Prison is often one of those places we dare not tread, not even in our minds. Journalist Tom Wicker said of prison life: “It discloses the nasty, brutish details of the life within – a life the authorities would rather we not know about, a life so far from conventional existence that the accounts of those who experience it exert the fascination of the unknown, sometimes the unbelievable.”
You probably don’t know this about me, but I started my career in politics. And one of my earliest positions was that of aide to the chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Corrections in Michigan. So I experienced prison life not through reading a book, but on a first hand basis. Nothing can really ever prepare you for it. My first visit resulted in me becoming violently ill for hours afterward, breaking down into sobs. Needless to say, it was a harrowing ordeal for me, but what about them?
And I wondered, “If the prisoners ever get out, how do they return to normal life? How do they come back from all of this?”
This question, and others like it that I’ve posed since my prison visit many years ago, is probably one of the reasons why I was attracted to Living Yoga in the first place. This nonprofit, who I’m proud to say is a member of Simple Development Systems, is engaged in healing the lives of people who’ve experienced trauma through the transformative power of yoga. The people they’ve helped include those suffering from addiction addiction, poverty, mental and behavioral challenges, war, assault, and, yes, prison life.
I recently received a beautiful thank you card from them and just had to share it with you. It’s reinforced my belief that becoming a monthly donor in 2014 was the right decision for me.
Living Yoga’s mission is unique and complex, and yet from the moment I opened the card, I became aware of their real mission: bring it all back to love. We can all relate to love on some level, because love is so very much intrinsic to humanity. And the quote straight from one of their yoga teachers fits perfectly.
Inside the card is a quote from one of the people they’ve helped, Becca, and through her testimony, she provided me with further insight on how yoga’s transformative power can impact fractured lives. Words accompanied by a picture of a person always amplifies the power of the words. A photo helps to bring a voice to life and makes it all the more authentic.
The heartfelt message inside the card made me happy that I was able to help Living Yoga bring love to those who need it in their own amazing, life-changing way. The handwritten note and signature from Michael Faith, their executive director, is a special touch. I’ll keep on donating not only because I strongly support Living Yoga’s mission, but because they communicate their gratitude to me regularly, through direct mail pieces that make me feel grateful and enthusiastic about giving to them. Click the image to download the card.
How are you letting your monthly donors know what a difference they’re making?
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I can’t wait to meet with you personally.
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