Isha Yoga has taught Yoga to more than 2,000 prisoners in 73 prisons across Tamil Nadu in a single month. In April, Special yoga classes were conducted in prisons, including central jails in Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Madurai, Palayamkottai, and other Districts and Sub jails in the state. Both male and female prisoners participated enthusiastically in these classes.

Yoga teachers trained by Sadhguru visited the prisons and taught the inmates different Yoga practices, including- Uyir Nokkam, Upa Yoga, and Surya Shakti. Uyir Nokkam is a simple yet powerful yogic practice to make body, mind, emotions, energies, and the five elements within us, function for our well-being. Upa Yoga which essentially means “sub-yoga” or “pre-yoga” offers a powerful set of 10 practices that activates the joints, muscles, and energy system, bringing ease to the whole system. Surya Shakti, an active form of Sun Salutation, cultivates great physical fitness and strength.

Prisoners in India report high levels of stress and other health-related problems. Understanding this, Isha, in the past few years, has undertaken to teach special yoga classes in prisons to improve the physical and mental physical well-being of the jail inmates.