness. The connection between the mind and the body is at the core of yoga. Especially for women who have undergone challenging situations, it becomes imperative to focus their energy internally and relieve themselves from any underlying stress.
There are various projects which support prison inmates to relieve their stress and trauma through the practice of yoga. We shall see the different projects and how they can be useful.
Yoga Behind Bars– A popularly known program at YBB, aims to provide aid to plenty of incarcerated individuals to overcome the pain and stress of prison life. They aim at improving the facilitation of the nervous system, breaking cycles of stress, and allowing people to build resilience.
Prison Yoga Project –Yet another landmark project aimed at improving the lives of prison inmates towards the path of recovery through trauma-informed practices, increasing mindfulness, and developing compassion and empathy among individuals.
There are various projects which support prison inmates to relieve their stress and trauma through the practice of yoga. We shall see the different projects and how they can be useful.