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Prison Project

The Prison Project is dedicated to supporting the spiritual development of incarcerated students of Siddha Yoga meditation. Under Gurumayi Chidvilasananda’s guidance it has touched the lives of thousands of incarcerated seekers of the truth throughout the world... Swami Muktananda, who founded this project in 1979, wrote a message to prisoners in which he said, "If you want to respect yourself, if you want to improve yourself, if you want to experience the joy of your own inner Self, you can do that anywhere, even in prison."

The Prison Project provides a home study course, called "In Search of the Self,” free of charge to any prisoner who requests it. The lessons explain in simple, down-to-earth language the timeless wisdom of yoga. Lessons are received monthly and are available in Spanish translation on request. Currently, over 6000 inmates are enrolled in the course in over 800 prisons in North America, Europe, and Australia.

The Prison Project also includes over 150 trained volunteer program coordinators who visit prisons and provide programs and courses designed to deepen the students' understanding of Siddha Yoga. The goal of the program coordinators is to enable sincere seekers to devote their prison time to the discovery of the divinity that exists within us all.