YAMA'S Ambassador: Catrin Anderson

Believe you can do anything.

Catrin first started yoga when she was a part of the “Art In Your Life | Yoga In Your Heart” yoga therapy and expressive arts therapy programme run by The Joshua Hellmann Foundation. Since then she continued with individual adaptive yoga therapy classes with Hersha, and then moved to the small group Accessible Yoga (Chair / Wheelchair) class.

Catrin suffered from poor mental health, as many people with disabilities have a higher incidence of poor mental health due to the social stigma, discrimination and ultimately exclusion. YAMA recognised her enthusiasm and saw how the yoga and mindfulness-based interventions shifted her whole persona.

Since then she has become certified to teach accessible yoga. With this qualification, she toured with Hersha in Hong Kong co-presenting Accessibility Awareness talks and workshops. In addition, she travelled to Sydney to present at the Alternative and Augmentative Communication Conference, where she led an Accessible Yoga class for her peers. Catrin has created a unique blog called “Shift Yourself Now” which is designed to help people just like herself cope with mental health challenges using yoga and mindfulness techniques.

Below Catrin shares her yoga journey in her own words:

I am Catrin Anderson. I am from Hong Kong and I love to travel, listen to music, do yoga and hang out with my family and friends. 

I first started doing yoga in 2015, with Hersha at Cornwall School. I also did yoga at Jockey Club Sarah Roe School (JCSRS).

Nowadays, I go to Hersha’s house on a Wednesday morning for a private yoga session.

On Monday evenings, I do yoga with a small group of young people in Sai Ying Pun, which is part of YAMA Foundation’s community classes.

Recently, I got my Accessible Yoga certificate.

I am an ambassador for the YAMA Foundation. I help Hersha with demonstrations, fundraising and spreading the word about Accessible Yoga.

I love to do yoga, it helps me to relax. 

It gives me energy. 

The breathing exercises help me relax my body and mind.