Spreading the Word and the Long Commute to Rikers Island

Discussion about 'The Light Inside' organization and the importance of sharing their message, along with insights into the challenging commute to Rikers Island.

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Episode notes

In October 2023, Thom Knoles participated in a panel discussion at a fundraiser event for The Light Inside, an organization providing Vedic Meditation courses for inmates in prisons in the United States, with plans to operate internationally.

Other panelists included: Joh Jarvis, a Vedic Meditation Initiator and the founder of The Light Inside; Rev. Dr. Michelle Anne Simmons, founder of Why Not Prosper, an organization that provides support for women after they exit the prison system, and a board member of The Light Inside; and Robert Hammond, also a Vedic Meditation Initiator and a board member of The Light Inside, facilitated the discussion.

This episode is a slightly truncated recording of that event, with a short introduction from Joh Jarvis. As well as reflections on Thom’s own experiences working in prisons, we hear about the impact The Light Inside is having on prisoners and everyone else whose lives they touch.

The Light Inside website: www.the-lightinside.org

Why Not Prosper website: https://www.why-not-prosper.org/

The Compassion Prison Project website: https://compassionprisonproject.org/

Episode Highlights

[00:45] Setting the Context

[03:25] Step Inside the Circle

[04:52] Introductions

[06:12] Collective Responsibility for Change

[08:09] Unlocking Baseline Happiness for World Peace

[09:26] From Incarceration to Inner Peace

[11:06] Starting The Light Inside

[12:35] Teaching in Rikers Island