The Critical Social Worker : Prison Yoga project

Hosted by:  Christian Stettler 

Christian is the Host of The Critical Social Worker: A Revolutionary Storytelling Podcast, which focuses on telling unique stories with diverse perspectives to foster empathy and critical dialogue for its listeners. 

Overview 

In episode 24 Christian was joined by his co-host Nico and special guest David. Nico Is a military veteran who worked as a human resources specialist for the military for many years. He is now pursuing a bachelor’s degree in social work while working as a director for two VA-funded programs that offer supportive services to veterans. Special guest David is a service-based yoga teacher who currently lives and works in Anchorage, Alaska. He discovered his passion for yoga after taking electives in meditation and Eastern religion which led him to study the various forms and styles of yoga, and eventually becoming a yoga instructor. David is now the co-founder of Turiya of Alaska. In this episode, David shares insight into his journey of working with inmates, how yoga and mindfulness have affected his life, and shares his views regarding the common stereotypes surrounding yoga. 

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Breathwork 

Early on in the podcast the topic of breath is brought up. Christian begins by sharing his first experience with yoga and how it taught him about breathing work. David talks about how breathing is a big part of yoga, and how yoga is more a practice of breathing than moving. David brings attention to how in today’s society, breath is in many ways restricted, and how many people are constantly nervous and anxious when facing certain rites of passage. A really good example he brings up is school. The average person spends 12 years in school and then another 4 or 8 years depending if they go to college or not. During those years there is an immense amount of pressure to succeed and get good grades, on top of going through puberty and battling other influences that come into play usually between the ages of 12-21. Such as drugs, alcohol, relationships, social hierarchy, etc. Then going from school straight into working, many people never find time even to learn that breathing is more complex than it seems. David states that “breathing is an experience” and that there is a tangible experience with the way you breathe and how you feel.

I recently learned about breathwork when I went through an episode where I was experiencing a lot of anxiety. I experienced an anxiety/panic attack for the first time a little over a year ago now and it sent me into a spiraling depression. I became anxious about being anxious and was scared to death of having another panic attack. It happened on the first day of classes last year, it was my first time back in a classroom since COVID and I remember sitting down and suddenly feeling extremely light-headed and starting to overheat. The next thing I noticed was my heart pounding and the feeling like I was suffocating. I had to get up and leave and was so confused and terrified because I had never experienced anything like that before. The following year after that episode I had two more panic attacks that left me in a crippling state of depression and anxiety-ridden. I never left my house, I couldn’t drive myself anywhere, I avoided family gatherings and hanging out with friends, and I reached a point where I just felt like I was surviving and not living. I didn’t want to go on medication so I started researching every natural supplement that helps with anxiety I could. At one point I came across diaphragmatic breathing, which was breathing in for 4 seconds, holding for 4 seconds, and then exhaling for 8 seconds. At first, I was very skeptical, but once I started trying it during moments I felt the most anxious, it was shocking how effective the technique was. During the podcast, David mentions how breathing is one way we can interact with the subconscious body of ourselves. Our breath can impact our heart rate, taking deep slow breaths to calm the heart rate, or pumping your breath to fire up the nervous system. Since learning more about breath work, and how to use it to combat the physical symptoms of anxiety, I have progressed so with my mental health

In the setting of social work, I believe breathwork can benefit anyone. When facing a situation where you begin to feel overwhelmed, frustrated, sad, nervous, and anxious; learning how to take a deep breath and clear your mind for just a moment of peace could change the way you feel instantly. I know that when working in the field of social work, you experience many different social interactions. Dealing with difficult people can be a trial for anyone, and when working as a social worker it is important to remain professional and not let your emotions get the best of you. Learning a calming breathing technique can be essential to help one keep their composure in this field of work.

Addressing the stereotypes 

During the podcast, there were a couple of stereotypes surrounding yoga that were broken down. One is that yoga doesn’t need to be viewed as a religious or spiritual practice. While yoga has roots in Hinduism, and is incorpated in spiritual practices, people often will shy away from it because of the belief that it goes against there own religion. I believe it ultimately comes down to the mindset you have when trying out yoga. While people use yoga in spiritual ways, yoga can also be simply viewed as a form of exercise and meditation. I have been told before that certain positions that are performed in yoga open your body and soul up to certain spiritual beings or influences, and for my own religous reasons avoided it for many years. I took my first yoga class at Trax in Fairbanks, Alaska, and really enjoyed it. As someone who does a lot of weight lifting, and grew up playing sports, I knew I needed to find a way to move my body in a way that would work my muscles as well as help on a more functional level. Thats what yoga has become for me. I try to do 3-4 yoga classes a week, usually a heated Vinyasa flow and one hot yoga session. Since starting I have seen improvement in my balance, my mobility, it helped with back pain I would get from lifting, and helped with flexibility. So overall I believe yoga can be whatever you want to make out of it, with respect to its various styles. David brings up a good question to ask ones self when contemplating trying yoga and that is “ what is practice, and what does it do for me?”