Yoga's Popping Up in The 'Stow!

Yoga has long been a favourite with the savvy, health-aware, Londoner, but Walthamstow seems to be lacking the necessary element for its budding audience, a Yoga Studio. When local Yogi, Eliza Moore of Yoga Me Happy, found out about Waltham Forest Council’s initiative to launch a Pop Up Shop in Walthamstow, rent and rate free, she jumped at the chance to apply and create a Yoga Studio.

Waltham Forest Council’s pop up shop, branded ‘Hoe Street Central’, aims to support start-up businesses and community innovators by providing space for them to test their ideas on the market, as well as offer interesting new concepts to shoppers on the high street. Eliza submitted her application to create Walthamstow’s very first yoga studio in this unit with the view to establishing that there is a need for one in the area.

Yoga Me Happy’s motto is to make Londoner’s happy with yoga, Eliza comments, “There are so many benefits to yoga and especially for us, busy Londoners who find it hard to relax and take time out for ourselves. I am incredibly passionate about yoga and about imparting my knowledge and skills to make people feel welcomed on their way in and relaxed on their way out. It has been well-documented that yoga asanas (positions) and pranayamas (breathing exercises) that go hand-in-hand with the physical practice of yoga, create a feeling of general well-being and can alleviate depression, along with a whole host of other benefits, so what better thing to introduce to the thriving community of Walthamstow?”

Eliza already runs classes in Lloyd Park’s Bowls club, however this venue can only be used on a Sunday morning and the limited space means that people often have to be turned away.

Eliza came to E17 just over a year ago and has become a fully-fledged member of the community, she even runs a free yoga class for the over 60s of the Borough at the Peter May Sports Centre. Age UK Waltham Forest approached Eliza a couple of months ago to offer her services to the senior audience and she jumped at the chance to give back.

The pop up studio will be running for two weeks from 7^th to 19^th January 2014 and will be a haven of calm for locals to come and practice yoga, meet like-minded people and try out some fun things like workshops, newbie classes and lots more. “There will be a whole host of classes for all different levels of abilities. I intend to provide something for everyone to give Walthamstow the chance to try yoga on for size if they’ve never done it before or give people a chance to practice locally rather than having to go to another part of London,” says Eliza.

Cllr Mark Rusling, cabinet member and portfolio lead for Business, Employment and Skills said “We're delighted to support organisations like Yoga Me Happy through our pop up shop. I'm hoping to get down there myself! Hopefully, Eliza's business will go on to thrive when she leaves the pop up - that is what we want for all of the organisations we are supporting on Hoe Street."

Subscribe to the Yoga Me Happy newsletter for further details and the yoga schedule for Hoe Street Central on the home page of the website: www.yogamehappy.co.uk