Community Chair Yoga
We are excited to kick off our 10-week Chair Yoga program with the amazing Mick Gallagher!
Starting on 10th July, join us every Thursday from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM for FREE sessions suitable for all ages and skill levels. This is a great opportunity to improve your well-being while connecting with others in the community.
Book your spot now on our website under the "What's On" tab for community activities. We highly encourage online bookings. If you have any questions, feel free to send us a message on Facebook.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Mick Gallagher: Background and Journey
We are thrilled to highlight Mick Gallagher, a painter and decorator from Glasgow who has launched a yoga school offering free classes to people living in deprived communities. Mick trained to become a teacher to inspire other “working-class” men like him.
Mick shared his journey with STV News:
“I started practising yoga myself, and then I came to the conclusion pretty quickly that there aren’t many working class men teaching yoga. I thought, ‘well, how do you fix that?’ and the answer was by training to be a yoga instructor.
“It is pretty elitist. It is a kind of ‘ladies who lunch’ thing. It has changed a lot over the years but it doesn’t change by itself. Nothing changes by itself.”
Volunteer-run initiatives like these are crucial in areas affected by unemployment, health inequalities, and under-investment. Several participants mentioned how the classes helped them cope with the effects of Parkinson’s disease.
“I didn’t want to come at the start because I didn’t want to see other people with Parkinson’s,” said one of those taking part, Elizabeth. “But I felt it helped me to come and mix with people. And it helped my mental health because when you get diagnosed with Parkinson’s you feel isolated.”
As attendance has grown, so has the sense of community and support.
“People need a sense of purpose, they also need somewhere to go,” said Richard McShane, who runs the Phoenix Centre. “I was dubious about yoga at the start because yoga in Easterhouse isn’t something you can say to people. But the benefits of yoga for people with mental health is amazing. We’re seeing great results.”
