Relieving stress and calming the mind before a festive rush served another purpose for attendees of a free meditation series at Napier's Yin Yoga.
People were able to "give back" by donating a koha of tinned food, in order to stock the shelves at Napier Food Bank during a busy time of year. The new initiative was well received and showed a generosity and willingness to help others, which is why Yin Yoga director Carol Neilson hopes to make it a regular fixture.
"When the three of us sat down to talk about where the koha should go, the two young mothers said they know how hard it can be around Christmas time. The foodbank was our choice because it catered to the whole family," she said.
Over five weeks they gathered boxes of canned food and also presents for children.
It was a humbling experience for Ms Neilson, who witnessed people bringing donations even though they were unable to attend the meditation classes.