James Fox is the Founding Director of Prison Yoga Project, which he started in San Quentin and grew to 17 states and beyond.

In part one of a three-part series on prison yoga, James tells Derek about the program's origins (he started in a single juvenile detention center); the unique challenges and opportunities involved; and the story of a participant whose rehabilitation and parole was inextricably linked with the yoga practice he learned while behind bars.

James also talks about:

• How yoga helped him get over back pain from running
• How Prison Yoga Project scaled through word of mouth, teacher training, and their book
• How men and women in prison tend to react to first trying yoga
• The trauma-informed approach they've developed
• The role yoga played in a parole hearing for a participant serving a life sentence

Links:

Prison Yoga Project is doing their annual fundraising drive. You can donate to the program directly here: https://prisonyoga.kindful.com

We'll be back with two more episodes focusing on yoga in prisons in the coming weeks.