2 June 2021

Breathworks has been awarded funding from Manchester City Council's Covid Impact Fund to run a Take Back Your Life course for disadvantaged adults in Manchester. The free course, which is run online across eight weeks, teaches key mindfulness and compassion skills to those suffering with disability, pain, stress, or chronic illness.

The Take Back Your Life course was first developed by Tareshvari (Tish) Robinson and Kalyanavaca Fowler as a more accessible version of the Breathworks' Mindfulness for Health course. This version has been tailored to support those with health conditions who have been made especially vulnerable to the changes resulting from Covid-19. As well benefiting from evidence-backed mindfulness and compassion approaches, participants will have the opportunity to connect with a community in a supported online space. 

Four courses, which will be fully complimentary to those eligible living in the Manchester area, will be run online in summer and autumn 2021. To apply to join, or to find out more, please email [email protected] or call 0161 834 1110 (and ask for Karen or Colin).

The Breathworks' Take Back Your Life course is for:

• Those with a disability of any kind
• Those with a chronic health condition
• People of colour with the above conditions 
• Adults above the age of 65

"Breathworks are honoured to be chosen by Manchester City Council's Covid Impact Fund in what turned out to be a very competitive bidding process. The success of our bid shows the Council's dedication in valuing the importance of supportive measures for the community's health and wellbeing. We are proud to be running this project in partnership with Disabled Living, who have been providing expert support for people living with disabilities since 1903", says Colin Duff, Breathworks Business and Research Manager. 

Results from a previous Take Back Your Life course (in research conducted by University of Leeds) found that following the course participants reported:

• Reduced pain intensity 
• Reduced medication use 
• Improved ability to self-manage condition 
• Increased ability to return to work/participate within the community 

"I used to think ‘I’m the only one with pain’, and feel a bit ashamed. Now I realise I’m not the only one who suffers with pain... there’s a connection with others.  I feel OK walking with my stick now.  Before I wanted to hide it somewhere so people wouldn’t judge me. I can laugh about that now! I’m not alone."

- Dorita, Take Back Your Life Participant 2019