22nd January 2015
Dear ELYA Member
Wishing all ELYA members and their families a very happy new year for 2015. And what a special one it is going to be. It's ELYA's birthday! 40 years of offering yoga workshops and seminars to the people of the Lothians and the surrounding areas. We have as always some excellent tutors planned and I hope that you can make it to one or more seminars this year to help us celebrate in style.
The theme for 2015 is appropriately "Celebrate Life with Yoga". The seminars planned are:
· Feb 22nd with Hanna Casement at WHEC (Wester Hailes Education Centre). The AGM will take place at lunch time and the cost is £25 / £28 for members / non-members. This includes the usual delicious hot vegetarian lunch. Last time I checked with Sharday there were just a couple of spaces left so you need to be quick if you want to come along and have not booked and paid yet.
· March 28th will be an introduction to Aerial Yoga with Gillian Watt at Crags Sports Centre in Edinburgh. £20 for a three hour morning session, lunch not included. If you have not tried it before you should, it's great fun!
· May 10th with Wendy Teasdill at the Gillis Centre in Edinburgh. £25 / £28 and lunch not included.
· September 5th with Adam Shepherd at WHEC. £25 / £28 with lunch included.
· October 31st with Carol Godridge at WHEC. £24 / £28 with lunch included. This will be a joint celebration with BWY Scotland.
That's an amazing line up of tutors and all can be booked with Sharday, our Bookings Secretary, on or 0758 466 8027. There is much more information on these events on the website www.elya.org.uk.
ELYA Committee
The committee is made up of volunteers, karma yogis if you like. Currently there are 8 of us, with 6 of the roles being specific and 2 being general. Some of the committee members will be standing down in February 2015 so if you wish to do some karma yoga with us as a volunteer these are the opportunities:
Treasurer, role currently filled by Moira Hatch
Webmaster, role currently filled by Vicky Alexander
Secretary, role currently filled by Emma Giles
General committee member, for anyone wanting to volunteer generally
We would love to welcome some people who feel they have time and energy to offer and would like to develop into these roles. No need to be experts, or know much about yoga. It's a learning experience and unlikely to take up more than an hour or so on average per week, if even that. Let me know if I can get you any further information that will help you to decide and these roles are available from February 2015.
The next committee meeting will be on January 24th. We will be deciding tutors for 2016 and a theme so if you have any suggestions, please let us know.
Review of 2014
All seminars for 2014 were fully booked and sold out. Tina Gilbert, Cathy Swan, Maggie McKeen and Bijam (Jenni Connaughton) all treated us to their wisdom during the year. On every level I would say that 2014 was a success. It was good to get further away from all the uncertainty about whether or not the charity was viable. If you supported us by joining as a member or coming along to one or more seminars I am very grateful. Please do continue to support ELYA in whatever you can and don't forget the power of recommendations. If you are a yoga teacher or have friends who enjoy yoga please tell them about ELYA.
We have a Facebook page "Edinburgh & Lothians Yoga Association". Updates go on it and you can advertise your yoga events here if you like. It has 88 likes so far!
That's all I have to say for now. I will be at Hanna's day on the 22nd February so do come along and say hello. On behalf of the ELYA Committee, I look forward to seeing you at one or more of the above seminars and wish you all the best for 2015.
With best wishes
Nicola Bourke
Chair, ELYA
07766 174462
Registered Charity Number SC002987 e-mail: Website www.elya.org.uk
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