For the last couple of years I’ve been fortunate to be able to teach a yoga class for the North East Recovery Cafe, a non-profit peer led voluntary organisation.

In a local parish church hall in the North of Glasgow a space is offered to support people who are in recovery from alcohol and drug addiction. As I walk in I'm always struck by the energy and activity the space offers. Bustling with people it's a warm bright place that offers hot food, cups of tea and a warm, dry place to sit with others in some comfort from the often relenting rain and grey of the outside landscape. As well as the nourishment of food and company, a range of activities are on offer. These range from acudetox, massage, craft workshops to yoga, one of many holistic opportunities for people to experience.

It’s a vital point of contact for people who may be in crisis to access social work services where they can be signposted for mental health, housing and financial support. The Citizens Advice Bureau have a regular pop up giving accessible and invaluable advice and an opportunity to access advocacy.

Most important are the recovery meetings. These provide a group space where people can share and support each other as peers and friends, through a shared experience of addiction regardless of where they are on their journey of recovery. The feeling of being welcome whoever you are or wherever you’re from is tangible. The common experience is that of the often devastating impact addiction has on a person's life and the subsequent determination to recover.

The foundation of the recovery group is the commitment of the volunteers and staff alike. They are the driving force behind the success of the cafe, fulfilling a multitude of roles that make the cafe so welcoming, accessible and supportive for so many.

Then the pandemic hit the nation and like everywhere else churches had to close their physical doors. The North East Recovery Cafe lost their physical base and place where people could come together to experience a sense of belonging.

As I was trying to adapt to the parallel universe we were all plunged into, I was delighted to receive a phone call asking if I would teach the North East Recovery Cafe yoga class online. The resilience of the volunteers and recovery community shone through as they swiftly moved into action to adapt to the lockdown and create a virtual recovery cafe.

I’m all too familiar with the devastating and often fatal impact of addiction. Earlier in my life I worked in the third sector as an outreach worker in Glasgow city centre. We were a service tasked with supporting the most marginalised people of society to access mainstream services. In 90% of cases people were in addiction and as a result they were experiencing chaotic lives estranged from families, often homeless and victims of violence. Tragically several of our service users died as a result of addiction, often overdosing having relapsed after a period of abstinence.

Addiction is a survival strategy. It’s a symptom of a person's attempt to cope with the experience of trauma. The vicious cycle becomes chronic (persistent) when the very survival strategy creates more trauma which then fuels more addiction as an attempt to survive. To truly support people to recover from addiction we must treat the underlying trauma causing the behaviour. Trauma creates a profound disconnection from the self and others. Part of the answer then has to be exploring ways to reconnect to the self and to others. Community and connection is vital.

The online evening yoga class I'm able to offer is one class out of a daily programme of activities, meetings and events organised by North East Recovery Cafe to bring people together through the online space and continue to support recovery.

It’s been a steep learning curve for me on how to invite an experience of yoga for individuals through the online connection. I am acutely aware of the barriers that online accessibility can present. To have access to technology, wifi and a physical place to practice in is by its nature marginalising, let alone the technological skills required to access communication platforms.

But as the lockdown rhythm of life establishes itself I’ve been delighted by the number of people who have been able to join me in the zoom room for yoga. This determination within the recovery community to keep connected is literally a lifeline for people to keep their commitment to recovery strong day after day. We’re all increasingly aware of the devastating impact isolation can have on our mental health, let alone when a person is in the grips of addiction and fragile in recovery.

So when we slowly began to emerge from the first lockdown at the end of the summer last year, I was baffled when pubs were able to open but the same provision was not afforded to recovery support groups to be able to meet in person.

In December 2020 the delayed figures for deaths from drug misuse in Scotland were released for the previous year. They show a record number of deaths at 1264, a 6% increase on 2018 when a public health emergency was declared by the Scottish Government in an attempt to tackle the crisis. It’s the highest number of deaths since records began in 1996, is the highest rate in Europe and most shockingly about three and a half times the rate of England and Wales. Drug use is 17 times higher in Scotlands poorest areas compared to the wealthiest. [Figures & statistics from www.bbc.co.uk]

As we mark one year since the start of the the pandemic, many more families have been plunged into poverty than ever before. Poverty and the trauma associated with it remains one of the main causative factors in the misuse of drugs and the tragic consequences of the ongoing cycle of addiction within families and society.

Not to be discouraged, the recovery community continued to forge connections and support each other online.

As a yoga teacher I am guided by the practicality of yoga and that it must meet people where they are. When people have managed to turn up and join each other virtually I hope that everyone is able to participate in their own way with the breath and movement being the bridge to feeling a bit more at ease in their own skin.

However, it’s the 10 minutes of chat before I start the class that is the most revealing. The banter and camaraderie between participants is as vibrant as it was when we were in the church hall. The stability and dependability of the volunteers who are established in long term recovery is invaluable for the people who are taking their first tentative steps.

Most striking to me is the uplifting feeling of being able to witness true community and connection in action. It’s in this heartfelt connection between fellow travellers that care about each other that yoga happens.

About Alanna

Alanna attended her first yoga class in 2003. In 2009 she qualified as a CYS 200hrs yoga teacher and has continued to deepen and enjoy her yoga practice ever since. She says:

“Yoga has not only helped me stay fit and active over the years but it has given me continuous guidance and grounding through life’s challenges. I consider it a privilege to be in a position to share the teachings of yoga with other people. I look forward to be able to meet practitioners where they are. Together, we will put into practice valuable techniques that will build confidence and joy, with the hope that they will feel supported beyond the class.”

Alanna is a senior tutor on our 200hr teacher training programme and regularly covers classes here at MCY as well as teaching our yoga outreach classes.

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