An inspiring Glasgow woman who has helped young people in the city through yoga is now launching free sessions for teens this summer.
Shawlands local Aileen Lynn has an impressive track record of strengthening youngsters' mental health and fitness, and inspiring them to help others through exercise.
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Speaking with the Glasgow Times, the 34-year-old who works with charities and in studios teaching, said: "I worked with girls in schools and charities who were often struggling with anxiety, not attending classes or feeling self-conscious.
"I did a 10-week block with them and even from the second week all the girls were embracing it.
"There are a lot of misconceptions about yoga but once the girls started, I started hearing such amazing, impactful things.
"The girls were saying that they didn't realise they were so strong, didn't realise they could listen to their inner voices and sit quietly.
"But, the best thing that has come out of the teaching is girls leaving the classes at school and going home to teach their mums who have stress some yoga moves and teaching their sisters doing exams some breath works.
"I realised the ripple effect and impact of what I am doing."
Now, Aileen has organised a six-week block of free yoga classes for young teens aged 13 to 19 in the city.
The one-hour classes, which will take place at the reset studio in Kinning Park every Wednesday at 1pm, aim to help local youngsters gain confidence in themselves and their athletic ability, and promote social media detoxing.
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As she suffered from body issues and confidence as a teen, Aileen also hopes the sessions will help teens going through the same struggles feel better.
She said: "I found it tough growing up as a teen.
"I had body issues and always wanted to change and I didn't have the added stress of social media that so many girls have. Social media, a lot of the time, just leaves girls with anxiety and issues about their shape and size.
"So, I wanted to start these classes to empower young girls. I want to encourage them to take up space, know their own worth and appreciate their body.
"Yoga teaches us that we have everything we need already, we don't need to lose weight or worry about our bodies, we just need to get the distractions away and that's what I hope to do with these classes."
Due to her work with local charities, Aileen has ensured that the classes, which will kick off on Wednesday, July 5, are as accessible as possible.
She added: "I work a lot with people and family who are on very low incomes, which meant it was important for me to make the classes accessible.
"I want it to be that girls have access to these spaces and feel as though they belong in them."
To ensure accessibility, spaces for the girls have been funded by charities, as well as past Yogi bears.
Aileen explained that after telling the older adults in her other classes about the initiative to fund a child's yoga lessons, a range of them signed up as they themselves 'wished they had found yoga as a teen'.
The upcoming classes will be limited to around 10-15 people.
If you want to book a place for the classes, you can email Aileen at moodteenyoga@gmail.com
You can use Mood Yoga's WEBSITE to find out more information about the classes.
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