120 Sun Salutations for Megan’s Space

At 2pm on Sunday 20 September, we’ll be taking on 120 Sun Salutations to raise money for Megan’s Space, as part of their September of Hope campaign.

Usually, when yoga teachers and studios take on a Sun Salutation challenge like this, the number is 108. There are lots of different explanations and traditions around the number 108 in yoga, and it has become a familiar number for this kind of practice and that is what we had initially planned to do. If you want to read more about that, you can click on this link.

Initially we were going to do 108 Sun Salutations as well. However, Megan’s Space is aiming to raise £30,000 during September to provide initial support packages for 120 young people across Ayrshire who need support with their mental health. So we decided that our challenge should reflect the number of young people at the heart of their campaign. They have already raised £5000 through their crowdfunder and personal donations made directly to the charity.

The people taking part will complete 108 Sun Salutations, Sonja will lead everyone through 54 Sun Saluations A and I will lead everyone through 108 Sivananda Sun Salutations.

Sonja and I will commit to doing an additional 12 at the end, bringing our total to 120. We decided that you can either join us or cheer us on for the last 12 and that you can decide which sun salutations we do!

It will take around two hours, but this isn't about racing through 120 rounds or proving how bendy, strong or yoga-ish you are. People can take breaks, modify the movements and work at their own pace. We're simply coming together to do something challenging, meaningful and useful.

Why Megan’s Space?

Megan’s Space is a charity that is particularly close to my heart.

I was lucky enough to meet Megan when she was a young woman with her whole life ahead of her. She was intelligent, strong and independent, and was studying to become a mental health nurse at the University of the West of Scotland. Her mum, Jenny is a dear friend of mine.

Megan died in 2019 after several years of struggling with hormonal and mental dysfunction.

After her death her family decided to create Megan’s Space as a solution to the lack of specialist support available and unreasonable waiting lists, to help others who are struggling with their mental health and provide timely and effective interventions that can offer hope and recovery  to both the young person and the community supporting that young person alike.

The charity tells us that around 120 new young people come to them each month from across North, South and East Ayrshire, needing support with their mental health and wellbeing.

Their September of Hope campaign is aiming to raise £30,000 to help fund the initial support package for each of those 120 young people. Each package costs around £250.

So our 120 Sun Salutations are really about those 120 young people.

Doing something together

One of the things I love about having a yoga studio is that it creates a community.

Mental health can be incredibly isolating, and one of the things that good support can provide is the feeling that you don't have to deal with everything on your own.

One of the things that really makes me feel a huge sense of self-worth is when people tell me that our studio has been a safe place for them when they're dealing with difficult times in their lives. In the blog I did about 108 sun salutations, I delve a little into collective effervescence - "when people come together, pay attention to the same thing, act in unison (chanting, singing, dancing, gesturing, protesting) it produces a bunch of effects that are described as self-transcendent (a category of positive emotions — compassion, awe, gratitude, appreciation, inspiration, admiration, elevation, and love as cited in this paper by Jonathon Haidt)."

So on Sunday, we'll be moving, breathing, and sweating together, taking breaks when we need them, and hopefully raising some money along the way.

And then, when everyone else has completed their 108, Sonja and I will carry on for those final 12.

120 young people.120 Sun Salutations.One local community coming together to support Megan’s Space.

Participants are donating the cost of the workshop to Megan's Space. If you can't join us but you'd still like to donate to our contribution for the 108 Sun Salutations, you can do so here: https://buy.stripe.com/9B68wQd9K0sm4wY2pZfrW00