By Betsie Davis, Prison Yoga Project Facilitator and Operations Coordinator
When people hear “Prison Yoga Project,” they often imagine straightforward yoga classes in prisons. But for those of us facilitating these sessions, the reality is far more profound.
I began volunteering with PYP in 2019 at Indiana State Prison, one of the country’s oldest facilities. My early years as a facilitator were marked by patience and persistence—especially when the pandemic halted programming entirely. When our group at Indiana State eventually dissolved, I felt a deep loss. But with encouragement from the PYP community, I stayed committed to the work, and that commitment ultimately led to a new beginning at Pendleton Correctional Facility, a maximum-security men’s prison near Indianapolis.
Pendleton’s yoga program launched in February 2024 with just two classes. What began as a simple interest in breaking up the routine of prison life has grown into four regular classes and a full in-person Yoga Teacher Training. The community that’s formed within those walls has far exceeded my hopes—a space where participants not only move their bodies but also engage in raw honesty, shared laughter, and deep reflection.
Many participants speak of yoga as a way to confront and rewrite their personal stories. One shared that yoga “exposes the myths: the stereotypes, stigmas, and labels in and around me… challenges what I’m told to be, told to feel, told to like, told to believe in.” Another reflected, “The old story of me is like a myth—it was not the real me. I believe that myth may disappear over time by applying the Yamas and finding truth in myself.”
These moments of vulnerability and truth-telling ripple beyond the mat. I’ve seen men regain physical mobility after injuries, open up about accountability and ethics, and shift from skepticism about yoga to training as a future teacher. Conversations about health and mindfulness have begun spreading throughout the facility—among residents in cellhouses, between classes, and even between residents and correctional officers. One officer recently approached me with questions about yoga for their own well-being. These small exchanges are signs of something larger taking root: yoga as common ground, a shared language of healing and growth.
When people tell me, “I bet they appreciate what you give them so much,” I always respond, “They give me so much more.” Through the Pendleton yoga program, I’ve rediscovered hope in humanity, even in a world that can feel divided and disheartened.
I couldn’t have reached this point without the support of my family, the PYP community, and the staff and administration at Pendleton. Years of dedication to this organization and its mission have led me here—into a community I am proud to call home, both inside the facility and now as part of the PYP administrative team.
As I step into my new role as Operations Coordinator, I carry with me the lessons, laughter, and courage of the men at Pendleton—and a deep commitment to ensuring that the transformation I’ve witnessed continues to unfold in communities across the country. A participant put it powerfully: “Living our truth, daring where others don’t, and becoming successful is my truth. As those who come behind us talk of how something was done, who did it, and the ground that was broken—truth becomes myth, and those myths become legend.”
