What is needed to teach in prison

In some ways, prisoners, ex-prisoners, secure hospital patients and the staff who work in ‘secure conditions’ are no different to those of us who live and work ‘on the out’. But there are  fundamental differences between teaching a prison class and teaching on the outside.

In our experience, yoga teachers who do well in prison have:

• a yoga teacher’s qualification from a reputable yoga school, with a course length of at least two-three years. One guideline is the national yoga organisations to which the British Wheel of Yoga (BWY) offer Accredited Diplomas. These schools have, in the opinion of the BWY, ethical standards and a teaching syllabus equivalent to, or higher than the BWY Teacher’s Diploma Course.
• taught regularly for at least two years since qualifying
• other relevant work experience (e.g. working with young people, social work, drug rehabilitation work)
• a regular practice, including meditation
• attended one or more of the training that The Prison Phoenix Trust offers to support and prepare prison yoga teachers
  
• respect and a sense of awe towards the practice.

Steps to take if you’re interested:

• browse this website to get a feel for The Prison Phoenix Trust’s work
  
• print out, hand-write and post to us the background form in as much detail as possible, along with a cover note
• if you want to receive our yoga teachers’ newsletter and the prisoners’ newsletter each season, send a £5 cheque to help us offset the cost.
• attend one of our training events
  
• write to or speak with one our yoga co-ordinators.

NEXT: Training offered to yoga teachers