Greenhaven Prison Chanting and Meditation Program

When I had first started helping out with the Prison Porject chanting and meditation programs I visited Greenhaven prison close to Stormville, NY. After more than a decade of being away I was able to return and it was such a wonderful experience.

Not surprisingly, the buildings were exactly the same, long bare corridors with gates and bars at each intersection. Correction Officers (or CO's, the more respectful term for prison guards) secure in control rooms with full views in all directions and opening the next gate after the last closes (always in control). The familiar whirring of electric motors as the barred gate slowly opens sideways (retracts and extends) with the loud clunks at the start and end as the locks engae.

In my first PP training they had explained that the environment can be pretty threatening, but for me it was a welcoming experience as I remembered my previous visits and the wonderful opportunities to meet with and share the space with the incarcerated students. I went in with Mario and Alan who I had gone it with on my original visits and it was so great to see them again after so many years.

The environment is quite unique and I have long wished that I could take pictures and videos to share (and to supplement my memory), but prisons are also very much into control (as would be expected with so many people with serious anger issues confined in such a small space) and that is never allowed. What to do?

The prison project mostly sends lessons on meditation to prisoners who reqeust them. Many find them very helpful and their friends ask what their secret is. By word of mouth (and personal references) the lessons spread to interested prisoners. As prisoners are often transferred, they also spread from prison to prison. When a particular prison has several prisoners taking the course, we will see if we can arrange a program where they can get together and chant and meditate as a group. Of course prisoners are not allowed to meet whenever they want, so we arrange volunteers to 'run' the program, but mostly it is just an opportunity for them to have group chants and meditation (each very powerful practices).

The satsangs (or programs) in a prison are in a circle with ample time for sharing. Most centers outside traditionally had a format of an audience with a speaker. The result is that programs in centers tend to be more superficial with an audience passively listening, not really engaging. I came to love prisons satsangs as the participants were all really serious about their practices. Tradittionally prison project satsangs are smaller (4 to 18 prisoners) than center satsangs (often over 20 participants) which probably dictated the presenter / audience format. However, it recent years as Siddha Yoga has stopped having big summer events at the S. Fallasburg ashram, the number of centers has decreased dramatically with most becoming chanting and meditation groups with much smaller attendance and less frequent satsangs (Gurumayi has directed that we direct our practices more inwardly, but amny people seem to like the outward focus of the big events).

As Siddha Yoga as a whole has taken its inward focus, it eliminated most of my seva (service / volunteer) opportunities as the ashram itself was closed to visitors and the reduced chanting and meditation groups really don't require much help (they are ussually held in a person's house). Only having one satsand a month (and no seva) was quite a loss to me, so I am ever so happy to be able visit with the guys. Also, now that I am part of an ongoing prison program and no longer require training or clearances (all complete) I am hopping to be able to introduce programs in prisons that are closer to Albany. What a relief after so much longing.

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This page was last updated on September 28, 2013