I’m Kristina, the Digital Marketing Trainee here at The Florrie! Our Community Hub Activities are crucial for local people to build friendships, gain skills, and some groups also provide therapeutic and mental wellness benefits. So, in this article, I’d like to highlight our yoga and tai chi classes and explore why they’re so important to members of the community here.
The yoga class in particular is great for both mental and physical health, as it incorporates stretching movements, breathing techniques, and methods of relaxation. Our class is led by Pennie, a local yoga teacher who has been at The Florrie for 8 years. I found Pennie to be really kind, bright, and full of energy – I suppose that’s probably down to her yogic practices! She’s an approachable and welcoming yoga teacher who gives clear, gentle instructions to her students.
‘It’s a very gentle-ish class, it changes every week. I don’t think I’ve ever taught the same class twice! But yeah, it’s quite gentle, and I’m very inclusive so I give lots of options for all different students.’
– Pennie, The Florrie’s yoga teacher.
Many of the people who attend the yoga class emphasise that they feel like the class has helped them to feel physically and mentally healthy. It’s a very diverse practice that can be used as a form of exercise and therapy, and it also has a rich philosophical background based in Hinduism. Pennie’s sessions are mostly focused around relaxing and mindfulness, as well as improving your body’s mobility – and lots of people here told me it really benefits their overall wellbeing. For this reason, it’s one of the busiest classes here at The Florrie!
Students told me that the yoga classes helped soothe back and neck pains, some also expressed that it gives relief to some more chronic pain issues, and it gives them a place where they can feel connected to other people. I talked to a lady called Gillian who said that, despite the loneliness and life struggles she’s recently been facing, she always tries to come to the class because it keeps her going. She enjoys the relaxation and the relationships she’s formed in our building, and she explained that, although she finds the initial journey to get to the class arduous at times, it’s always worth it!
‘It’s really relaxing, and I always leave feeling a lot better than I did when I came, which is what you want from a yoga class – and Pennie’s brilliant because you can always take it at your own pace!’
-Yoga student at The Florrie
Pennie shared that she’s seen so many people make friends in her class, and that she’s made friends there too! We talked about how important classes like hers are for people in Liverpool’s community, especially since our yoga class is free and accessible for people with different ranges of income and physical ability. Many classes elsewhere have pricey costs, and that could certainly deter people from taking steps to better their health! For some people, the option to come for free or to just donate in itself is a big reason that they get involved.
Like yoga, tai chi has a range of physical and mental benefits, and it’s suitable for everyone, especially those with less mobility – so it’s really accessible for disabled folks and the elderly! Our class is taught by Lis Davidson, who is a GP and has been practicing and teaching tai chi for around 10 years. One of the things I personally find cool about Lis is her choice of funky wool jumpers, socks, and hats! She’s a calm, down-to-earth lady who’s very passionate about what she does, and she clearly loves providing classes that help people.
‘It’s really good for a lot of muscular, skeletal, joint problems because I think it’s very good at helping you to listen quite closely to your body and sense where you can do less work.’
-Lis Davidson, The Florrie’s tai chi teacher.
Tai chi is a martial art; however, it can be very slow and meditative, helping you to focus on your body and relax. As Lis explained to me, tai chi helps you to sense your body internally, so that you know where to ‘do less work’ and what areas may need your focus. It helps you to pinpoint where you strain yourself, overcompensate, or store tension in the body. ‘Chi’, or ‘qi’, refers to the vital life force energy in your body, and tai chi is a practice that works to balance and allow the proper flow of energy in your body, according to ancient Chinese traditions.
The tai chi class is one of the quieter and more relaxed classes, as there’s an element of gentle discipline and concentration involved. It’s currently held twice a week with a session for both beginners and more intermediate practitioners. Lis makes adjustments for those who are less physically able – for example, you can sit on a chair rather than lying down on the floor if that’s too uncomfortable for you. There’s never any pressure to push yourself too far, as the class is about listening to your body!
I recently joined the group to learn from Lis on a Tuesday, which is the beginners’ class. We started by laying on yoga mats, sensing our bodies and easing into a sense of calm. We eventually stood together, using gentle movements and paying attention to the sensations they caused. I noticed I could take in those sensations without worrying about anything from other parts of my life. It especially brought awareness to my breath and specific body parts, like the shift in the weight I’d put on my feet during the exercises. You become quite aware of where there’s tension or strain in your body, and you correct how you move or stand so it’s easier for you. I also found that listening to an instructor and copying their movements made me concentrate and exercise mental discipline.
Other people who are students in the class discussed how tai chi really helps them to ground, which we all need from time-to-time! For people who face a lot of stress or who are neurodivergent especially, it’s very important to ground. Our class allows you to take home methods to ground and centre that you can come back to at any time.
Our Community Hub Activities are led by volunteers who kindly share their knowledge, skills and time with others. The Florrie provides resources for community-focused groups and classes, as well as beautiful spaces they can use. If you’d like to leave a donation for The Florrie, it’ll help keep the Community Hub Activities running in future!
Donate here: https://www.theflorrie.org/support-us/donate/
If you want to get involved and would like more info on the groups in this article, contact Tim via email: tim@theflorrie.org