I’m so excited to bring to you the second phase of my ‘Keeping it Real’ campaign – ‘Real Yoga, Real Stories’. In this blog post, I’ll tell you a little bit more about what you can expect to see over the next few months.
What is the Keeping it Real campaign?
First, a recap. Some of you may remember that I initially launched my Keeping it Real campaign last year. I really wanted to bust myths sometimes associated with the practice of yoga and show that yoga really is for everybody and every type of body. I also wanted to champion the benefits and impact of yoga on mental health and wellbeing – a topic that’s really close to my heart.
There were lots of campaign successes in this first phase but perhaps the biggest was that over 50 completely new students joined my classes and gave yoga a go. This got me thinking…
What is ‘Real Yoga, Real Stories’?
For the second phase of Keeping it Real, I thought it was important to show real members of our community giving yoga a go. I reached out to people from across Calderdale who don’t usually practice yoga and asked if they’d be open to trying a class with me and sharing their stories. I’m absolutely delighted to say that six fantastic people stepped forward and I now have six fantastic videos to share with you.
My hope is that by sharing the experiences of real people in our community, I can help more people feel comfortable enough to give yoga a go and experience its many benefits. There are definite themes that run through all the videos – but they are also very different. I really love this as it showcases beautifully that yoga really does have something for everybody!
A great big thank you to our yoga champions for their willingness to give yoga a try and for their honest and open reflections. I’m sure their stories will resonate with many of you and hopefully encourage more people to dip their toe into the yoga waters.
Why are you launching ‘Real Yoga, Real Stories’ now?
This campaign has been many months in the making so you might be wondering why I’m launching it today… Well, Monday 15 January is Blue Monday which is said to be the saddest day of the year.
Whether you believe in the idea of Blue Monday or not, we know that lots of people find this time of year particularly difficult. The cold weather, long nights and a variety of other factors make it harder than usual to prioritise our mental wellbeing. As you’ll see in a number of the case study videos, yoga can really help us to manage those fluctuations in our mental health, so launching our series of case studies on a day that many struggle with felt right.
That being said, mental health matters on every day of the year, not just Blue Monday. This campaign is also a reminder that the yoga door is always open to you – no matter the time of year and regardless of your age, body type or ability. Real yoga is for everybody, as and when you need it.
What can I expect from the campaign?
If you’d like a little taster of what’s to come in the videos, take a look at this teaser:
You can also hear me sharing a little more about the campaign in this video.
I’ll be releasing the full set of ‘Real Yoga, Real Stories’ videos one-by-one over the next couple of months so do keep your eyes peeled for those. There’s some great stuff to come! I’ll also be sharing a video alongside each case study video with some of the things that really stood out to me from each person’s story.
What’s next?
What’s been particularly lovely about the Keeping it Real campaign is that it’s already turned into something really special in our community. Charities, groups and individuals in Calderdale have already reached out to give yoga a try. I’m so hopeful that these ‘Real Yoga, Real Stories’ videos will encourage even more people to do so.
If you’re reading this and would like to know more about how join our growing yoga community, please do get in touch. If you’d like to book a class with me, you can do this on my booking page. You are always very welcome.
Much love,
Adele x
