Community Mental Health – Free Yoga Program

Yoga provides many physical benefits and now more than ever, we realize its important role in our mental health wellness too.

With a New Year upon us, this is a great time for self reflection and self care – it’s important to remember to slow down, and take care of ourselves, and our mental health and wellness.

Northumberland Hills Hospital recognizes the importance of mental health, and how important it is for staff, patients, and our community to have an outlet to access in Northumberland to help better their mental health in many ways. We’re very lucky that we have amazing community supporters like Ryan Huffman and the Ryan Huffman Foundation who help fund programs like the Community Yoga program, facilitated by the NHH Community Mental Health Services Team.

Ryan has had his own mental health struggles in the past, and one of the activities that really helped him during some tough times, was having a yoga class ready and available right down the street. In his six years of recovery, he was drawn to make a difference for others in his community, and has done so by starting the Ryan Huffman Foundation, with a mission to raise money for local charities within Northumberland County that support mental health, addiction, and youth in sport.

Inspired by the UpTurn program, and his connection with Alex McPhee of the Community Mental Health Services Team, The Ryan Huffman Foundation wanted to fund a community yoga program through the Hospital to give people another option to better their mental well-being. The program is a FREE and safe space for all participants held once a week on Wednesdays at 1pm at St. Andrews Church in Cobourg. The program has seen over 300 visits since inception, and more participants are always welcome.

Yoga helps our mental health in many ways by relieving anxiety, lowering depression, promoting better sleep, fighting fatigue, decreasing stress, improving focus and so much more!

For those interested to learn more about NHH’s Community Mental Health initiatives, visit NHH’s community mental health page, here.