What you say

I went to OTR when I was feeling really down and depressed. A volunteer at OTR offered some things I could do to take my mind off what was happening at home, to keep busy. I chose to do yoga as I found it interesting.

The first time I went to yoga I found it a bit funny and I couldn’t stop laughing. I wanted to try and do it again as I did find it interesting. I thought the atmosphere was really nice - and the people too. The first impressions I had of the people there were really nice, I thought that was good! The instructor is really good and the atmosphere is really good as well; peaceful. I also find the music helpful and I’ve started doing my homework to this sort of music too.

Two sessions ago when we were doing the heart opening exercise I felt really good, then I burst into tears in the middle of a shop! I remembered that the teacher said you can release emotions afterwards, which is good. Since I started going to yoga I find it relaxes me. I’m a quiet person and I am focused in the group. After yoga I am always smiling - and that’s not something my mum would normally see! I think everything we are doing in the group right now is really good - if you feel good afterwards you are definitely doing something good!

I described the yoga group to my cousin. I said that the atmosphere’s really good and overall the people seem really nice and afterwards you feel a lot more happy and maybe proud of yourself that you’ve actually tried an activity that you might not have thought of doing before.

People can think yoga’s a bit weird, that they might not enjoy it or it’s about being flexible. If someone wanted to go but they had anything to worry about they could talk to me about it! (or someone at OTR). I would say I’m not very flexible at all - it doesn't matter if you are flexible or not. I’m definitely going to continue going.

Natalia