Linda Trubridge - Hawkes Bay

Since first encountering yoga in 1970, Linda has continued the practices that harmonize body, mind and spirit. Since then she has trained and taught yoga and art, travelled the world while raising a family, working, building, creating and above all trying to live a yogic life.

While she cannot imagine how her life would have been without the physical, emotional and spiritual support of yoga she has often felt that if she lost her freedom she would still be able to practice yoga and meditation. Of course, Linda admits it’s not that easy and those who find themselves imprisoned are often there because their childhood did not provide them with the stability or skills to manage the freedoms she has enjoyed.

Linda has always intended to teach yoga in the jails in Britain and eventually found herself in the privileged position of having time to take yoga into Hawke’s Bay Regional Prison. During seven rewarding years teaching inside she has found the prisoners exceptionally receptive to yoga; that they recognize and take advantage of this opportunity to turn their lives around.

She would like to see yoga valued as a vital catalyst for change in our penal system and society. Hopefully, these practices will someday be recognized and applied as mainstream classes and until then we will persevere on a voluntary basis.