Northlands Annual Flag Day
Derry Credit Union
Abbey Street
Wednesday 11th November 2009
Collectors Needed!!!!
We need your help to raise as much money as possible on the day.
If you would like to lend a hand - please contact Nuala on 7131 3232 or email
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In particular we need to cover the busiest shopping areas - FOYLESIDE and RICHMOND centres
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP
Yoga in the Park, 4 July 2009.
The pride, the images and the egos were stacked high today outside the entrance to the football pitches at St Columb’s Park in the Waterside, when 190 yoga enthusiasts of all ages, including a number of local yoga teachers who came along to help out, and a fair number of people having their first experience of yoga, all gathered together in the open air for Yoga in the Park. This was a fundraiser for the Northlands Centre and the word from Nuala afterwards was that £2,400 had been raised. Nothing like this has ever been done before!
We started off with a few stretches to limber up, to loosen out the body, to slow down the breath and to warm up the hamstrings; then followed some balancing postures, and warrior postures. Good old reliable tree - very appropriate as we were facing them - although the trees moved a lot so they weren’t good for focussing on to keep balanced! You always get a turn in the boat at John’s classes, so we did boat as well and nobody got off lightly. There were back bends and plenty of forward bends so we got well stretched in all directions. The positive affirmations helped us keep the thoughts positive, we breathed properly through our noses and we smiled, and everywhere we turned we saw beauty!
The weather stayed mostly good - there was a slight sprinkle of rain but it just cooled down the sweat that people had built up and nobody seemed to mind a bit. The rain didn’t last long, the positive energy created on the ground just seemed to send it on it’s way.
It was a remarkable sight, to see so many people, in one space, all doing the same yoga poses, all moving at the same time, all in balance with each other; there was a great beauty in the flow of their movements and grace of all the bodies, all the slow movements, nothing was forced or strained, everyone doing what their body allowed them to do. There was a wonderful energy created and during the guided meditation at the end, the sense of peacefulness and silence out in the open air, the fresh air blowing around us, the sun was shining, the swallows were swooping overhead and was a great emotional sense as well, we were all part of something meaningful today. It was overwhelming, lots of us had a tear in our eye at the end.
Everybody left with a sense of peace and gratitude for being here and being part of this day. We were all grateful for this moment in time and pleased that we raised so much money for such a good and meaningful cause, while enjoying such a different experience of yoga.
