Yoga for all. That’s what we’re all about, isn’t it?

We all believe that yoga is for everybody. Every body. Regardless of ethnicity, age, shape, size, ability. Regardless of gender and sexual orientation.

We each come to the mat just as we are. Yoga accepts, embraces and celebrates diversity. The Sanskrit for the word ‘yoga’ translates as ‘unity’, remember? Not conformity. Not uniformity. Not exclusivity. Unity. Yoga for all.

That’s why here at Yogamatters, we were delighted to discover that there is to be a yoga event as part of the Pride celebrations in Leeds this summer. Pride events are taking place all over the UK this summer, all over the world in fact, and to see yoga represented at Leeds Pride brought a smile to our faces (if you know of a Pride yoga event taking place near you, then let us know about it and we’ll publicise it for you).

Helena Byles (as seen on Made in Leeds TV) is leading LGBT Yoga for Pride 2017 at her studio in Headingley at 10am on Saturday 5 August 2017. Join her for a special class inclusive to everybody in celebration of Leeds Pride 2017. Inclusive to everybody. Yoga for all.

Check out the studio – We Are Wellness – for directions to this free introduction to the basics of yoga…get strong, flexible and de-stress, all in 60 minutes. Donations (suggestion – £1.50) will be collected for DAZL (Dance Action Zone Leeds) who work with young people aged 3-25 across Leeds.

We contacted Helena to find out more about her and about her involvement in this event.

Helena, could you first of all tell us a little about your own yoga journey…

After a summer spent as a cycle guide for London to Paris trips in 2011, my yoga journey started with a dose of super hot Bikram yoga. Now I’m a yoga teacher, trail race organiser, wellness centre owner and I have a Yoga TV show ‘Everyday Yoga with Helena’ on Made TV, which airs in many major cities in the UK.

My studio We Are Wellness is a celebration of a varied approach to health, offering both traditional and modern yoga blends to provide the best classes possible.

My mission is to make yoga accessible to everyone, not only physically, but without dogma.

How did the idea come about to offer a yoga event at Leeds Pride?

I consider the community/friendship/support networks around coming to yoga classes the most important health benefit of yoga off the mat. This has become an important ethos of my wellness centre and we take pride in being an inclusive, non-dogmatic, friendly space where people feel wellness as more than a class or massage. I make time to be a true part of the communities of Leeds and I so was invited to an LGBT sports social event aimed at encouraging this community to look after their health a little better. The idea went on from there with a number of other health professionals.

What does yoga in particular have to offer the LGBTQ community?

The LGBT community is a very tight knit group of people that may have in the past (and maybe even now) feel different or marginalised. The activities that create this tight community can be quite hedonistic – there are lots of pubs and bars aimed at these groups and a big drinking and drug culture. This is where the organisers are trying to make a change, to show there is more to life and the LGBT community. There are some fantastic groups already set up – a LGBT Run Club and a Football Team, but nothing at the other end of the spectrum of health. Adding yoga to this event is to promote wellness around the body and mind as mental health is another big issue in this community.

What does it feel like for you to be involved in this way in Leeds Pride this year?

I am really excited to be involved in Pride again this year, showing that we are all part of the same community. Yoga does not discriminate.

Yoga for all.

We’re back to that message again.

Pride events are a fabulous declaration of a celebration of diversity, but also represent the acknowledgement of how far things have moved on for the LGBTQI community in the UK. The struggle for equality is way better than it ever has been, thanks to the campaigning and awareness raising of organisations such as Stonewall, which founded in 1989 by a small group of people active in the struggle against Section 28 of the Local Government Act. Stonewall is renowned to this day for its campaigning and lobbying. Pride 2017 is a great opportunity to reflect on the roots and history of Pride as a political protest, as well as a celebration.

It’s important to remember too that the struggle for equality for all is far from over. There is still important work to be done towards acceptance for trans/non binary people and that can only happen with the support of everyone in the LGBTQI+ community. Also globally, we must stand together to protest against the abuse of human rights of LGBTQI people around the world.

Yoga is an inclusive practice. Here in the UK, there are no barriers to LGB people attending a yoga class. However, some transgender people find it hard to attend a regular yoga class due to clothing/body issues. According to Lorraine Close, who has worked with transgender individuals in Edinburgh through LGBT Health and Wellbeing, yoga is an important practice for this population, as they often experience dysphoria, rejection of their bodies and have a high incidence of mental health issues. Having a safe space to practise yoga is of great benefit , as is the opportunity to practice compassionate body awareness, self acceptance and relaxation.

We are living in exciting times, where people feel more able to be themselves, where diversity is being acknowledged and accepted more than ever but there is still work to be done. ‘Ahimsa’: compassionate non violence to all beings everywhere. We have to realise that it is our job to accept, not to make sense or justify or judge how people identify. Lorraine Close

Yoga for all. All of the time.

That’s the vision.

That’s the future we’re working towards, as we work out in practice in our daily lives what ahimsa truly means.