Breath of fresh air beats blues

KEEP CALM: Like Minds, Like Mine Wairarapa co-ordinator Corrinne Oliver and yoga instructor Shari Smith will be participating in a large-scale outdoor yoga class to raise money for the organisation's work in the region.

The age-old art of yoga, with its healing breath techniques and strength-building poses, has been known to do wonders for anxiety and depression.

So a yoga-themed fundraiser for one of Wairarapa's leading mental health advocates made perfect sense for hot yoga instructor Shari Smith.

Ms Smith, owner of the Hot Yoga For You studio, is organising the event - where members of the community can participate in a large-scale outdoor yoga class, featuring 108 poses.

All proceeds will go towards Like Minds, Like Mine Wairarapa, which runs seminars and workshops to educate the public about societal stigma towards those with mental illness.

Ms Smith said she was inspired to organise the fundraiser after having taught yoga to people struggling with depression and seeing an improvement in their wellness.

"Yoga is all about mind and body awareness," she said.

"A lot of people come to yoga not feeling great about life - and that causes a decline in the physical body. But when you strengthen your body, you can't help but strengthen the mind.

"Many people come up to me and share how yoga has been so beneficial for their mental health. [They have] a new feeling of lightness and calm."

At the fundraiser which will take place on the morning of February 1, Ms Smith will lead attendees in a style of yoga known as 108 Sun Salutations, or Surya Namaskara.

The discipline is made of a sequence of poses, originally symbols of worship and respect of the Hindu solar deity, and focuses blending movement with calming breath exercises.

Members of the public can participate as individuals or in teams and Ms Smith hopes businesses, community groups and families will get involved.

Like Minds, Like Mine Wairarapa co-ordinator Corrinne Oliver said people of all fitness levels were welcome to participate.

"You don't have to be a yoga expert," said Ms Oliver.

"The Like Minds team will all be doing the poses as a relay team - including our speaker Matt [Wills], who uses a wheelchair.

"If you come, you're showing you support people [with mental illness] and don't discriminate against them."

Ms Oliver has extended an invitation to Sir John Kirwan, the national face of depression awareness, who will be in Wairarapa for the Blues v Hurricanes pre-season game at Trust House Memorial Park.

"He is the Like Minds champion," she said.

"Hopefully, he can bring the Blues boys along for a warm-up with us."

The charity yoga event will take at 8am on Saturday, February 1, at the green reserve on the corner of Dixon and Kuripuni Sts.

To register, drop in to Supporting Families at 323 Queen St, More FM Wairarapa at 441A Queen St, or Hot Yoga For You at 445 Queen St.

Registration is $25 for individuals, and $10 per head for team members.