Relationship as Resource:

a New 2S/LGBTQ+ Community Program + Research Study

Embracing 2S/LGBTQ+ joy.

We're thrilled to invite members of our 2S/LGBTQ+ community to join a new, free Support Partner Yoga Therapy Group, launching in May 2025 in Vancouver, with the option to participate in research!

This initiative is born out of a desire to address mental health disparities within our community and to harness the strength of our collective support to give and receive mutual aid during challenging times. This group will focus on yoga and embodiment practices done in pairs to nurture social connection, joy, and well-being.

Group Details

In a supportive, 2S/LGBTQ+-led and affirmative environment, you and your partner–inclusive of a friend, chosen family member, or significant other–will be guided in mindful movement, breath awareness, restorative yoga, and gentle touch practices to foster deeper connection and overall well-being. There will be an emphasis on exploring the nuances of giving and receiving ongoing consent. You will be supported to integrate the techniques into daily life by practicing them with your partner as needed, and journaling about your experiences between sessions.

The group will meet on a biweekly basis, from 7:00 - 8:30 pm, on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month at a location in the West End of Vancouver (details to be provided on registration) beginning May 28, 2025. The group is open to 2S/LGBTQIA+ adults, aged 19+.

This group will include the option to participate in a research study, which will explore the impacts and experiences of group partner yoga therapy on 2S/LGBTQ+ mental health (details below).

Study Details

Potential Benefits

  • Improve Your Well-being: Strengthen your social connectedness, and your mental health.

  • Build Community: Connect with fellow 2S/LGBTQ+ individuals in a supportive and playful environment.

  • Contribute to Research: Help us evolve the understanding of mental health in our community through having your valuable voice heard.

  • Receive a $100 Honorarium upon completion of the study.

Commitment: Attend at least 6 out of 8 sessions, practice with your partner between sessions, complete biweekly journals, and participate in a one-hour interview with your partner before and after the session series (to be arranged online or offline, according to your convenience).

See “Study FAQs” below for eligibility criteria.

Study FAQs

  • You may be eligible if you are:

    Age 19+

    Have a partner (inclusive of friends, significant others, and family members) to participate with

    Comfortable with consensual (non-sexual) touch with your partner 

    At least one member of your pair is 2S/LGBTQ+

    Desire to improve mental health

    Able to safely engage in study and intervention without significant risk to mental health status

    No concerns about intimate partner violence or abuse between partners

    No prior extensive pair yoga experience

  • The commitment involved is to attend at least 6 out of 8 sessions, practice with your partner between sessions, complete biweekly journals, and participate in a one-hour interview with your partner before and after the sessions.

  • Your data will be stored securely in a server compliant with FIPPA requirements, which is accessible only to the researchers involved in the study.

  • Participants will be provided a $100 honorarium to be sent by e-transfer following completion of the study.

  • We are a team of researchers from Simon Fraser University and University of Victoria, who are members and allies of the 2S/LGBTQ+ community ourselves. We are passionate about improving mental health in the 2S/LGBTQ+ community, where disparities are a significant concern. Our study takes a strengths-based approach, focusing on community resilience and well-being. We're committed to respectful research that celebrates the community's strengths. Our aim is to explore how partner yoga therapy can build connections and support, ultimately helping to create culturally sensitive interventions that promote positive mental health and community cohesion.