Teens at Crossroads Juvenile Detention Center in Brownsville, N.Y. traded in their anger for meditation when a group of monks and nuns visited the facility to teach the practice of silence and stillness, according to an NBC New York report.
Demonstrations included breathing exercises and mindful walking in a small circle to help the teen free themselves of anger and frustration, preventing conflict, the report stated.
“This is a way of regaining your freedom in a space that doesn’t feel very free or spacious for you,” Sister True Vow said in the report, explaining how walking in a small circle can be liberating, which is an ideal exercise for the teenagers who are confined to a small detention space.
“It can be calming, even when we’re angry,” she said. “At least I’m walking. At least I’m walking.”
The teaching group was brought in by The Lineage Project, which teaches yoga and meditation to approximately 500 young people in NYC detention centers each year, and the services are free.
“I’m one of the people who gets frustrated a lot,” a 17-year-old girl in the detention center told NBC New York. “I’m one of the people who will usually bang on things. Now they taught me to walk around in circles and calm down. If I don’t realize what I’m doing, I’m always gonna end up in a place like this.”
Additionally, a 15-year-old boy explained many of his bad decisions were driven by greed. He told NBC if he had known some of the practices being taught, he might not have ended up in the detention center.
“You gotta be mindful of your movements,” he said. “Think before you act.”
See more in the the video below:
View more videos at: http://nbcnewyork.com.
Excellent article showing how beneficial meditation is. Thank you.