Karma Yoga in Action
Let us introduce you to The Mindful Movement Project; beginning at The Honor Oak Wellness Rooms in April as a monthly charity yoga class to raise awareness of mental health and raise funds for its treatment and research.
We asked Fern Ross, founder of The Mindful Movement Project to tell us a little more about it:
What is it?
A way to raise awareness of mental health conditions and raise funds for their treatment and research. Classes will take place on the first Sunday of each month at The Honor Oak Wellness Rooms and will feature guest teachers each week who will guide you through a nourishing Flow & Restore yoga class to help you unwind and reset for the week ahead. All proceeds will go to local charities working with those suffering from mental health conditions. This is karma yoga in action.
Why?
Two reasons, really. Firstly, mental health problems - specifically anxiety and depression - are something I know all too well. I have suffered from both since my teens (triggered by bullying at school), and yoga - coupled with cognitive behaviour therapy - has been instrumental in my recovery. It awakened a sense of purpose and self-actualisation that last year led me to leave behind a 12-year career in journalism and pursue teaching yoga full time.
Which leads me to my second point: surveys of yoga participants consistently reveal that seeking relief from stress, anxiety and depression are among the main reasons most of us decide to try a yoga class. A 2016 study by Yoga Journal and Yoga Alliance found that people who do yoga are 20% more likely to have a positive image of their own physical and mental health, including a stronger sense of mental clarity. And those who initially try yoga for fitness reasons often find their reasons for practising change as their practice deepens: they commit to the path for reasons such as a sense of community, purpose and self-discovery. The same study found that yoga practitioners are more likely to devote time to others too: 50% reported doing charitable work in their local community.
So what better reason to combine yoga and community work than through karma yoga: yoga of action, yoga of selflessness. All the proceeds from these monthly classes will go to a local charity that works with people suffering from mental health conditions and trauma, supporting those in our community who need it the most.
When?
Flow & Restore will happen at 6pm on the first Sunday of every month, commencing 2 April, in the loft studio at The Honor Oak Wellness Rooms.
Cost?
£12 for a 75minute class. All proceeds go to charity.