The High Five Initiative is Yogamatters’ unique community scheme, introduced at the beginning of 2017 to support and encourage a range of great projects which are all transforming lives, renewing hope and working for a better future, both here in the UK and around the world. Yogamatters has already welcomed Edinburgh Community Yoga Outreach, Ashok Tree Foundation and the UK mental health charity, Mind, to the High Five Initiative and we’re now delighted to announce the newest addition to the scheme, Brighton Yoga Foundation.
Here at Yogamatters, we believe in:
• demonstrating compassion for people and planet
• the transformative power of yoga for everyone
• a global community, where every individual is valued, respected, cared for and interconnected
• adopting an attitude of gratitude
• the power of stories to inspire, challenge, inform and uplift
And Brighton Yoga Foundation shares these values in its aim to actively make yoga accessible to all across the city of Brighton & Hove. Brighton Yoga Foundation is building a strong and mutually supportive yoga community to reach out with compassion through the transformative power of yoga. The foundation is grateful for the history of yoga and current influence of yoga in the city and wants to make this known through the power of story.
Brighton Yoga Foundation grew out of Brighton Yoga Festival, which is the largest free yoga festival in the UK. This year’s festival takes place over two days at Sussex Cricket Ground, Hove, on 8-9 July. Sponsored by Yogamatters, the Brighton Yoga Festival aims to provide the perfect introduction to those who have never tried yoga for themselves before and also to allow those who already practise yoga to experience new styles of yoga. There’s always a great community feel, all these people coming together, united by yoga. ‘For the love of yoga’ – that’s the message of the festival. All for the love of yoga.
We are delighted at how the Festival has grown since its first year in 2014. We always wanted the Festival to be free entry to encourage people who have never tried yoga before. The yoga community knows the wonderful benefits of yoga, but those who would benefit the most don’t, and we want to reach them. Davy Jones
Davy Jones and the other members of the organising committee – Camille Pierson, Anika Grimm, David Carry, Ginny Nash and Emma Newlyn – have been working tirelessly to make this event a success. But this year, BYF will be so much more than a one-off event. This year, BYF is not just a fabulous festival, it’s a foundation that will be working all year round to make yoga accessible to all in Brighton. Brighton is in the unique position of being the largest yoga community in the UK outside of London and yet there are many for whom yoga has not yet been made available. There’s some great outreach going on in the city already: there’s Cat Duval offering Yoga for Homeless Young People at The Clocktower Sanctuary and teachers from Brighton Natural Health Centre run an Outreach Project for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, for example. But Davy Jones and his team from Brighton Yoga Foundation have a vision for yoga to reach out more extensively into communities across Brighton and Hove. They’ve already made a strong link with Brighton & Hove Council and are delighted to have been invited to take part in the city’s ‘Take Part Festival – celebrating active lifestyles for all’, by participating in the launch event on Saturday 17 June and then during the next fortnight, by encouraging people to “Take Part” in yoga classes – maybe for the first time – and to experience the many benefits yoga can bring for physical & mental well-being.
Sevanti from Unity Yoga will be taking yoga into schools during this fortnight and is excited by the opportunity that this brings to spread awareness of yoga. And she can’t wait for the Brighton Yoga Festival!
Unity is passionate about yoga being accessible to all, to enhance our physical, emotional and mental health and to help us feel more connected and supported. I am so happy to be a part of the Brighton Yoga Festival each year as it shares our ethos and helps so many people try out various styles and disciplines for free.
We shall have a Unity area and a stand and I’m also setting up the Children’s area again, to ensure that yoga can reach the youngest of our community.
Brighton is a vibrant and friendly City, we enjoyed welcoming many people through our doors yesterday for our Open Day, which was also a part of the Brighton Yoga Festival trail. Sevanti
Brighton Yoga Foundation is also organising a monthly yoga teachers’ forum in conjunction with Brighton Natural Health Centre, to bring teachers together to learn together and support and encourage each other. ‘Together, we are stronger’ is the phrase that springs to mind. The foundation is also looking to create an online directory of yoga studios and teachers in the city and to support local teachers and studios in reaching out into their local communities. One way in which the High Five Initiative is supporting this venture is by providing 250 Yogamatters yoga mats to be used at the festival, but then also to be used as a resource for local teachers to borrow for community classes throughout the year with just a small charge to cover keeping the mats clean.
Yogamatters is looking forward to this journey with Brighton Yoga Foundation. The High Five Initiative will support and encourage this venture and will let you all know about the exciting events and developments throughout the whole year.
The Foundation is thrilled that Yogamatters has agreed to us being part of their High Five Initiative. We hope that the Foundation will go from strength to strength with their support and that of our other partners. Davy Jones
If you live in the vicinity of Brighton, then do get yourself along to the Brighton Yoga Festival. Visit the Brighton Yoga Foundation Facebook page to find out more about the festival and the ongoing work of the Foundation.
Yoga matters. That’s why we’re all doing what we’re doing.
For the love of yoga.
[…] Yogamatters is delighted to be supporting the Brighton Yoga Festival as the main festival sponsor for 2017. Yogamatters has also donated 250 yoga mats for use at the festival and beyond. These mats will be available to yoga teachers across the city for community yoga events all year round. Yogamatters will be continuing to support the Brighton Yoga Foundation as part of its High Five Initiative. You can read more about that here. […]
[…] its support of Brighton Yoga Foundation as part of its High Five Initiative. Have a look at The High Five Initiative Welcomes Brighton Yoga Foundation to find out […]