A perfect place to start a meditation practice | Beth + Sukey Novogratz | TEDxAttica 2019
Who would picture Attica as a perfect place to start a meditation practice? Well, Beth and Sukey Novogratz did and conducted a session for incarcerated men, officers, staff, and outside guests. Co-authors of "Just Sit: A Meditation Guidebook for People Who Know They Should But Don't" and sisters-in-law, Sukey and Elizabeth Novogratz have been leading meditation workshops through the United States. Elizabeth recently launched the podcast "Species Unite" and lives in Brooklyn, NY. Sukey is the executive producer of the acclaimed documentary The Hunting Ground. Together, Elizabeth and Sukey have travelled the world to study meditation in every kind of classroom, from Lakota sweat lodges to Tibet House, from ashrams to vision quests to Oneness retreats. They have learned from many renowned teachers, including Sharon Salzberg, Krishna Das, Ram Dass, Amma, and the monks at One World Academy in Chennai, India. Their inspiration for writing this book is drawn from friends, readers, and complete strangers who echoed their own questions about how to take the first steps toward making meditation part of a more mindful, reflective, and joyful life.
Through the eyes of a child | Gina Derry | TEDxMarionCorrectionalSalon 2014
Expressing the pain and changes that a young child faces growing up in prison visiting rooms and the later recovery journey from drugs and alcohol to healing and yoga. Gina Derry is a survivor of an abusive, psychopathic father and an alcoholic mother. Her father went to prison when she was 6 years old. She has carried a lifetime of trauma from a neglectful, fatherless childhood. A vast majority of her trauma comes from visiting her father in prison and yearning for a relationship with him. Gina is a certified yoga teacher and has practiced for over a decade. This is where she found her path to healing. Along with the Yoga on High Foundation, Gina is a co-developer of the “Power of Transformation" Yoga program designed solely for the inmates of Marion Correction Institution. Her work at Marion has already brought her a lifetime’s lesson of gratitude and forgiveness. After TEDxMarionCorrectional she will continue her Dharma, speaking up for the children in prison visiting rooms. Hari Om!
Yoga and meditation | Subtle practices for change | Rosa Vissers | TEDxMonroeCorrectionalComplex 2014
What changes occur when we practice yoga and meditation? And how can these practices be used to support prisoners' successful rehabilitation? In 2010, Rosa Vissers made a life-changing decision for herself—she became a volunteer with the organization Yoga Behind Bars. Her commitment to service, her love of yoga and her career experience as an international dancer combined to make a great foundation to her becoming the organization's development and communications director in 2013. Fueled by her convictions, Rosa believes that together, we can create a compassion revolution.