An hour long of stretching, breathing exercises and meditation is the most sought-after weekly activity of long-term women prisoners in the jails of the United Arab Emirates capital of Dubai. There are very few things that can give you joy when you are in jail, and yoga is one of them. It makes me happy, it makes me feel beautiful, a Ukrainian serving a life sentence for murder said.
According to chief warden Major Fawziya Al Mullah, the yoga sessions are a tool to reform some 300 prisoners, most of them foreigners, who are locked up for crimes such as murder, drug smuggling and prostitution.
Yoga provides individuals with the ability to control their tempers and emotions. This is how we fight violence and aggression, Al Mullah said. Even prison staff are involved in the weekly workouts.
The Saturday workouts is a unique features that set the Dubai prisons apart from others in the rest of the country.
According to Al Mullah, many prison authorities forget they have already taken away an inmates freedom and force them to live a regimented life in a confined space, which causes depression, self-hatred and breeds aggression in the prisoners. The, Yoga sessions and other initiatives are meant to give them hope.
We need to help them find peace, so that when they get out, they can live in peace with others, she said.
Source: Womens jail brings literal meaning to doing a long stretch published by F18News on April 11, 2006 as posted on <http://www.thestar.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3205174>
YOGA USED TO CALM PRISONERS
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