Swami Satchidananda always cared deeply about serving men and women in prison. When he was serving in Sri Lanka, he and the members of his ashram built temples for both minimum and maximum security facilities and conducted regular prayer meetings for the prisoners. Sri Swamiji and a few others were allowed to enter the prisons, give lectures on spiritual life and Yoga, and speak to the prisoners individually in their cells.

 

After he came to the United States, Sri Swamiji continued this service by visiting prisons across the country and giving satsangs. He also encouraged his students with an interest in this type of service to teach Yoga in prisons, and there are many moving stories of inmates who were helped and rehabilitated by this service.

 

The Satchidananda Prison Project – Why?
Throughout the years, inmates have contacted Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville and Integral Yoga Institutes, looking for spiritual guidance. These letters arrive in a steady stream, making it clear that there are people in the prison system wishing for a better life and for spiritual direction.

 

READ SOME INMATE LETTERS HERE: https://www.yogaville.org/resources/prison-project/satchidananda-prison-project-testimonials/

Thus began Satchidananda Prison Project, as an effort to make Sri Swami Satchidananda’s teachings more available to those who are incarcerated.

 

 

The Satchidananda Prison Project – What?

• We offer free malas (prayer beads) to prisoners who are unable to purchase these. 

• We offer free correspondence courses on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali and the Living Gita.

• We network with prison projects sponsored by other Yoga and Buddhist organizations so that we can join together in serving this very underserved population.

• We work with prison administrations to have Yoga classes taught in prisons around the country.

• We correspond with inmates, answering their questions about spiritual life.

• We send spiritual books to inmates and prison libraries.