How yoga sessions in Salford are helping to release work-related stress

In Salford there are many yoga sessions that are becoming more accessible for everyone to help reduce the stresses of the workday.

One of the yoga services in Salford is the weekly Yin Yang Yoga sessions held by ARRIVE in Media City which is led by an experienced yoga instructor from Wellness by Carly.

Yin Yang yoga is a practice combining 30 minutes of yang yoga which helps to build up stamina and resilience of the mind, with 30 minutes of yin yoga which uses meditation to activate the parasympathetic nervous system to help calm the body and release tension. During the session, positive affirmations are used to help the yogis connect with their inner self and show themselves gratitude and compassion.

The most recent session was hosted by Charlotte Ingram, who left her job as a primary school teacher to teach yoga. She spoke passionately on the mental benefits of yoga explaining how it can help with anxiety and depression. It also can help reduce stress by aiding people to recognise and regulate their feelings and release stored emotions.

Charlotte opened up on how yoga helped her overcome past struggles saying: “I used to have panic attacks all the time around ten years ago and ever since starting yoga I haven’t had one, which is why I’m so passionate about sharing how yoga can change your life and impact how you see the world.”

An essential element of these sessions is making yoga more accessible for people during the workday, they’re helping release the stresses of their jobs and approach work with a new mindset. The split nature of the sessions allows them to be more accessible during work breaks, allowing people to do a half-hour session or the whole hour depending on personal preference.

Ingram touched on the inclusivity of these split sessions stating: “Yoga is for everyone, if you want to come in and lie down on the mat for an hour connecting to your body and rest, that’s still yoga, it’s yours, for your body and your mind.”

Christina Barrow, who’s been coming to the sessions even since they started, spoke on how the sessions benefitted her work life saying: “You come in thinking and feeling one way and leave feeling a lot better, you feel a calmness and readiness to work in a different way to how you started.”

She also encouraged others who work nearby to participate: “It’s accessible to all. I don’t know why there’s not hundreds of people here, because of the many offices here, I would recommend they come and give it a go.”

These yoga sessions are hosted every Tuesday 12-1pm at Arrive in Media City, they are £5 for external clients and can be booked here or you can email yogawithcarlytong@gmail.com to discover her classes around Salford and Manchester.