Chenen
Chenen completed his 200-hours YTT in August 2020. He continued his self practice of asanas and pranayama during the pandemic situation. In April 2021, he joined an orientation meeting and started learning more about AYC, a non-profit organization that offers teaching opportunities for yoga teacher graduates. He was impressed with the experience shared by other volunteer teachers in that session. He then applied for a project in Sai Kung for the financially disadvantaged group and started his journey of volunteer teaching. The first outdoor teaching experience was unforgettable, he was motivated to see how enthused and focused the students were. From that point onwards he has been teaching the group for a year. To him, this is not just a teaching experience, but also a chance to practice with different people. He is very grateful for the opportunity given by AYC, he feels more blessed to give than to receive.
Yuk Ping
Yuk Ping completed her 200-hours YTT in April 2021. She immediately registered with AYC as a volunteer teacher and has committed to two online projects since June 2021. One for the online yoga class for all and the other for the drug abuse group – most of the participants are female and complete beginners with limited flexibility. As an AYC volunteer teacher, she offers variations and modifications for different levels of practitioners. From her teaching experience, she sees the difficulties students encountere during practice and she emphasizes the importance of synchronising the breath and the movement of the body to prevent injury and to ease the tightness. Yuk Ping suggests everyone to keep an open mind and practice consistently, address our limitations, give time and be patient with our own progress.
Ceris
Ceris has been volunteering for AYC since since completing her teacher training in August 2021. She has been teaching regularly every Sunday for the financially disadvantaged group at the Central Pier for almost a year. She thinks AYC has offered a meaningful way for yoga graduates to start their teaching practice by volunteering and giving back to the community. There are indeed many people in the community that do not have enough resources to attend a yoga class. AYC is a charity that makes yoga accessible to the community, allowing people who are in need to practice for physical health and mental balance. Ceris cherishes the opportunity to share the benefits of yoga to the community and encourages anyone who is interested to join us.
Keith
Keith has been a volunteer for AYC for over a year. He is involved in projects including the financially disadvantaged group at the Central Pier every Saturday and Sunday, the pain patients project every Friday and the Youth Outreach project. AYC projects cover a broad range of individuals and groups in need across our community. Keith observed that the financially disadvantaged group is very committed and the community spirit they developed in their regular practice together aided them all inidviduallly mentally and emotionally – they find a lot of joy in their practice together. One of the most satisfying experiences Keith shared is teaching the pain patients as he saw the health benefits students gained physically and mentally. He highly recommends yoga therapy graduates to participate. The joy received is mutual, and volunteers are learning while helping people who are suffering from pain issues. Teaching teenagers is another inspiring project as it is a wonderful way to interact with the younger community and it is an opportunity for them to practice yoga at an early age for overall wellness.
More benefits of being a volunteer in AYC is that teachers get the exposure to interact with people with different skills levels and challenges. There are complete beginners who don’t have much understanding of yoga. This challenges teachers to design sequences best for all types of students, as well as bringing breathing and meditation techniques to the practice. This can aid becoming a more rounded and skillfull teacher for students with different skills and health issues. New yoga graduates are highly recommended to join AYC!
Victoria
Victoria has been with AYC since October 2021. She is a volunteer teacher for the financially disadvantaged group at the Central Pier every Sunday morning. It is a great experience for her as a new teacher to share her love and knowledge of yoga to the community. To her, it makes her happy and fulfilled to see how participants enjoy the practice together. She welcomes passionate teachers to join AYC!
Flora
Flora is grateful to be part of the team. She joined AYC in 2019 and she still recalls her first
and unforgettable teaching experience for the financially disadvantaged group at the Central Pier. After the class, the participants looked refreshed and energetic, they were full of gratitude. The atmosphere was filled with joy and positivity. That moment has motivated her to keep teaching and sharing the benefits of yoga to the community.
