Tash joined me for a yoga class as part of my Keeping it Real campaign to break down barriers and encourage more people to give yoga a go. In this blog post, I share Tash’s story.
Who is Tash?
Tash is a brand specialist and graphic designer based in Todmorden. They work with small businesses and independents to bring their business to life visually. In Tash’s line of work, they spend a lot of time at a desk and working from home. I was really excited for them to come to a yoga session to bust them out of their usual routine and get their body moving!
In Tash’s story, they are so open and honest about some of the worries they had ahead of trying a session. But credit to Tash, they trusted in the process and gave it a go! I met with Tash before the class to talk through some of the anxieties they had. These were largely related to health concerns, but we also talked more generally about what Tash could expect from the practice. These conversations helped Tash to settle into the class more quickly. It also meant they could start to absorb all those lovely yoga benefits straight off the bat.
How did yoga help Tash?
I’m genuinely blown away by Tash’s articulation of the benefits they experienced from a yoga session. They’ve touched on so many important aspects of yoga from physical health benefits to emotional and mental wellbeing.
Modifications are something I always offer in class. You’ll often hear me invite my students to move into a position or pose, quickly followed by an alternative. This could be for those with limited mobility or who don’t want as deep a stretch for example. Speaking about this, Tash says: “Getting to see how different people took such different approaches to the same parts of the sessions really helped to create an environment of acceptance.”
As a non-binary person, Tash shares how they’ve often put off going to group activities as they weren’t sure they’d be welcomed. I’m so pleased that Tash found my class to be a safe space. Words that stood out to me in Tash’s description of the session were community, familiar, comfortable and welcoming. It’s so important to me that my sessions are inclusive and for everybody. I’m absolutely delighted that this was Tash’s experience.
Tash says: “You feel very safe and secure in the space that Adele creates. You also very much trust in the community that she’s created around her. I immediately felt welcomed by everybody.” To my wonderful community who help to create such a warm and supportive environment, a heartfelt thank you. You are such an important part of what makes my sessions so special.
What’s next for Tash?
First and foremost, I want to say thank you to Tash. It’s not always easy to open up and be vulnerable – especially on camera – but I feel so passionately that Tash’s video will help others out there that might be nervous about trying a yoga practice. Thank you, Tash, for sharing your story.
The key message I want people to take away from Tash’s story is that you will always be welcome at my classes, and you will always be accepted – just as you are. If you have any questions or concerns ahead of a class, you are welcome to get in touch with me to talk these through. I’ve also added an FAQs section to my website which covers off most of the things I get asked day-to-day.
