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Some fascinating research is concluding that Yoga does reduce violence and criminal acts of young men by challenging their "identity constructions" and replacing that identity with positive components. The research is being done by Professor Ross Deuchar is director of the Interdisciplinary Research Unit on Crime, Policing and Social Justice within the University of the West of Scotland, and author of the new book, Gangs and Spirituality: Global Perspectives
Over the past two years, Deuchar has conducted in-depth interviews with Danish men with a history of violent offending and who had recent experience of participating in two Yoga programs, Breathe Smart and Prison Smart.
He notes that Scotland and Denmark have comparable population sizes, but very different violent offending rates with Denmak reporting much lower rates of violent crime than Scotland. The difference between the two countries is Yoga. Though skeptical about doing yoga asana and pranayama (breath work) due to perceived feminization, male prison inmates agreed to participate. Deuchar found:
"Longer-term participants in the programmes now associated masculinity with domestic and family roles, instead of physicality, aggression and violence. As one ex-offender reflected, 'I realise now that being macho doesn’t necessarily involve hitting people or walking around with a knife ... it means taking care of your family.' Another told me how he had come to appreciate that he hadn’t been born ' a ‘tough guy’ but as a creature who was 'full of love and creativity”. Through engaging in breathing and meditation practices, he now felt that this propensity towards love and compassion was coming to the fore again."
(read more: www.thescotsman.com)
Over the past two years, Deuchar has conducted in-depth interviews with Danish men with a history of violent offending and who had recent experience of participating in two Yoga programs, Breathe Smart and Prison Smart.
He notes that Scotland and Denmark have comparable population sizes, but very different violent offending rates with Denmak reporting much lower rates of violent crime than Scotland. The difference between the two countries is Yoga. Though skeptical about doing yoga asana and pranayama (breath work) due to perceived feminization, male prison inmates agreed to participate. Deuchar found:
"Longer-term participants in the programmes now associated masculinity with domestic and family roles, instead of physicality, aggression and violence. As one ex-offender reflected, 'I realise now that being macho doesn’t necessarily involve hitting people or walking around with a knife ... it means taking care of your family.' Another told me how he had come to appreciate that he hadn’t been born ' a ‘tough guy’ but as a creature who was 'full of love and creativity”. Through engaging in breathing and meditation practices, he now felt that this propensity towards love and compassion was coming to the fore again."
(read more: www.thescotsman.com)
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