Laura joined me for a yoga session as part of ‘Keeping it Real’ – a campaign to bust myths sometimes associated with the practice of yoga. In this blog post, I share more about Laura’s story.
Who is Laura?
The lovely Laura is Head of Income Generation at Happy Days, a charity that provides support to people who are homeless or in crisis.
I had the pleasure of visiting Laura in her place of work in late 2023, and it was clear straightaway the tremendous work that Laura and her team do for our community. The workplace is busy, and the nature of the work means that it can take its toll emotionally. As Laura says: “It’s very busy here and we see a lot of people that are having tough days and that are in really tricky situations. It’s difficult not to take that home.”
As well as having a demanding job, Laura is also a mum with a busy homelife. She wears lots of different hats and does so much for others – something which I’m sure a lot of us can relate to!
How did yoga help Laura?
Laura had tried yoga before but was used to a faster-paced yoga than I typically teach in my classes. I was really excited for Laura to try a practice with me as I felt that slowing down and focusing more on breath and gentle movement would help Laura to relax after a hard day at work.
Laura’s story really does show us the importance of self-care. By looking after herself and prioritising her own wellbeing at a yoga session, Laura was able to better manage stress which, in turn, made her more able to meet the demands of her busy job and homelife.
Laura said: “I came away feeling like a weight had been lifted”. She also experienced other benefits such as a better night’s sleep and a continued feeling of relaxation the next day.
What’s next for Laura?
Laura is already sharing some of the tools and techniques from the yoga session with colleagues and residents at Happy Days which is fantastic news. Laura also plans to come to more yoga sessions in the future. As she says: “The only thing that stops me from attending those yoga sessions is my busy life – so I just need to overcome that, prioritise myself and get myself there!”
To watch Laura’s story, take a look at the video below.
If you’re interested in trying a yoga session with me, you can find out more about my yoga classes here.
