Since it was formed in 2009, the Yoga Education in Prisons Trust has been working to introduce New Zealand's inmates to yoga and meditation.
According to the trust, yoga could help prisoners manage their stress, improve coping strategies and regulate behaviour.
The benefits of yoga are backed up by international research, which show reduction in destructive and violent behaviour by inmates.
Ms Haydon hoped fundraising would help extend the trust's work through New Zealand prisons..
''For me, yoga is a way of life and I can't work out how people get through the ups and downs and traumas of life without it,'' she said.
Yoga had a reputation for being a difficult workout but Ms Haydon said there were many different types and there was something to suit everyone.
Her school of yoga, taught by Swami Satyananda, was more focused on what was going on inside a person, she said.
While Ms Haydon had not worked in prisons before, her work had put her in touch with some vulnerable people.
It could be difficult to get people interested and develop trust but once a few people were on board they would promote the programme to their mates through word of mouth.
A lot of yoga involved having the eyes closed and this could be difficult for inmates to grasp. The Yoga Education in Prisons Trust will be holding a fundraising film night showcasing the benefits of yoga in prisons at the MacAndrew Bay School Library at 7pm on Saturday, June 1. Koha of $15 recommended.
- by Jonathan Chilton-Towle
