Prison Mindfulness

Ep. 36 Survival to Transformation with the Enneagram

Join us as we meet Alex Senegal, an Enneagram Nine who shares how the Enneagram supported his journey from survival to transformation—and how he now uses it to guide and uplift others.   Alex Senegal is a program manager at the Destiny Reentry Center in San Jose, California, and a dedicated leader in reentry, recovery, and personal transformation. After spending 26 years in and out of the California correctional system, he encountered the Enneagram in 2014—an experience he describes as “introducing Alex to Alex.” Today, he is an ordained minister, a certified drug and alcohol counselor, a court liaison, a mental health specialist, and an Ambassador and Board Member for the Enneagram Prison Project [https://www.enneagramprisonproject.org/]. A father and grandfather, Alex is committed to advocating for those on the margins and to fostering understanding, healing, and a more just and equitable world.  Alex is interviewed by PMI team member Nomali Perera, MA, PCC, who has been in the field of leadership development coaching, facilitation, and teaching since 2007. Nomali is a trained facilitator of the Immunity to Change™ process, a Master Coach at Life XT, and a certified Integral Master Coach through Integral Coaching Canada. Nomali has also been a professional consultant in people development and training in Brazil and Mexico.

Ep. 34 Dharma Behind Bars: 35 Years of Buddhist Prison Outreach

Episode Highlights: 35 Years of Prison Dharma – Gary Allen shares his decades-long experience bringing Buddhist teachings to incarcerated individuals. •Correspondence-Based Dharma – The power of personal letters and structured courses in reaching prisoners. •Anger & Patience – Why teachings from Shantideva on patience and anger are essential in prison. •Challenges of Prison Work – From administrative hurdles to the evolving perception of Buddhism behind bars. •Long-Term Impact – How Dharma transforms lives in prison, creating lasting change even beyond release. Gary Allen shares his decades-long experience bringing Buddhist teachings to incarcerated around the United States, Canada, and South Korea. He is the Co-Executive Director of the Mindfulness Peace Project, which provides programming for prison inmates and veterans. He’s authored secular mindfulness books for inmates (Discovering Sanity) and for veterans (Warrior’s Heart). He has two degrees in Writing and Poetics from Naropa University and has published five books of poetry, most recently Transmigration Suite from Antarabhava Press. He’s been working for the past 20 years on a four-volume book on Indian tantric master Tilopa and the origination and practice of Vajrayana.

Ep. 33 Building a Culture of Awakening in Prisons with Susan Shannon

In this episode, Susan Shannon, a seasoned Buddhist practitioner, and chaplain, shares her journey of transformative prison ministry, including her work as a Buddhist chaplain on death row at San Quentin. She discusses her adaptable teaching approach, focusing on universal Buddhist principles like the Four Noble Truths and dependent arising, which foster deep transformation among incarcerated individuals. Susan highlights the importance of inner work, understanding prison culture, and practicing humility as a facilitator. She advises aspiring volunteers, encouraging self-reflection, restorative justice work, and exploring alternative ways to serve.

Ep. 32 Self Compassion & Mindfulness with Chris Germer.

From the Teaching Mindfulness Summit April 24.  * Meditation, mindfulness, and self-compassion. * Mindfulness and self-compassion teaching methods. * Trust, intuition, and teaching wisdom. Christopher Germer, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and lecturer on psychiatry (part-time) at Harvard Medical School. He co-developed the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program with Kristin Neff in 2010 and they wrote two books, The Mindful Self-Compassion Workbook and Teaching the Mindful Self-Compassion Program. MSC has been taught to over 250,000 people worldwide Dr. Germer is also the author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion and he co-edited two influential volumes on therapy, Mindfulness and Psychotherapy, and Wisdom and Compassion in Psychotherapy. Dr. Germer lectures and leads workshops internationally and he has a small psychotherapy practice in Massachusetts, USA. His website is www.chrisgermer.com [http://www.chrisgermer.com/]

Ep.31 Embodying Trauma-Conscious Facilitation with Chia-Ti Chiu

In this episode, Chia-Ti Chiu talks with Vita Pires about her work with Lineage Project.  * Embodying a trauma-conscious and resilience-based methodology * Unpacking privilege, biases, and blind spots * The evolution of the Lineage Project CHIA-TI CHIU (she/her) Chia-Ti has been working with the Lineage Project since 2009. As a senior teacher, she shares embodied awareness practices with youth in detention centers, alternate-to-incarceration programs, and public high schools. Chia-Ti leads trainings and professional development workshops, which promotes mindfulness through a trauma-conscious, social justice, and resilience-building lens. She also develops curriculum and mentors new teachers. Outside of her work with Lineage, Chia-Ti leads international yoga retreats and provides wellness justice consulting through her business onelovewellness. She is on faculty with the Garrison Institute's Contemplative-Based Resilience Project, which supports the sustainability of humanitarian aid workers, social service providers, and Congressional staffers. She believes in making wellness accessible, affordable, and relevant for all. To Learn More About the Prison Mindfulness Institute, please visit www.prisonmindfulness.org [http://www.prisonmindfulness.org/]