✨ What a fantastic afternoon at our Stretch, Connect and Belong yoga session yesterday! ✨🧘♂️ A huge thank you to Lisa for another fun-filled session! 💜 We enjoyed plenty of giggles 😄, gentle stretching 🤸♀️, and used yoga cards to practise different breathing exercises 🌬️ and yoga poses 🧘.
Everyone joined in brilliantly and did an amazing job! 🌟 It was wonderful to see everyone relaxing, connecting, and having fun together. 💕😊 Of course, we finished the session with a lovely cuppa ☕ and a chat 🗣️, which is always a great way to end the afternoon. Well done everyone – we can’t wait to do it all again next week! 🎉💜
Today we visited TARAGGAN Educational Gardens and what a beautiful day it was! The sunshine really lifted everyone’s spirits 🌞😊 Our members worked incredibly hard, getting stuck into weeding one of the garden plots 🌱💪 It’s amazing to see the teamwork and dedication – everyone played their part and made a real difference 👏
Gardening has so many benefits 🌼💚
🌿 Helps reduce stress and anxiety 🌿 Boosts mood and wellbeing 🌿 Encourages physical activity 🌿 Brings people together and builds friendships
It was also lovely to see John, who once ran the community garden – a really special moment for everyone 🌻👋 Days like this show just how powerful being outdoors and connecting with nature can be 🌳✨ Already looking forward to the next visit!
Yesterday our members enjoyed another fantastic session at the gardens 🌼 The sunshine was out and so were the smiles! ☀️😊 Gethin and Morgan got stuck in—working hard, getting their hands in the soil, digging and turning over the plot 🪴🧤 It was a great way to boost wellbeing and connect with nature 🌸💚
Gardening is not just about growing plants—it’s about growing confidence, friendships, and happiness 🌻🤝 It was also lovely catching up, having a laugh, and seeing everyone enjoy their time outdoors 🌞 A big thank you to everyone involved for making it such a positive and uplifting session 🙌💚 We’re already looking forward to the next visit! 🌿✨
🌱🍃 We’ve had a great morning at TARAGGAN Educational Gardens! Morgan, Gethin, Christopher and Anthony have all been working hard weeding and clearing the plots, getting everything ready for planting 🌼🌿👏 It was very windy 🌬️ and chilly 🥶 to start, but all that hard work soon warmed us up 💪😊
Being outdoors and gardening has so many benefits — it helps improve wellbeing 💚, reduces stress 🌞, keeps us active 🚶♂️, builds confidence 🌟 and gives everyone the chance to connect with nature 🌍🦋. Most importantly, it brings people together, creating friendships, laughter and a real sense of achievement 🤝💐 A brilliant morning all round — well done everyone! 🌱🙌✨
Our brand new Stretch, Connect & Belong project started yesterday at Fleur-de-lis Community Centre and will run for 10 sessions every Tuesday from 1pm–2pm, followed by 30 minutes for a cuppa ☕, a chat 💬 and session feedback 📝 — a lovely chance to connect and build friendships.
Our first session began with calming breathing and stretching exercises 🌬️💚, followed by lots of fun as our members chose a yoga pose from the surprise bag 🎁🧘. There were plenty of smiles and laughter 😊. Some members used mats, while others chose to use a chair — showing these sessions are truly accessible and inclusive for all ♿💙. For our breathing exercises we used beautiful chiffon scarves 🌈, and we finished with a peaceful relaxation session to soothing music 🎶✨ under soft ceiling lights, leaving everyone feeling calm, refreshed and uplifted.
Sessions like this are so important for people with learning disabilities because they help to:
💚 reduce anxiety and stress 💚 improve movement, balance and flexibility 💚 build confidence and independence 💚 encourage social connection and friendships 💚 reduce isolation and loneliness 💚 support emotional wellbeing and mindfulness 💚 create a safe, welcoming space where everyone belongs 🤝
A huge thank you to Lisa Harwood 💐 for such a wonderful start to our project, and thank you to our amazing members and volunteers for bringing such positive energy — everyone absolutely loved it! 🌟💖 Here’s to the next session! 🧘☕💬
Everyone enjoyed the beautiful sunshine yesterday, got stuck in, and worked hard as usual 💪🌼 There’s something special about being outdoors — fresh air, teamwork, and getting hands in the soil does wonders for wellbeing 🌿😊 A big thank you to all involved for your energy and effort. Another great morning in the garden! 🌻🍃☀️
We had another lovely afternoon with Lisa doing yoga yesterday 🧘♀️✨ We used yoga blocks for stretching, balance and posture, and everyone chose a block out of the bag that had a yoga pose drawn on it 🟦🧘♂️ It was lots of fun and gave everyone a chance to try something different 😊
We also enjoyed some relaxing time listening to soothing music 🎶💜 Some members like to use chairs for the session while some choose to use the mats, making the sessions very accessible so everyone can take part comfortably 🌟
Everyone did an amazing job joining in and there was lots of laughter as usual 😂💛 These sessions are great for relaxation, movement, confidence and wellbeing, and it’s wonderful to see everyone supporting each other 🤝✨ See you all next week! 🥰👋
Yesterday our members enjoyed a relaxing foot treatment and left feeling calm and refreshed. Reflexology offers real benefits for adults with learning disabilities, helping to reduce anxiety, improve wellbeing, and promote relaxation. Thank you, Emma, for your kindness and care – everyone loved it!
At our most recent chair yoga session we used stress balls to exercise our fingers, did some great stretches, and practiced yoga poses while holding on to the back of our chairs.
We named our poses “Tree Pose” and “Surfing Pose” – and even had a special Sleeping Beauty Yoga story for our relaxing time, accompanied by soothing music.
Everyone had so much fun and left feeling happy and relaxed. Thank you, Lisa! See you next Tuesday afternoon at 12:30pm.
Another brilliant Chair Yoga session yesterday! Kirsty said she loved everything about it – and we all agree!
Here’s what we got up to:
We made calming breathing aids using pipe cleaners and beads – perfect for when we’re feeling anxious. We used ribbons on wands for some gentle arm and shoulder stretches. Enjoyed some lovely chair yoga movements and stretches. A few of us even got down on the floor for some extra poses!
We ended the session with relaxing music to help us wind down. Lisa will be back with us in three weeks – and we can’t wait!
