Finding calm and wellness with mindful movement

Caroline Mastreani from Flow Yoga has been supporting tāngata whai ora in Te Whanganui-a-Tara through her weekly Mindful Movement classes since 2019. We caught up with her recently to ask about her Mindful Movement classes at Pathways.

• What do you enjoy about running classes with tāngata whai ora at Pathways?

I’m passionate about making yoga and mindfulness accessible to a wide range of people. I love bringing yoga into Pathways’ venues so that more people can benefit from the simple, healing tools that yoga provides. As a bonus, I also get to learn and grow so much from the tāngata whai ora I’m lucky enough to work with. It’s always so heartening to see someone tentative or anxious about participating in a yoga session decide they’ll give it a go and the resulting sense of accomplishment and calm they feel afterwards.

• How does yoga support tāngata whai ora with their wellbeing?

Yoga is the perfect way to use our body to affect the way we’re feeling. Our Pathways’ yoga sessions include a range of physical postures, movements and breathing exercises that provide a safe way to connect to the body. By noticing the way we feel as we go through a yoga session, we begin to develop skills and positive coping mechanisms for managing difficulty in our lives off the yoga mat. Practicing yoga as a group also helps us to become more aware of, and feel more connected to, those around us.

• What is some of the feedback you’ve had from tāngata whai ora?

One past participant said: “I definitely come out of the session feeling more relaxed, much less anxious and a bit more at peace with myself, having been kindly reminded by the instructor to be kind and non-judgmental toward yourself.” Another said: “My experience has been of healing, empowerment, growth and hope for the journey ahead.”

Contact us if you’re interested in attending a Mindful Movement class in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

(This article was taken from Connections magazine – Winter 2023)