South Tyneside's first yoga studio opens in South Shields and you could be eligible for a free pass

Love2Yoga @ The Yoga Basement, which was set up by yoga teacher Dionne Myers, opened its doors in September and aims to make the practice accessible to everyone.

Dionne, 38, who lives in Marsden, was hooked when she attended her first class at Temple Park 17 years ago and has now been teaching yoga in South Shields since 2013.

After being made redundant from her job as a national account manager for a health and safety firm two years ago, the mum-of-two decided to pursue teaching full-time.

“I took the opportunity to do what I was passionate about, which was yoga,” said Dionne.

“Over the last year it has really taken off, so it’s nice to have a base to bring all the teacher’s together to support each other and create a bit more of a hub.

“We’re quite strict that its a space just for yoga.”

The studio currently has eight teachers and offers a range of classes and yoga styles including Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga and Iyengar, as well as a range of price points, from drop-ins to fully-fledged memberships.

“There’s so much need for yoga, not just physically but mentally,” said Dionne.

“Through teaching and creating a community I saw how much it helped people with anxiety and depression.”

She added: “We did a yoga retreat a couple of weeks ago which brought women together who would probably wouldn’t speak to each other in the street and they’re now good friends, which is really special.”

In a bid to help everyone experience the benefits, Dionne has introduced the studio’s first community project, offering a six month free pass to a resident who is currently unemployed or on long-term sick leave.

“We want to make it available to people who wouldn’t normally come,” explained Dionne.

“This pass is for someone who knows that yoga would help them but who might not know how to start or might not be able to afford it. They can write us a quick letter or nominate a friend or family member explaining why they would benefit.”