Where do you turn when things are really hard?
I'll share what I do: I'll take a walk in nature.
I go to the store to get sweet and savory treats.
I go into a shell and get angry and judgmental of myself and life.
I’ll breathe and remind myself that this is just a sensation in my body.
I reach out to people I love, to the people who love me.
I drive around aimlessly, listening to sports podcasts.
I imagine you'll have your options similar to mine. But I'll invite you to a follow-up question:
How about if you’re in a cage?
I honestly can’t imagine how I would deal with it.
Being in a prison cage has several physical detriments to it, having your mobility restricted and such. There are spiritual, emotional, and mental sufferings that impact people for the rest of their lives. Here are some conditions that incarcerated people are subject to on a regular basis.
Constant harassment
Forced Labor
Lack of food and healthcare
Extreme weather conditions due to lack of AC or Heat
Physical and sexual assault
While incarcerated people have each other’s backs inside, their contact with the outside world is minimal at best which exacerbates these issues even more. Incarcerated people have limited visitation (if loved ones can travel that far) and their communications with loved ones are surveilled and extremely costly.
Often, incarcerated people cannot gather on their own unless somebody from the outside comes in to create a gathering for them. This is where you come in.
Solidarity not Saviorism
Prisons try to disappear people. In every community, our loved ones are being subjected to state violence. These are deep souls, artists, fathers, mothers, and on and on. They are fighting for their survival and humanity.
We join them in that fight.
When you support One Love Prison Meditation Project, YOU are making it possible for them to have space away from the guards and chaos to meditate, rest, reflect, and renew.
When you coach with One Love Prison Meditation, you are reaching into the cage to support the people inside, being there for their thoughts and feelings, their dreams, hopes, and goals as a human being.
This makes impact to the people inside.
Be the light in the darkness of oppressive systems.
My request to you is…
Donate to our mission so we can continue our 12 weekly/biweekly gatherings at 5 prisons in Florida and even expand further than that.
You can make a one time donation or recurring monthly donations are a great way to support long term with $3/month or more. Hosting a recurring (weekly/biweekly) meditation class, providing coaching for the people for ONE entire prison costs us $12,000/year. Donations are tax deductible.
2. Go Inside
Are you a musician? A yoga or meditation teacher? An artist? A healer? Share your art, music, meditation, etc. with me to create more gatherings inside. Reach out to me at Tim@onelovepmp.org
3. Are you a Coach?
When you coach someone inside, you are giving them loving support and reflecting their worthiness. Reach out to me to get involved in coaching the people inside at Tim@onelovepmp.org
The people in our meditation gatherings have this to say…
“I believe that meditation practice is one of the most powerful transformative tools one has at one's disposal. For me, meditation is both a way in and a way out - it is a way into centeredness and inner clarity, and it is a way out of ignorance, delusion and suffering.
For me, meditation is freedom. I have been attending our meditation group for two and a half years and what we have cultivated is incredibly beautiful and special to me. It is pure loving kindness and is the closest thing I’ve experienced to being on the outside during my time in prison” -Vince
“Meditation and Poetry saved my life in prison. You’re saving lives.” -Coral