Homework or Handstands: Risky Play in Dundee Schools
Heart Space has offered kids yoga classes on Scott Street for over 12 years, carrying on a legacy of the building when it was a soft play centre for kids. Initially, our Young Yogis Project had one class per week, led by Finlay, and then a programme in local schools at Ancrum Primary, St Josephs, Victoria Park, and Menzieshill Primary.
Now, we have four kids and family classes a week at our home base with a mix of yoga, aerial yoga, and aerial silks. Since 2024, we have expanded our work with our Community Outreach and Engagement team by going into schools all over Dundee, shifting the priority away from our direct postcode.
In our first year, we engaged with over 1300 kids in schools and 344 family attendees across nurseries and schools across Tayside.
Andi joined us in May 2025 and has been deepening our engagement with schools across the North East of Dundee and connecting with secondary education. Recently, Andi completed a block at Rowantree Primary and the kids filled in a questionaire at the end, we wanted you to get the word from them:
Based on the feedback from the P5b class at Rowantree Primary School, here are the most impactful and positive highlights condensed for your case study:
1. The Emotional Transformation
The most powerful "best bits" are the shifts in how the children felt before and after their sessions with Andi:
From Hesitation to Enthusiasm: One student, Tyreece, noted he felt "not wanting to do it" before yoga, but "wanting to do it" afterward.
Finding Calm: Casey-Jane described feeling "happy and calm" before, which deepened into feeling "happy, calm, focus and relaxed" after the session.
Building Confidence: Robert shared that he felt "nervous" before starting, but ended the session feeling "relaxed".
2. The Impact of Andi’s Teaching
The children’s feedback highlights the supportive and peaceful environment Andi created:
A Peaceful Presence: Eko shared, "She was so kind like she was peace and it was like exploring new stuff".
Kindness and Fun: Jessica noted, "She is really nice and we get to have fun".
3. The Joy of the Challenge
The children took immense pride in learning new, difficult physical skills:
Mastering the "Impossible": Handstands and "The Crow" pose were massive highlights, with Jessica explaining she loved handstands "because I can get better at them".
Growth Mindset: One student noted they loved the tree pose because "it will help my balance and I will get better and better".
Physical Benefits: Both Eko and Ryan noted a clear shift from feeling "not flexible" to "more flexible".
4. Unfiltered Positivity
Pure Enjoyment: Casey-Jane wrote, "I loved every single bit of it," while Bailey simply stated, "I like every thing".
A Bittersweet End: One participant summed up the impact perfectly, saying they felt "sad because it ended but I still enjoyed it".
Why We Are Fighting to Save This
As many of you know, this work is currently under threat. The funding that allows us to go to the carers, rather than asking them to come to us, is at risk.
When we talk about our £50,000 shortfall, we aren't just talking about a budget line. We are talking about the "at home self-care practices" that these carers have just started to learn. We are talking about the "spiritual, mental, and physical" lifeline that 90 people in this block alone relied upon. We created recordings specifically so groups like this can continue their practice at home, giving our time together some real longevity.
If our outreach programme ends on April 1st, these "nourishing environments" disappear.
How You Can Help
We have until September to ensure that the next group of carers in Dundee gets the same opportunity to breathe, heal, and find strength.
Share this story to show the impact our team—Rachel, Andi, and Min—has on the ground.
Advocate for us. Tell your local leaders that preventative health services for carers are not a "luxury"—they are a necessity for a healthy Dundee.
Thank you for helping us keep these mats rolled out for those who need them most.