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Local Spotlight LONDON
from Issue #3: JOY
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BY: DONNA NOBLE
PHOTOS BY: DANIELA FLECKENSTEIN
London is a true cultural gem! Did you know that London’s name has a rich history dating back to its Roman roots as Londinium? As a Londoner of Jamaican heritage, I’m proud to see how London’s vibrant diversity is celebrated and embraced throughout the city. London’s tapestry is interwoven with stories from around the world, and I’m thrilled to see the growing recognition of the city’s multiculturalism. London continues to evolve, embracing progress, inclusivity, and diversity in these ever-changing times. Spotlighted here are two awesome yogis, Wole Efunshile of Wole Yoga and Liz Oppedijk of Accessible Chair Yoga who joined me for an amazing photo shoot that took place on a surprisingly sunny September morning, set against the stunning backdrop of some of London’s iconic landmarks.
Liz is the co-founder and is a leading expert on chair yoga in the UK. She has taught chair yoga to people with a huge range of abilities, including new yogis with Parkinson’s, MS, stroke, cancer or other conditions, as well as those with dementia, learning disabilities and those who care for them. Her dream is to train a community of chair yoga teachers to bring yoga to care and nursing homes across the country. Wole dedicates a lot of his time to practising and sharing the benefits of yoga with people in the yoga community. During his classes, he likes to create a safe, welcoming space for people. He devotes his time to working within the yoga world and helping others on their yoga journey, working towards making yoga more diverse and inclusive.
What brings me Joy: My relationship with myself and my relationships with family and friends. The joy of nurturing relationships, sharing positive experiences, and creating lasting memories. I find comfort in the complexity of relationships and a deep sense of fulfillment when I see the positive impact that I have on other people. As life’s journey continues, my relationships with myself and other people continue to evolve.
Through yoga, I rediscovered the joy I had as a child. Joy is seeing the radiant faces of my students as we practice yoga that makes space for their health challenges and experiences. By making yoga fully accessible, my students too can access their own feelings of joy.
Yoga has unveiled the innate joy within me. It’s those spontaneous and fun moments, like doing yoga on an airport travelator, that capture pure delight, especially when shared with someone who embraces your sense of playfulness. My family and friends bring a special kind of joy through their support and deep connections, which we cherish in shared moments together. Another profound source of joy is witnessing my students accomplish feats they once deemed impossible. The most beautiful part is seeing their surprised reactions when they achieve something they never thought attainable.
