Yoga teacher helps young offenders find inner calm

A Yorkshire yoga instructor has received a community champion award for her voluntary efforts bringing healing and hope to young offenders.

Emma Nicholson, from Harrogate, hosts yoga sessions in prison for boys aged 15–18 who face a range of challenges, including behavioural issues and trauma.

"You have to break down quite a few barriers," Ms Nicholson told BBC Radio York, but added she was gratified by the positive response, with many of the boys telling her they "found yoga peaceful, and it made them feel calm".

"Emma's story is a testament to the potential of compassionate intervention," said Diana O'Reilly, chair of the British Wheel of Yoga, which put her forward for the accolade.

"Teenage boys doing yoga anyway is quite unusual, but in this particular context it is perhaps even more difficult to imagine," said Ms Nicholson.

"A really common comment is that they [the boys] never thought they'd do yoga."

Ms Nicholson was trained to teach in prisons by the Prison Phoenix Trust, which supports the spiritual and mental well-being of prisoners through the practices of meditation and yoga.

Recalling a typical day, she described navigating the wings of a prison to seek out inmates available for yoga, then laying out mats for the group.

She said her classes begin with an invitation to the boys to take part in whatever parts they enjoy, but with permission to stop or sit out any part they are uncomfortable with.

"To actually get young people on the mat you have to break down quite a few barriers and reassure them that this is actually a practice that they can engage in," she explained.

According to the Prison Phoenix Trust, yoga classes improve the emotional self-regulation of young offenders.

It has found breathing techniques and mindful movement during yoga can reduce stress and anxiety, and move young offenders away from being hyper-vigilant in prison.

Gentle stretching may also help to address any negative body-image issues associated with past trauma.

Data compiled by the Trust reported 82% of participants of yoga courses held in two prisons, in 2023, saw improvements in their mental well-being.

It found "low" mental well-being, relative to the general population, decreased from 73% to 5% among participants; "high" mental well-being increased from 0% to 27% among yoga attendees; and those experiencing "moderate" mental well-being increased from 27% to 68%.

Former prisoner Sue, who lives in West Yorkshire, found prison yoga sessions gave her the mental strength to cope with her situation.

She received a four-year sentence in HMP Styal, in Cheshire, after being caught dealing heroin to fund her own drug addiction.

Now 30-years sober, Sue maintains prison time was, in fact, a blessing, marking a clean break from the chaos of her former life.

She recalls how taking a blanket into the showers and sitting there in silence, focusing on her breath, helped her deal with difficult thoughts.

She currently works with the Prison Phoenix Trust to train yoga teachers like Ms Nicholson.

"The simplicity of following your breath, of holding a yoga pose, enables total acceptance of yourself," said Sue.

Ms Nicholson was presented with the community champion award at the British Wheel of Yoga's (BWY) Heart of Yoga Awards earlier this month.

"Emma's story is a testament to the potential of compassionate intervention - proving that with the right support, young people can find paths to self-understanding and positive change," said BWY's O'Reilly.

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