“I can safely say if it wasn’t for those classes during last winter I would be sure to be a mental patient by now. Your efforts are greatly appreciated, hope that many others can benefit as much as I did. When God cannot come he sends help.”
– Participant feedback, Liverpool, 2021
We are delighted to be back to face-to-face teaching. While we continued offering refugee yoga classes throughout the Covid-19 lockdowns of the last year and a half, we have been painfully aware that our ability to reach the people who most need yoga for their mental health and wellbeing has been curtailed. This has been due both to lack of devices and data, as well as an intangible something that gets lost over a zoom call. Face-to-face classes have restarted in Liverpool, and we hope to launch new classes soon in Northumberland and London.
Do you know of a refugee or asylum seeker group in the UK that would benefit from simple, gentle yoga classes to promote their mental and emotional wellbeing?
We have been offering free yoga classes to UK-based refugees since the beginning of 2016. Our classes focus on gentle relaxation and restorative practices that are accessible to participants of all ages and levels. To meet the widespread need, our project is also training additional yoga teachers in the the therapeutic use of yoga to alleviate suffering and release trauma. Our weekend workshops are expected to resume in 2022.
If you know of a group that would benefit from a free refugee yoga class in your local area, please write to Tools for Inner Peace with details of the group you would like to work with. We can cover a teaching stipend for a teacher if there is one available in the local area, possible venue hire costs, as well as a small amount to allow for the purchase of yoga mats.
Please help us reach greater numbers of refugees in need!
“Yoga is my medicine. I would rather go to yoga than take even one paracetamol.”
– Participant feedback, Liverpool, 2019