Yoga and Meditation
This page provides information around yoga and meditation, and how this can help your mental health.
Amy’s Online Yoga Club
Amy’s Online Yoga Club is a home practice yoga and mindfulness club with real faces, daily classes and real community. If you’ve ever found it difficult to access a yoga class or stick to your practice once you have, then you’ve found your home here. It’s not just yoga classes – it’s support, community and friendship.
The focus is on simply showing up, however you’re feeling that day, and feeling calmer and at peace because of it. Beginners and long-term yogis, mobile and less mobile alike – everyone has a place in this club. For every person that buys an online membership to Amy’s Online Yoga Club, Amy donates a free membership to someone who uses Oxfordshire Mind’s services. With a specialism in yoga for mental health, Amy’s teaching takes a somatic, trauma-informed approach as standard, so you will be safe, supported and at home whatever your past.
Each membership will give you access to:
- Unlimited online classes
- Access to a library of past classes
- A welcoming online community for support, motivation and friendship
To access a free membership to Amy’s Yoga Club, please email physicalactivity@oxfordshiremind.org.uk. This offer is open to anyone in Oxfordshire who is experiencing difficulties with their mental health. All the classes are delivered via Zoom, or Facebook Live, so you will need access to the internet to take part in this offer.
Yoga classes at Oxfordshire Mind
At Oxfordshire Mind, we offer weekly Yoga classes in Oxford, Abingdon, Banbury and Witney. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, our yoga classes are currently on hold for the moment. We hope to resume as soon as safely possible. In the meantime, please see Amy’s Online Yoga Club, or our Yoga Videos, for alternative options.
Yoga videos
Many people find that Yoga can be a wonderful way to become more active, and support their mental health. Yoga can help us to concentrate on our breathing, and focus on the present moment.
Yoga involves practices designed to increase self-awareness, such as posture work, breathing exercises, meditation, sounds and visualisation.
There are many different types of yoga, such as Hatha (moving through postures to create balance), Bikram (done in a hot room) and Iyengar (using blocks and straps to support yoga moves).
Many studies suggest that yoga can be helpful in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety.
It’s a good idea to do at least a few classes with a professional instructor (in group or individually) before trying it by yourself, because doing the poses incorrectly can cause injuries.
But once you feel safe and confident, there are many books, DVDs and free online resources available to guide you on more cheaply.
In conjunction with Everybody Studio in Oxford, we have made some videos, that you can use when you want to practice Yoga.
Every Body Studio is a body positive and supportive yoga and movement studio. Yoga studios and other wellness settings can often feel intimidating, Everybody Studio is devoted to making a different kind of space – virtually and in-person – that is rooted in inclusion, which embraces and encourages diverse practices, bodies and people.
Every Body studio are offering in person yoga classes in Oxford City Centre – these can be accessed via an Oxfordshire Mind options session.
Meditation
There are various different schools of meditation, but all aim to quieten your mind and put you into a state of calm, stillness and rest. Some types of meditation may also involve mindfulness.
While the evidence is mixed as to whether meditation is effective at treating mental health problems, many people do find it a helpful way of relaxing and managing feelings of stress and anxiety.
There are many DVDs, apps, and free online videos that can teach you meditation exercises.
With thanks to Everybody Studio and Najia Bagi, we wanted to share this guided meditation that you can use to help steady and ground yourself.
Every Body Studio is a body positive and supportive yoga and movement studio. Yoga studios and other wellness settings can often feel intimidating, but Everybody Studio is devoted to making a different kind of space – virtually and in-person – that is rooted in inclusion, which embraces and encourages diverse practices, bodies and people. To find out more about Everybody Studio please visit https://www.everybodystudio.co.uk/.
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