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Cathy: Passionate, curious, evolving

Marshall: Energetic, enthusiastic, empathetic

Natalie: Curious, resilient, giving

2. What’s your favorite yoga pose?

Cathy:  Pigeon, all variations.

Marshall: Vrksasana (Tree Pose). This pose is very powerful for me and continues to be the perfect reminder to maintain balance in my life and stay firmly connected to my core values.

Natalie: Balasana!
3. What are your goals for the new year?

Marshall: One of my goals for the year involves yoga. Go figure. I plan on increasing my knowledge of yoga fundamentals over the next year and using this foundation to begin expanding my practice to experience various forms and styles.

Natalie: One of my goals for 2012 is to celebrate my successes rather than mourn my failures.

Cathy: I find it much more effective to take on a path of practice rather then set a goal. The path I have chosen this year is to continually examine my own consciousness and refine the distinction between when I am integrating important feedback and when I am desiring to be validated from outside myself.

4. Why do you work with Yoga Behind Bars?

Cathy: It took me a long time to learn to do yoga for myself without a teacher. Now I understand that how consciousness resides in the body must be addressed before any kind of transformation is possible. As an art and science, the value of yoga is beyond anything that is currently being offered in most of the culture.

Marshall: I work with Yoga Behind Bars because I believe that yoga practice in a prison environment is an excellent way for inmates to improve their quality of life, work toward bettering themselves and to cultivate peace amidst a culture of violence. I also know that inmates are not allowed to do yoga classes on their own and without the willingness of our great volunteers and supporters, this opportunity for positive change will be lost.

Natalie: Three reasons: to affect positive change in the justice system in a very ethereal and non-violent way, to work with wonderfully gracious people who devote so much of their time to help others, and lastly, for every ounce of effort I offer the cause, I get threefold the fulfillment – it’s very much a reciprocal relationship.

Includes class footage, student interviews, and a message from Director Natalie Smith.

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