As of 1/11/23, the "Take Back Your Life" project is managed by Happy in Your Body (HiYB) Community Interest Company, led by one of the project founders, Anna (Tish) Robinson. For more information, or referrals, please check their website.
Take Back Your Life is a simplified version of the multi-award-winning Breathworks ‘Mindfulness for Health’ 8-week course, developed by Vidyamala / Pru Birch. It is suitable and inclusive of people with lower incomes and different levels of English language and literacy skills. It is offered free of charge and gives participants tools, knowledge and skills to live well with chronic pain and/or health conditions. Following the success of two pilot courses, Take Back Your Life was awarded funding by Tower Hamlets Council’s Local Community Fund, running from October 2019 until March 2023. We also received funding from Queen Adelaide’s Charity towards additional complementary health scholarships, which will be awarded next year.
We work with Tower Hamlets residents suffering from chronic pain and illness, which has included people struggling to cope with the general effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as those with long Covid. We have reached a diverse cross-section of the community, including Bangladeshi, Caribbean, Chinese, Tamil, Turkish, Somali, White British, continental European and Pakistani communities.
“Before the course I could only walk 5 to 10 mins… I would make sure my walk wasn’t too far from home in case the pain got unbearable. I wouldn’t go out on my own. I was scared my body would collapse. Now I can walk pain free on my own for up to 30 minutes.”
Benefits experienced by participants:
increased ability to manage pain
increased sense of calm and relaxation
reduced pain symptoms
reduced dependency on medication
knowledge of tools to calm the mind
feeling kinder towards themselves and their pain
increased sense of social connection
increased feelings of connection to others in their community
increased embodiment
more appreciative of beauty and nature
feeling more able to pace activities in life so they are manageable.
relief
acceptance
Monitoring data has shown statistically significant improvements in participants’ levels of pain experienced, pain discomfort, ability to manage pain self, level of catastrophising about pain, and level of mindfulness skills.
Find out more
Learn more about the project on the Happy In Your Body website.
“It’s a very valuable service, and I would recommend other people to do it. It really does help. ”
“I have injections in my back and all sorts of problems in my spine, so I have to motivate myself all the time. But the mindfulness… I breathe better. Before, I’m not taking the full breaths. You’re rushing, it’s a hundred miles an hour life we live in London ain’t it? Now, it’s just relaxed.”