Tihar starts yoga teachers training course for jail inmates

The Tihar authorities on Wednesday launched a yoga teachers training course for inmates in an effort towards their rehabilitation after release. The course was launched with 200-odd inmates selected from all the jails of the prison complex, beginning their training under the guidance of 20 trainers of NGO Panchvati Yoga Ashram and Nature Cure Centre.

“This is the first-of-its-kind initiative started in any jail in the country to train inmates as qualified yoga teachers,” Director General (Prison) Alok Kumar Verma said, unveiling syllabus and curriculum of the course designed by Panchvati Yoga Ashram.

On successful completion of the course, the trainee inmates will be provided certificate as yoga trainer which will help them find a suitable employment after their release, said Additional IG (Prison) and Tihar spokesman Mukesh Prasad.

Tihar had created a record of sorts when over 10,000 of its inmates had participated in a mega yoga session organised on the occasion of World Yoga Day on June 21.

“The yoga revolution started at Tihar is going to be a life changing event for a number of inmates,” said yoga guru Ashutosh Kumar of Panchvati Yoga Ashram.