Testimonials
A selection of participant testimonials from our Yoga Therapy for Anxiety course, designed and led by Zakiya Bishton.
Veronica took part in a yoga-therapy-for-anxiety online course in April 2020. She has now incorporated many of the practices into her everyday life to self-manage her mental wellness.
“I am in my 30’s and have struggled with depression for about 3 years clinically but in honesty I think I’ve been depressed for most of my life. I’ve dabbled with Yoga before, as a Beginner, on and off and enjoyed it. But it never really ‘resonated’ with me because I was uncomfortable with the ‘spiritual’ bit and being under-represented in class. What has happened to me since is miraculous! The peace I started feeling after doing the Week 1 homework felt so good. But I didn’t really notice it until after Week 2. I was enjoying doing all the exercises as part of my routine and realised I couldn’t hear the constant negativity and buzzing thoughts in my head as much. I was more focused and less fuzzy.”
Juan Leon is Head of Production at Nemorin.com, a busy creative agency. Juan was a participant in the yoga-therapy-for-anxiety course in 2020.
" To say that the job in an agency is stressful is a gigantic understatement. Organising film shoots was taking a toll on my mental health due to the amount of stress and information I had to process every shoot. It came at a point during the pre-production where it was very hard for me to regain control of how I was feeling. Stress kicked in and lead to anxiety. Manifesting as a pain in my chest that would last all day. ALL day.
With the Mindwalk 6 week course I learned some of the in and outs of how our brain works. This was a big eye opener for me. Somehow, knowing what was the process that was leading my brain to feel stress, allowed me to process, understand and access a way to control it by doing a series of different exercises and breathing techniques. I really wish I had known all of this before. But I am so happy I know now! Never too late! It has changed the quality of my life and the way I work. I cannot recommend the course enough!"
Danny took part in a yoga-therapy-for-anxiety online course in April 2020.
“I thoroughly enjoyed Zakiya's six week yoga program. Her program definitely helps in reducing anxiety by giving you tools you can use throughout the day. She has a warm, engaging, and supporting presence which made the classes fun. I'd recommend her classes and I myself intend to attend more of them.”
Xianan is studying towards a PhD at LSE in London and was a participant on the yoga-therapy-for-anxiety course in April 2020.
“I feel calm and grateful. This is what Zaki’s class brought to me. During the pandemic, as a Chinese young woman, I live by myself. This generates a lot of anxiety and loneliness. I saw myself gradually losing control of my own mental status. So when I saw Zaki’s post about her yoga class, I could not have a second thought but to join. During the six weeks practice, encouraging myself to join every Tuesday evening to dedicate time to myself was precious. Zaki’s yoga practice is specially slow, focusing on breathing and mindfulness, which I feel the most grateful for. For me, yoga is about putting my mind and my body together. Zaki’s class did a good job. So thank you Zaki and hope many of you will join her!”
Participant in the 8-week Yoga Therapy for Anxiety course, March 2021
“After experiencing my third traumatic birth and the death of my father in 2020, I was at rock bottom. I was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. I had a breakdown. Without Mindwalk Yoga, my anxiety would have spiralled out of control. Zakiya’s insightful, practical, informative course was instrumental in my recovery. Her guidance, support, love and energy was invaluable. I would recommend this course to anyone suffering with anxiety or PTSD.”
Participant in the 8-week Yoga Therapy for Anxiety course, March 2021
“I found the course friendly and kind. I was very apprehensive about starting it, but Zakiya made me feel very comfortable with her reassurance and openness. The course was an eye-opener for me about how I was taking no time to rest or be present. These things are really important to reducing my anxiety level and trying to maintain good mental health. Listening to other brave participants was helpful too as it made me realise I am not alone with how I feel and the struggle with daily high functioning anxiety. The strategies have helped me cope better in day to day life.”
“The course helped me to see more clearly how anxiety was impacting me and encouraged me to think more about self-care in general. There were loads of practices that I benefited from and I always found the sessions really soothing and relaxing. The sessions were really well managed and there was a good feeling in the group. I felt that I could participate at the level I wanted to and was capable of which felt important. You were very gentle and supportive with us!”
Participant in the 8-week Yoga Therapy for Anxiety course, September 2021
“I signed up to this course to help me to manage longstanding issues with anxiety, particularly as I was going through a few changes in my life at that time. I found it so useful to be able to join each week. Zakiya’s calming presence quickly helped us all to come together as a group to support each other and feel free to share our experiences. A lot of different practices were shared so I got to find out what works for me. I’m looking forward to continuing to attend Zakiya’s weekly classes to keep up what I’ve learnt.”
Participant in the 8-week Yoga Therapy for Anxiety course, September 2021
“I didn't know what to expect from the 8-week Yoga for anxiety course but was open to trying out a new weekly practice in order to help calm my anxiety, nervous tension and chronic stress. Over 2 months, I learnt about the fundamental principles of yoga, and exercises that help to support nervous system regulation. The activities were guided, soothing, and flowed at a pace that was easy to keep up with.
During the last 4 weeks of the course, I found myself dozing off towards the end of our classes, which to me was a sign of deep relaxation and restoration! I really enjoyed Zakiya's warm, friendly and integrative approach, and look forward to continuing my yoga journey with her, and Mindwalk Yoga as a member.”
Participant in the 8-week Yoga Therapy for Anxiety course, September 2021
“Attending the Yoga for Anxiety course has helped me in so many ways. From the beginning the tools and support I was given helped calm my mind and body and as the course progressed I've incorporated them into my daily life with ease. Mindwalk Yoga has brought so much richness to my life and given me a better perspective on what my mind and body needs to function well in a busy life.”
Participant in the 8-week Yoga Therapy for Anxiety course, September 2021
“The course has given me confidence in understanding and managing my anxiety. It was such a caring and supportive space and I appreciated the openness of both Zakiya and the other participants. The yoga for anxiety course has reframed my beliefs around my anxiety, which has had a profoundly positive impact on living with anxiety”
