Community Yoga in Dewsbury Moor
Umbrella Yoga is a non-profit organisation that provides accessible yoga sessions in the heart of Kirklees communities. Their mission is to improve people’s mental and physical wellbeing, and to empower participants to improve their own health and social outcomes by accessing inclusive yoga sessions.
The Dewsbury Moor fund made it possible for Umbrella Yoga to deliver 100 yoga sessions at the Westborough Methodist Church for one year. The CIC and its network of volunteers and partner organisations worked hard to reach those people who would benefit the most – those struggling with mental and physical health, lacking financial independence, often experiencing isolation. Many participants had caring responsibilities – some attending with the people they cared for (e.g., a mother with her adult son with Learning Disabilities, a woman with her parent with dementia). In total, 78 unique individuals attended, with most attending multiple sessions. People represented a range of ethnic, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and ranged in age from 22 to 88 years.
What was the impact?
Consistency over a longer period is crucial for yoga. It has a unique ability to improve people’s mental and physical wellness and to prevent health deterioration – but to achieve that, a yogi (yes – that’s what a person who practices yoga is called!) needs to be able to show up to their practice regularly – at least once a week (more if possible!). This funding from One Community made that possible. Instead of offering a short-term program and just giving our participants a taster of what yoga could do for them, we were able to provide those sessions across a whole year.
The physical benefits were noted by many of our participants, especially the older adults (who had the option to use a chair to practice their yoga from). We asked people (in an anonymous survey) what they had experienced since joining the yoga group:
“More active, hip pain gone”
“Breathing exercises when stressed, to help sleep. My body moves better. Can try to do positions at home to help my back pain.”
“Fitter. Sleep better. Positive after each session”
Friendships, trust, community cohesion: A major part of the project was to host ‘Tea & Chat’ sessions after a yoga session, once every 2-3 months. Our participants valued these sessions immensely – it gave them a chance to spend time together in an unrushed and non-judgemental environment. A profound benefit of an accessible yoga class is that it provides a safe space for people to connect without the need for talking, and with no expectations. At Umbrella Yoga we see this time and time again – people in our groups simply relax with one another and feel comfortable being themselves, which paves the way for powerful support networks and friendships to develop. These emerge across age groups, ethnicities, disabilities and languages. It’s a part of our programme that we enable – but we do not control. It is our participants, our volunteers, and our community as a whole that creates these special and empowering bonds. Some feedback demonstrates this beautifully:
“Enjoyed making positive connections and friends. Mood is much better”
“I am a full time carer so coming to yoga gives me chance to have some time for myself to connect with my body and to meet up with people who have now become friends”
“Happier, emotionally supported at difficult times, more flexible physically, better posture, learned breathing exercises, more relaxed”
“Health and mental well being has improved greatly. Brought more positivity into my life and helped me cope with the bad things life can throw at you. Made new friends, learnt new skills (still working on balance though!), and gained inspiration 🙏”
What’s Next?
We will continue one yoga session per week in the Dewsbury Moor area. We plan to continue making these sessions free at-point-of-service to ensure they are accessible to all. To cover costs, we host fundraisers, we accept donations from those able to contribute, and we also provide much-needed Workplace Wellbeing Yoga to companies across West Yorkshire. This initiative serves to address the mental health crisis in the workplace, and the pay-it-forward model enables us to continue delivering community and additional needs yoga to people who need it.
Umbrella Yoga continues to work tirelessly across Kirklees, delivering around 100 yoga sessions every month in community spaces and with specific organisations and demographics (e.g., adults with learning disabilities, people affected by dementia). To find out more about the organisation head to the website. If you or a company you know are interested in the Workplace Wellbeing Yoga sessions, please get in touch with ellie@umbrellayoga.co.uk.
Written by Ellie Firth. Founder of Umbrella Yoga CIC.