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Satchidananda Prison Project

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Dear friends, Loving greetings to you.

I would like to tell you about something that has inspired me greatly - our Satchidananda Prison Project.

Swami Satchidananda (Sri Gurudev) always cared deeply about serving men and women in prison. When he lived in Ceylon, he and the members of his ashram built temples for both minimum and  maximum security facilities and conducted regular prayer meetings for the prisoners. Sri Gurudev and a few others were allowed to enter the prisons, give lectures on spiritual life and Yoga, and speak to the prisoners individually in their cells.

After he came to the United States, Sri Gurudev continued this service by visiting prisons across the country and giving satsangs. He also encouraged his students with an interest in this type of service to teach Yoga in prisons, and there are many moving stories of inmates who were helped and rehabilitated by this service.

The Satchidananda Prison Project - Why?
Throughout the years, inmates have contacted the Ashram and Integral Yoga Institutes, looking for spiritual guidance. These letters come to us in a steady stream, making it clear that there are people in the prison system wishing for a better life and for spiritual direction.

Several of us were moved to organize our service with people in prison, making Sri Gurudev’s teachings more available to them.

The Satchidananda Prison Project - What?
We collect spiritual books to send to inmates and prison libraries.

We correspond with inmates, answering their questions about spiritual life.

We are working with prison administrations to have Yoga classes taught in prisons around the country.

We hope to eventually connect with prison projects sponsored by other Yoga and Buddhist organizations so that we can join together in serving this population.

Sister Maithreyi collected all of the transcripts of Sri Gurudev’s satsangs at prisons. Inspired by these transcripts, and by her own work in prisons, Rev. Kumari de Sachy wrote a book called Bound to be Free: The Liberating Power of Prison Yoga and has included the transcripts in the manuscript. We are now collecting funds to get it printed.

The Satchidananda Prison Project – How You Can Help?
We invite senior disciples of Sri Gurudev to help answer the letters we receive from prisoners and to send them books.

We humbly accept donations of spiritual books in good condition to give to prisoners, monetary donations to buy books, pay for postage and help us print Bound to be Free. Please make all checks payable to Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville with “Prison Project” in the note line.

We welcome volunteers to help us with any of our projects.

If you are interested in assisting us in any way, please contact Rev. Lakshmi Barsel via email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , by phone (434) 969-3121 ext. 116, or write to:

Rev. Lakshmi Barsel
Satchidananda Ashram-Yogaville
108 Yogaville Way
Buckingham, VA 23921

Thank you and Blessings to one and all

Reverend Lakshmi Barsel

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