After Charlene McAuley’s aunt died from COVID last November aged just 51, she decided it was time to try to do something to help fight the illness: She’d use yoga.
Charlene, who grew up in Manchester, has been a passionate advocate for the discipline and its benefits – having taught yoga since 2012 and worked with Everton FC’s first team for seven years; assisting injured players with rehabilitation.
Given how yoga has been used to help sufferers of asthma and other respiratory illnesses, Charlene thought these exercises could also benefit those infected with the lingering after-effects of coronavirus – an ailment now known as ‘long COVID’.
With the help of Dr Christoph Seiland, her dedicated ‘Yoga for Long COVID’ classes were born.
“What I love so much about practising and also about teaching yoga is that when it’s really practiced in its truest way it can be applicable to everybody so long as they want to practice it,” Charlene told The Manc.
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“For me, it’s really helped with my anxiety and helped create this sense of equilibrium, this sense of calm that I didn’t have before I started practising.”
ONS statistics statistics recorded in May revealed that an estimated one million people in the UK are currently suffering from long COVID.
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The most common symptoms of the condition include fatigue, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Sufferers can often do little exercise and struggle with simple tasks such as climbing the stairs.
The Yoga for Long COVID programme is a six-part online course designed for recovery – and participants can do the classes at their own pace, whenever they feel ready.
Sessions are mostly chair-based and start off with very gentle movements, meaning those suffering with constant fatigue can still participate.
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Charlene set up the course to help sufferers of long COVID
Charlene wants to make sure the course is accessible to everyone and is offering the classes for free for those who cannot afford them.
“This course is about giving people the tools to empower themselves to help themselves to get better and giving them something they can do which will hopefully make them feel more in control of their condition and confident to do more,” she said.
Charlene emphasised that people should not sign up for the course before consulting their doctor or before any underlying health conditions that could be causing their symptoms have been ruled out.
The programme is, however, a solution for long COVID sufferers who have been told by their physician to do light workouts and breathing exercises.
Charlene stated the course is also applicable to sufferers of asthma or chronic fatigue syndrome.
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If participants complete the sessions and feel confident enough to try something more challenging, Charlene has a library of yoga classes available on her website and also teaches live classes online.
Charlene’s yoga sessions are gentle and light – meaning those suffering from fatigue can still participate
As part of her research into the benefits of practising yoga to help treat long COVID, Charlene consulted with Dr Selina Dunn, a GP specialising in system pain management.
“I think what’s important for me is that, in medicine, there are so many things out there that could potentially work that we don’t have evidence for yet. I think this is one of them. I really believe that this could help,” Selina explained.
“It’s just so sad to see that a year down the line there are people still suffering.”
Selina is involved with a group researching long COVID and hopes to use Charlene’s programme by contrast a group of long COVID sufferers who have taken part in the programme with people who haven’t – comparing how classes affect breathing, confidence and emotional wellbeing.
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The Yoga for long COVID programme is in its infancy and has only been available for the past few weeks, but Charlene reports that those who have signed so far have praised its approachability.
The incredible Asian food market held every month at an 800-year-old church in Stockport
Daisy Jackson
One of Greater Manchester’s most unique food events is taking place monthly in and around the grounds of an 800-year-old church.
Held on the second Friday of every month at St Mary’s Church in Stockport, the Asian Food Market brings together some of the region’s best independent Asian street food traders under one historic roof.
Organised by Eat Good West, the event brings together 16 traders every month, serving up dishes from across Asia.
Visitors can tuck into everything from crispy Taiwanese fried chicken and Korean corn dogs to homemade strawberry mochi.
A real highlight is the Japanese yakitori skewers, grilled fresh to order on a traditional charcoal grill while you wait, served in a cloud of smoke and delicious charred edges.
The market originally launched in Edgeley, but after growing in popularity it moved to St Mary’s around a year ago, giving organisers more space to accommodate the increasing crowds.
For the team behind the event, it’s about more than just great food. They see the market as a way of bringing together Stockport’s diverse communities, creating a space where people can connect over shared meals and discover new cultures through food.
Strawberry mochiA round of drinks for £10Sticky fried chicken
There’s a lively atmosphere throughout the evening, with live music performances adding to the experience. And if Manchester’s unpredictable weather makes an appearance, there’s plenty of additional seating inside the church.
The bar also serves a selection of Asian beers and soft drinks at surprisingly affordable prices. We picked up an Asahi, a Singha and a plum beer for just £10 – one of the best-value rounds we’ve seen in a while.
If you’re looking for an excuse to spend your Friday evening eating your way across Asia without leaving Stockport, this is one event worth putting in the diary.
The former pub in Hulme that’s now a haven for salvaged mid-century treasures
Daisy Jackson
If you’ve ever wondered where old stained-glass windows, vintage toilets, and dazzling chandeliers go when they’re rescued from demolition, the answer is probably Insitu Manchester.
Standing on Chester Road in Hulme, Insitu occupies the former Turville pub, a Grade II listed Victorian building dating back to around 1870.
What was once a neighbourhood boozer is now one of Manchester’s most fascinating places to browse, packed to the rafters with architectural salvage, antiques, and quirky design pieces.
Spread across three floors, every room feels like a treasure hunt. One minute you’re admiring an elegant fireplace, the next you’re standing in front of a huge stained-glass church window wondering if it would fit in your downstairs loo.
The real showstopper is upstairs. The former billiards room has been transformed into a bright, sunlit showroom that feels more like an art gallery than a salvage yard.
Founded in 1984 as a business specialising in reclaimed doors and fireplaces, Insitu has spent more than four decades saving beautiful objects from being lost forever.
Today, its stock ranges from reclaimed timber flooring and cast-iron radiators to stained glass, doors and other architectural features.
The former billiards room is now a beautiful showroomA beautiful mid-century tiled tableVintage sinks and toiletsIncredible stained glass windows at InsituA room packed with mid-century treasure at Insitu in ManchesterPaintings, stained glass, and ornate furnitureThe outside of Insitu in Hulme, ManchesterA glimpse inside Insitu in ManchesterA glimpse inside Insitu in Manchester
During our visit, we spotted a mid-century tiled coffee table, ornate chandeliers, vintage glass lampshades, paintings and fireplaces.
But perhaps the most unexpected room was downstairs, where an entire collection of antique sinks and vintage toilets is displayed. Who knew a loo could be so beautiful?
Part of the fun is that you never quite know what you’ll find around the next corner. Every item has a story, and many have been carefully rescued from buildings that no longer exist.
Come for the fireplaces, stay for the vintage toilets. Trust us.
Olivia Stringer -
12th June 2021 
