If you think yoga is for someone more flexible than you, Bendigo's Yoga Festival might prove you wrong.
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The two day festival has been designed to suit all abilities.
Classes range from yoga workshops, to sound baths and mindfulness.
Instructor Gina Macauley has practised yoga for about 30 years. She has been teaching for 10, at Yoga Hara in Bendigo.
"Yoga had a very powerful and profound effect on my life, and I just wanted to share that with other people," Ms Mcauley said.
"I wanted to share with people the benefits that I received from yoga.
"People are often surprised that yoga is more than just movement."
Yoga helped Ms Macauley heal after experiencing physical and emotional trauma.
She believes yoga can change the lives of others also, whether that is healing trauma or helping with back pain.
People are often surprised that yoga is more than just movement.
- Gina Macauley
"Yoga helped me heal from trauma.The mindfulness, meditation, all the parts of trauma just helped me to feel whole again," Ms Macauley said.
"The trauma separated me from who I really was, yoga helped me to reintegrate myself."
Ms Macauley integrates several styles of teaching in her yoga.
She found that no single style suits her best all the time. At times she might need a gentler style of practise, at times a stronger style.
It welcomes the student to practise in the way they need at that moment.
"Students say all kinds of things to me, from simple things to like suddenly their back-pain is less or nonexistent, to things like helping them with trauma to making life decisions," Ms Macauley said.
Event organiser Rosie Richards said the festival catered to a real variety of people, from teenagers to parents, and older men and women.
It was inspired in part when her father began to practise yoga, as well as herself and her mother.
"We're all different types of people with different needs," Ms Richards said.
The festival caters for a diverse group, with a variety of instructors.
Those who are less mobile, but may still want to stretch, have the chance to try accessible yoga.
Bendigo Yoga Festival March 23-24, more information at: bendigo.yogafestival.com.au
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