By Lauren Urquhart, Family Support Collaborative Coordinator
As part of World Meditation Day and Mental Health Awareness Month, we’re highlighting the importance of creating space for rest, reflection, and wellbeing within our communities.
At the Family Wellbeing Hubs across Clackmannanshire, free wellbeing sessions are helping parents, carers, and family members slow down, reconnect with themselves, and prioritise their mental and emotional wellbeing.
We spoke to Lauren Urquhart, Family Support Collaborative Coordinator, about her journey into yoga and meditation, the impact these practices can have on stress and anxiety, and why accessible wellbeing support matters.
Supporting Family Wellbeing in Clackmannanshire
My role involves developing and coordinating the Family Wellbeing Hubs across Clackmannanshire. These hubs provide parents, carers, and family members with a safe and welcoming environment where they can access support, guidance, and early intervention when needed.
I also support the Family Support Collaborative to work in partnership across Clackmannanshire, helping to reduce barriers to support and identify gaps in local services for families.
One of the most rewarding parts of my role is facilitating wellbeing sessions focused on gentle yoga, meditation, breathwork, and relaxation. These sessions take place every Friday at the Blue Hoose Hub, and due to positive feedback from attendees, we are now expanding with a new session launching every three weeks at the Alva Hub.
The sessions are designed to give family members dedicated time and space to focus on their own wellbeing. Importantly, they are completely free to attend, helping to reduce financial barriers to wellbeing support.
Each session includes guided meditation, mindful breathing, gentle yoga flow, and a deeply relaxing sound immersion practice. Together, these elements help support relaxation, grounding, emotional wellbeing, and a stronger connection between mind and body.
“The sessions are designed to give family members dedicated time and space to focus on their own wellbeing.”
A Personal Journey into Yoga and Meditation
My own journey into yoga and meditation began in 2015 when I started training in Reiki. Over time, this led me to explore other healing practices, including Shamanic training and Seasonal Yoga Teacher Training.
Through these experiences, I discovered that yoga is about far more than movement or flexibility — at its core, it is about calming the mind and reconnecting with ourselves.
This understanding shapes the sessions I now teach. I combine yoga with meditation, energy work, sound immersion, and seasonal themes inspired by nature to create a calming and supportive environment for participants.
Many people arrive feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or nervous that they are “not flexible enough” for yoga. I always reassure them that yoga is not about achieving difficult poses.
“Yoga is not about flexibility. It is about calming the mind and reconnecting with yourself.”
How Meditation and Mindfulness Can Help Mental Health
Practices such as meditation, mindful breathing, gentle yoga, and relaxation techniques can help support people in managing stress and anxiety by calming both the mind and body.
Slow breathing and mindful movement help regulate the nervous system and encourage relaxation, while guided meditation can quieten racing thoughts and create a greater sense of calm and self-awareness.
For many people, these sessions also provide something increasingly rare: uninterrupted time to pause.
The feedback from attendees has been incredibly positive. People often say they feel calmer afterwards, better able to cope with everyday stress, and more connected to themselves. Some are surprised by how quiet and still their minds can become during the sessions.
Others have continued practising at home because they want to maintain the benefits they experience.
“Sometimes the simplest practices can have the biggest impact.”
Why World Meditation Day Matters
For me, World Meditation Day — especially alongside Mental Health Awareness Month — is an important reminder that wellbeing should be accessible to everyone.
In a world where many people feel constantly overwhelmed, practices such as meditation, yoga, breathwork, and relaxation can provide valuable moments of calm, reflection, and healing.
It is also about breaking down barriers and reminding people that wellbeing is not a luxury.
“Wellbeing is not a luxury — it is essential.”
A Simple Tip for Managing Overwhelm
One simple technique I would recommend to anyone feeling overwhelmed is mindful breathing.
Taking even a few moments to slow your breathing. Inhaling deeply through the nose and slowly exhaling through the mouth can help calm the nervous system and create a sense of grounding and balance.
Breathing is something we do automatically every day, but when we slow down and become intentional with it, it can have a powerful impact on our wellbeing.
Looking for Wellbeing Support?
The Family Wellbeing Hubs provide welcoming spaces for parents, carers, and family members across Clackmannanshire to access support, connection, and wellbeing activities.
