Steve Clark

Lived experience is invaluable in shaping solutions to the mental health crisis in education. We hope Dylan’s story shifts perceptions and that our voices help drive change.

If you’d like to hear from us - or know someone who should - please reach out. Let’s start the conversation

I will present my dissertation research on Parental Lived Experiences of Emotionally Based School Attendance Difficulties (EBSA) and my journey navigating the SEND system - both as a professional and a parent. My findings highlight the urgent need for collaboration and compassion towards families.

Dylan will share his experience as a young person battling the system, what truly helped him, and why compassionate responses from professionals matter. Despite missing all of Y11 and GCSEs, he’s now in his first year studying Psychology at Sheffield Hallam - one of the few ‘lucky ones.’

Social media rarely reflects this truth, which is why we’re sharing it.

We’re honoured to be speaking at Edge Hill University on Tuesday, invited by @Ninajosmith1, who is doing incredible work in suicide prevention in education.

This picture means a lot. It’s only the second photo of me and my son Dylan in over five years. He hides his face due to body dysmorphia, believing he’s “disgusting.” But this image captures both hope and despair - a reality for many families navigating the mental health and education systems.

We'll finish off with progressive muscle relaxation to set you up for a chilled rest of the week.  See you there :) Steve [BOOKING LINK IN BIO]

This week we are exploring forward folds - not to see if we can touch our toes - but for ease of movement in daily life, like picking up your phone, tying your shoe laces or just feeling less rigid in our bodies.They also help calm your nervous system and mind - bonus!

If you are interested in exploring yoga, come along to my class this Wednesday night at 6pm in Cheadle - perfect for beginners or those returning to yoga.

Yoga isn’t about what you can do one day. It’s about what you feel today.

💬 Have tight hamstrings? How do you work with them? Drop a comment! 👇

#YogaForRealBodies #TightHamstrings #YogaJourney #AcceptYourBody #YogaOver30 #EmbodiedPractice

Be Kind to Your Body (Or It Will Rebel 😆)

Your body is like a moody teenager. Push too hard, and it digs its heels in. But if you meet it where it is with patience and kindness, it gradually opens up. Instead of forcing, work with it. Breathe. Soften. Let it unfold in its own time.

Why Do You Want More Flexibility?

Ask yourself: Is it for Instagram, or is it for life? Do you want to look beautiful and bendy in photos, or do you want to move with ease—to pick things up, to get off the floor without wincing, to feel free in your body?

And guess what? All of that is available to you, right now, whether you’re folded in half or barely tilting forward.

Your body isn’t wrong for being tight. It’s not broken, and it’s definitely not failing at yoga. The goal of a forward fold isn’t to touch your toes. It’s to experience what the pose offers you—a release in your spine, an opening in the back of your legs, a moment to slow down and breathe.

But here’s what I’ve learned - and Step 1 might not be what you think…

Step 1 Isn’t stretching harder. It’s acceptance.

Tight Hamstrings Holding You Back? Step 1 Might Not Be What You Think…"

There was a time I thought my tight hamstrings were holding me back in yoga. I’d watch others fold forward so effortlessly while I hovered miles away from my toes, convinced that “real” yoga meant getting deeper into poses.

What’s your relationship with flexibility? Let’s talk. ⬇️

Your body is like a moody teenager. Push too hard, and it rebels. But if you meet it with patience and kindness, it gradually opens up.

Instead of forcing, breathe. Soften. Let it unfold in its own time.

Yoga isn’t about what you can do one day. It’s about what you feel today.

Ask yourself: Why do I want more flexibility?

Do you want to look bendy in photos, or do you want to move with ease—to pick things up, to get off the floor without wincing, to feel free in your body?

There’s no right or wrong answer. Just something to think about next time you practice.

The goal of a forward fold isn’t to touch your toes. It’s to feel what the pose offers—a release in your spine, a stretch in your legs, a moment to breathe. And all of that is available to you right now, no matter how deep you fold.

It's Acceptance! Your body isn’t wrong for being tight. It’s not broken, and it’s definitely not failing at yoga.

Rolling out my old, worn out and crumpled yoga mat for some morning asana practice, and noticing I have a lot in common with this mat! 🤣. It's Saturday morning and the sun is shining :) which is always a blessing here in Manchester.

And over time, the practice shapes us—not just in movement, but in how we breathe, how we think, how we meet ourselves and the world.

So here we are. Practicing together. Learning together. Beginning again, right now.

Not yesterday. Not tomorrow. Now.

We don’t have to be flexible, strong, or “ready.” We just have to show up. Again and again. Maybe we begin with asana, because that’s what we can feel first.

Atha Yoganusasanam – Now, Our Practice Begins.
Yoga isn’t something we figure out in our heads -it’s something we experience in our bodies, in our breath, in the way we meet each moment. Patanjali’s first teaching isn’t about theory; it’s an invitation: "Now, the instruction on yoga begins."

🤣🤣

When your hamstrings tell you, it's time to take up yoga!

As kids, we climbed trees, jumped over rocks, and hung upside down just for the fun of it. Now, as adults, we consider it a 'workout'.

So, have you forgotten the joy of movement? Maybe it’s time to start moving like a kid again—handstands optional (but highly recommended).

#yoga #yogarelaxation #yogafreebie

A fluffy monster astronaut floating in space

This week's Freebie Friday, is a guided relaxation to Unity the mind and breath with the infinite expanding universe. Enjoy :) www.unitythroughyoga.com/freebie-frid...

Beginners Hatha Yoga Class Cheadle Experience Balance and Relaxation in a Beginner's Hatha Yoga Class starting on January 6th, 2025 @6pm at Yoga Sangha in Cheadle, South Manchester. Limited spots, book now!

Book at www.unitythroughyoga.com/beginners-yo...