Australia's National
Prison Newspaper

Australia's National
Prison Newspaper

Welcome to About Time

About Time is the national newspaper for Australian prisons and detention facilities

Your browser window currently does not have enough height, or is zoomed in too far to view our website content correctly. Once the window reaches the minimum required height or zoom percentage, the content will display automatically.

Alternatively, you can learn more via the links below.

Donations via GiveNow

Email

Instagram

LinkedIn

ISSUE NO. 9

April 2025

Donate Here

Health

Anti Anxiety Yoga

The Prison Phoenix Trust is a UK based charity providing prisoners with yoga and meditation classes, individual mentoring, peer-support and specialist educational resources accessible to a wide range of learning abilities.

Font Size
Font Size
Line Height
Line Height
Dyslexia Friendly
Black & White
Hide Images
Night Mode

All of us have times in our lives when we feel tense, nervous, worried and frightened. We might feel overwhelmed by the thoughts that keep going around in our head or by events in our lives that are facing us. Some of the time we sense an ability to get through troubling times, and that we can come through the anxiety. If you don’t sense that right now, please know that it is true. It is a knowing that can get stronger. The yoga postures and movements shown here won’t necessarily change your external circumstances, but they can help “put you in a headspace” where you can deal smoothly and effectively with what’s happening to you. All of us, you especially, have intelligence and vision to see the way through times of internal trouble. The key is in the breath, so do these postures slowly and concentrate on your breathing the whole time. Give it a good try and I guarantee you will feel better!

Position 1: Neutral sit

Sit on the floor or your bed, with your legs crossed like this. If that’s uncomfortable, sit upright on a chair. Breathe through the nose if you can and focus on the feeling of the breath in your nose. Make the breaths deep, slow, and all the same length as each other. Do this for 20 breaths.

Position 2: Forward bend

Bend over and hang like this, with your hands holding the opposite elbow. Nod your head a few times and relax your neck as much as you can. Do this for 5 slow breaths. If you’ve had any back trouble recently, bend your knees a little bit.

Position 3: Sphynx

Lie on your front and prop your elbows under your shoulders. Look forward, with your neck tall and strong. Your hips and legs stay connected to the floor. Hold for five slow breaths.

Position 4: Child's pose

Sit on your feet and rest your forehead on the floor. Stay like this for 10 long, slow breaths. If your head doesn’t reach the floor, prop it up with your fists or a pillow. This is a great pose to go into any time when you can’t sleep.

Position 5: Knees to chest

Lie on your back. As you breathe in, let your knees drift away from you slightly, straightening the elbows. As you breathe out, hug them close to your chest. Do this 10 times, slowly with your breathing.

Position 6: Savasana

Now lie on your back, legs and arms out to the side a little, palms face up. Relax fully into the pose, and keep your attention on your breathing. Lie like this for 5 minutes, or longer if you want, just focusing on each breath and letting the body relax as much as it can.

All of us have times in our lives when we feel tense, nervous, worried and frightened. We might feel overwhelmed by the thoughts that keep going around in our head or by events in our lives that are facing us. Some of the time we sense an ability to get through troubling times, and that we can come through the anxiety. If you don’t sense that right now, please know that it is true. It is a knowing that can get stronger. The yoga postures and movements shown here won’t necessarily change your external circumstances, but they can help “put you in a headspace” where you can deal smoothly and effectively with what’s happening to you. All of us, you especially, have intelligence and vision to see the way through times of internal trouble. The key is in the breath, so do these postures slowly and concentrate on your breathing the whole time. Give it a good try and I guarantee you will feel better!

Position 1: Neutral sit

Sit on the floor or your bed, with your legs crossed like this. If that’s uncomfortable, sit upright on a chair. Breathe through the nose if you can and focus on the feeling of the breath in your nose. Make the breaths deep, slow, and all the same length as each other. Do this for 20 breaths.

Position 2: Forward bend

Bend over and hang like this, with your hands holding the opposite elbow. Nod your head a few times and relax your neck as much as you can. Do this for 5 slow breaths. If you’ve had any back trouble recently, bend your knees a little bit.

Position 3: Sphynx

Lie on your front and prop your elbows under your shoulders. Look forward, with your neck tall and strong. Your hips and legs stay connected to the floor. Hold for five slow breaths.

Position 4: Child's pose

Sit on your feet and rest your forehead on the floor. Stay like this for 10 long, slow breaths. If your head doesn’t reach the floor, prop it up with your fists or a pillow. This is a great pose to go into any time when you can’t sleep.

Position 5: Knees to chest

Lie on your back. As you breathe in, let your knees drift away from you slightly, straightening the elbows. As you breathe out, hug them close to your chest. Do this 10 times, slowly with your breathing.

Position 6: Savasana

Now lie on your back, legs and arms out to the side a little, palms face up. Relax fully into the pose, and keep your attention on your breathing. Lie like this for 5 minutes, or longer if you want, just focusing on each breath and letting the body relax as much as it can.

All exercises reprinted with permission from Inside Time.

Leave a Comment

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
0 Comments
Author Name
Comment Time

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere. uis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

The Necessity of Sadness

By Annalise de Groot

It is a common misconception that sadness is ‘weakness’ and that to feel sad somehow undermines one’s ‘toughness.

Health

ISSUE NO. 9

4 MIN READ

Hepatitis C and Harm Reduction

By Australian Injecting & Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL)

The Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL) caught up for a yarn with Esha, a Peer Harm Reduction Coordinator at QuIHN. QuIHN is a service that supports people who use drugs and alcohol in Queensland.

Health

ISSUE NO. 9

6 MIN READ

“But No One Died.” Why We Feel Grief in Response to Life Changes

By Annalise de Groot

Grief does not discriminate as to whether the loss is ‘good’ or ‘bad’ for you; it is about the absence of something you have held close for a long time.

Health

ISSUE NO. 8

6 MIN READ

Recipes From Jail Dinners

By Caitlin

Two delicious recipes from inside.

Health

ISSUE NO. 8

3 MIN READ

Newsletter

Be the first to learn about our monthly stories, plus new initiatives and live events

You've successfully registered!
Something went wrong when we tried to register your details. Please try again.

Support Australia's first national prison newspaper

A place for news and education, expression and hope.

Help us get About Time off the ground. All donations are tax deductible and will be vital in providing an essential resource for people in prison and their loved ones.

It's
About Time.

A place for news and education, expression and hope.

Help us get About Time off the ground. All donations are tax deductible and will be vital in providing an essential resource for people in prison and their loved ones.

Donate Here

Newsletter

Be the first to learn about our monthly stories, plus new initiatives and live events

You've successfully registered!
Something went wrong when we tried to register your details. Please try again.