Mental Health Awareness Week 2024: Intergenerational Yoga in Hackney

Practising yoga is the perfect activity for this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week theme: “Movement, Moving More for Mental Health”.

On Thursday, 16th May, Live Yoga Teachers and InCommon partnered for a special Intergenerational Yoga Class in Hackney, connecting local primary school children with older neighbours in a retirement scheme in Dalston.

This year’s Mental Health Awareness theme is “Movement, Moving More for Mental Health.” With just 15 minutes a day of movement making a difference to mental health, yoga is the perfect activity to unite the ages and improve younger and older people’s mental health.

Why yoga? Yoga is an age-friendly activity. It can be tailored to suit different people’s mobility - from chair yoga to more active classes designed to get the heart racing.

Live Yoga Teachers is a marketplace for yoga classes that offers all types of yoga for all age groups: children, teenagers, adults, and older people. InCommon is a charity focusing on bringing generations together.

InCommon and Live Yoga Teachers are both based in Second Home London Fields, a coworking place in Hackney.

“We know that children and older adults can benefit from practising yoga, and having them practise together creates bonds and memories that benefit both. Partnering with InCommon for Mental Health Awareness Week is a great opportunity to show that yoga is an activity that every generation can enjoy!”

Elodie Gythiel, Live Yoga Teachers

“Intergenerational connections are good for our mental health and help us feel more connected to our communities. We’re excited to bring in some more movement to our session this week thanks to our partnership with Live Yoga Teachers.”

Hannah Kayi Mason, InCommon

Photos of the yoga class will be available. Let us know if you have any questions or other requests.

Vanessa Langlois, a Kids, Teens and Family Yoga Teacher will be leading the class:

Intergenerational Yoga promotes holistic health and strengthens the bond between different age groups.

Intergenerational care is crucial in reducing depression and feelings of isolation in older individuals. Moreover, engaging in yoga can improve mobility and physical capabilities.

Research indicates that older adults experience improved memory and a more optimistic mindset when engaging with young children. This positive interaction between older adults and young children can be mutually beneficial. Not only does it stimulate cognitive function and promote emotional well-being in older adults, but it also fosters a sense of joy and connection for the children involved. The exchange of knowledge, experiences, and laughter creates a special bond that transcends generational gaps, ultimately enriching the lives of both parties.

This practice also helps children enhance their empathy, language skills, and communication abilities. The unconditional attention and relationships built with older individuals are highly beneficial for them.

About Live Yoga Teachers

Live Yoga Teachers is the only UK online yoga marketplace where people come together to buy or sell live online yoga classes.

What is it

Live Yoga Teacher is a tool for yoga teachers to manage their live-stream classes and an easy-to-use platform for people to book classes.

The platform is promoted via digital marketing to help teachers find new participants and make yoga accessible to more people.

On top of 50+ online classes available weekly from £5 a class, the platform now offers private yoga classes and corporate yoga classes.

Who we are

We are based in East London and Brighton. One of our co-founders, Elodie Gythiel, an advanced Iyengar yoga student, practised a lot of livestream yoga during lockdown.

She enjoyed it so much that she created Live Yoga Teachers with the help of her freelance colleague and Craft CMS developer, Sebastien Dehesdin.

Media contact: hello@liveyogateachers.com

About InCommon

InCommon is a charity bringing generations together. They connect groups of young people with their older neighbours to learn and build friendships together. All of their activities are about building more connected, inclusive and age-friendly communities. Find out more here: www.incommon.org.uk