Over the past few years, she has participated in several projects, including the outdoor class for the financially disadvantaged group, the online class for those recovering from drug abuse, and the Youth Outreach project for teenagers. The experiences are very different, with different levels of practice and backgrounds, but seeing them having some positive changes in physical and mental health is really rewarding. Last but not least, Flora encourages each and everyone to start yoga and appreciate any means of support for the community, as a volunteer, a teacher or by donating. Thank you and Namaste.
Patty
Patty joined AYC in 2019 after her Yoga therapy teacher training as she would like to put the theory she learnt into practice. Yoga therapy for pain patients is one of the projects she has joined since 2019. She is very impressed with how consistent the participants are with their regular practice. This group is very unique to her, they have different pain issues for various reasons, such as operations and chronic pain, but one thing in common is that they are all very open-minded. They are committed to learn breathing techniques, stretching and strengthening poses together under the guidance of Dr Yogananth Andiappan. After each class, participants look relieved and more confident. Patty encourages everyone to practice yoga for the great benefits and welcomes volunteers to assist.
Jenny
Jenny is volunteering in the Sai Kung project for the financially disadvantaged group. As a graduate of the Yoga Teacher Training at Anahata, she believes that her learning never ends. She is really happy that AYC provides graduates a great opportunity to stay connected and to deepen the practice in the world of yoga through teaching and sharing. She is delighted to meet the participants for the one hour practice every weekend and to see them coming and leaving with beautiful smiles. Participants come with different physical conditions and skills, but through the efforts everyone makes during the class, volunteers are able to develop a meaningful connection with the community. Jenny is really grateful to be a part of AYC. Namaste!
Carol
