Documentary Explores Meditation in Mexico Prisons Michael Donaldson - NZHerald
go to original October 8, 2016

When Greg Hopkinson walked into one of the most violent prisons in Mexico - a jail where 44 inmates died in a battle between rival drug cartels - the experience was mind-blowing.

"It was just unbelievable - the peace, contentment, and stillness in the place was palpable. Effectively we walked into this massive meditation retreat."

What changed? How did Apodaca prison in Monterrey, Mexico, go from the scene of a violent uprising in 2012 when members of the Zetas drug gang slaughtered rival Gulf cartel inmates to a place of peace and stillness?

It was through a practice known as Ascension meditation.

Today, a quarter of the 2000 prisoners, guards and management in the overcrowded prison regularly practise meditation - and it has transformed life in the prison. Suicides are down 40 per cent; there have been no reports of violence since 2012; solitary confinements are down 50 per cent.

The change is captured in a new film out this month, Choice, which is made by Greg Hopkinson and Sally Lewis, a New Zealand couple who traded life in the fast lane to become meditation-teaching monks.

Choice focuses on how meditation has changed the life of individuals and communities, with the evolution inside Apodaca prison one of the central pillars.

The couple saw first-hand how meditation had changed the lives of not only the prisoners and staff but also their families outside the prison. As one woman says in the film, it's like dropping a pebble in a pool of water and seeing the ripples move out.

Choice is scheduled for public release on 25 October 2016. For screenings see ChoiceTheFilm.com

Read the rest at NZHerald

We invite you to add your charity or supporting organizations' news stories and coming events to PVAngels so we can share them with the world. Do it now!