Carol 加入了AYC3年多，參與了不同的瑜伽義教活動：分別有低收入人士項目，主要針對一群未能承擔瑜伽班學費的人士；戒毒所婦女項目，由於她們在戒毒期間需要留在戒毒所，因此提供了網上課堂；而在這兩年疫情期間亦發展了一個免費的網上瑜伽班及給所有人士參加。AYC服務範圍非常廣泛，小朋友，青少年，老人家，醫院的痛症病患等。
Carol最開心是加入AYC之後，可以藉着很多機會分享她喜歡的瑜伽，教學同時帶給她很多的啟發同反思。她認為最大得著是能夠接觸到很多社會不同階層的人，這些朋友可能正在面對着不同的問題，例如身體上，精神上或日常生活經濟上衍生的問題。教瑜伽的過程當中，可以了解到他們的需要從而安排適合他們的瑜伽練習，幫助他們鍛鍊身體，甚至減輕痛症和減壓。
Carol更形容大家一起練習的過程當中能夠分享箇中的喜樂是非常難得。在此歡迎任何有興趣服務這個社會的瑜伽老師加入AYC，或有需要的人士透過AYC這個團體接觸瑜伽。
Vienna
Vienna 2019年加入AYC大家庭，短短3年間也參予了不少義教項目, 當中有弱勢社群（有經濟負擔而未能承擔一般瑜伽班費用的人), 老人家及小朋友等。而義教老人家令Vienna感受最深刻。她分享：參予課堂的年長朋友們由60-90多歲不等，身體狀況因為已不再和年輕時一樣，常容易感到自卑和失去動力。課堂會特別為他們設計較多的呼吸方法，伸展放鬆及強化肌肉等動作。透過每星期的瑜伽班，學生們的痛症和情緒不但得到舒緩，亦變得積極和開朗，有目標，並期待上下一個課堂。見到同學身體和心靈上的改變對於義教老師來説是一份非常之珍貴的禮物。
義教旅程中很喜悅，因為常會聽到很多因為瑜伽而健康或人生變得更好的故事，因此Vienna誠邀和鼓勵有心成為瑜伽導師及想透過瑜伽去幫助社區的更多的人參予AYC。AYC是一個令Vienna 非常熱愛和引以為傲的一個團體。
Patsy
Pasty 於2019年2月開始加入AYC，協助教導伊利沙伯醫院的痛症舒緩瑜伽班。本身是一個瑜伽治療的學生，亦是一位瑜伽導師。跟了Dr Yogananth Andiappan 學習後，對教學有更深的體會和對痛症病人有更深的了解。除了在老師的教學層面有所提升，更重要的是看到病人及學生的堅持。令她深信瑜伽可以幫到不同類型、不同階層的人。學生的進步對她來說是最大的鼓舞。過往亦接觸過很多不同類型的學生如痛症、心臟病、癌症、疾病復康中和中風病人等，最大的啟發是看到瑜伽的好處給予他們持之以恆的動力。而老師用心教學的動力亦是來自學生正面的轉變。衷心希望這個課程可以讓更多有需要的人能夠接觸到瑜珈。在此感謝師父成立這個非牟利機構讓老師們有所得着，能夠接觸到不同背景的學生，希望老師們能夠把瑜伽推廣到社區當中，和鼓勵大眾堅持練習瑜伽！
Fiona
Fiona 在2019年參與AYC這個大家庭。最初參與的項目是乳癌康復者的瑜伽班及後有伊利沙伯醫院的項目包括痛症病人的舒緩瑜伽班等。當中幫到病人故知然快樂，而在Dr Yogananth Andiappan的帶領下自己亦獲益良多。她還記得當初第一次在醫院接觸中風病人的經驗，有感無從入手，想像不到原來將課堂的理念帶到實踐當中也不容易。在師傅的帶領下，教學實踐不斷進步。另外，Fiona提及最開心和鼓舞是看到同學們的堅持和他們的進步，感受到他們正面的改變。Fiona希望大家有機會接觸瑜伽，亦十分感謝AYC給予大家透過這個機會提供免費瑜伽課程給不同階層的人。
Queen Elizabeth Hospital patients’ Interview
治療瑜伽班-痛症病人分享
Stephen 梁先生
參與了這個痛症瑜伽班已經接近四年。他形容課程非常適合他，大大舒緩身體的痛症如腰酸背痛，亦改善了氣管和關節問題。不但令他行動更靈活，並感到精神飽滿。在此衷心感謝各位老師及校長的用心教導。希望大家有機會能夠接觸和感受瑜伽的好處。
阿冰
不知不覺參加了這個瑜伽班已經幾年，起初腰痛問題非常嚴重，走路亦感到困難，行動不方便。練習瑜伽後，感到大大改善，痛症逐漸減低；手腳更靈活，走路步伐更穩定。非常感謝老師！
Sandy 陳女士
練習瑜伽已經三年多了，起初手腳以及肋骨都有痛症問題，接觸瑜伽後感到問題得以改善，身體學懂伸展，而且手腳變得靈活自如。每一次來到上課都很開心和滿足，因為老師的讚賞給予我們很多自信，亦看到自己的進步。非常感激校長和各位老師！
Irene 葉女士
很高興參加了這個痛症舒緩瑜伽班，還記得第一個課程在2019年5月至7月。當初以為只是上兩個月，誰不知後來喜歡上瑜伽，到現在仍然有繼續參與。衷心感到這個瑜伽練習的得着很大，身體本來很多地方都有痛症如頸、腰、腳等，練習後一一得以改善。多謝校長的耐心教導和鼓勵，及各位老師用心指導如何進入伸展動作及協助更正錯誤的姿勢。每個星期五都很渴望上這個瑜伽班，特別珍惜這1小時的練習。希望有需要的人能夠參與和分享箇中的快樂！
張女士
身體有痛症已經20多年，參加這個瑜伽課程後，可以做到日常生活的基本技能，比如彎腰拾東西。非常感恩所有老師的貼心指導。
阿倫
曾經因椎間盤突出的問題做過手術，手術後仍然感到痛楚。當時伊利沙伯醫院建議他參與這個瑜伽班，經過這些年的練習，真心覺得有改善，並建議痛症病人參與這個課程得以舒緩身體的問題。
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