Canberra’s largest outdoor yoga event will create connection through outdoor mindfulness

Posted on 21 March, 2025

Tackling mental health one downward dog at a time, one Canberra event is changing the conversation around movement, mindfulness, and connection in a world where loneliness has become a public health crisis.

Meet YOGA-W-ME, the sold-out sensation from local charity WITH-ME that’s reshaping how we address mental health challenges by creating a space where mental wellbeing and human connection take centre stage.

Founded by Zak Pino in January 2021, WITH-ME began as a men’s only walk around the lake to foster connections and promote healthier activities Designed to encourage his peers to move away from drinking and towards social exercise as a form of interaction, Zak wanted to create an environment where they could have meaningful conversations without pressure.

Fast forward and it quickly evolved into WALK-W-ME, a walking and talking group where everyone is welcome to attend to network with new and old friends whilst enjoying exercise. Then, in 2024, Zak introduced YOGA-W-ME, which quickly became a local phenomenon with every session selling out since its November launch.

Now – as he prepares to host Canberra’s largest outdoor yoga event on Saturday 29 March – Zak admits, as he reflects on his journey, that he never thought he would be running soon to be three events that combat loneliness in Canberra.

“I was honestly going to stop doing it all in April last year, because it was becoming a little bit of an emotional burden,” says Zak.

“I was worried about what people would think if I actually tried to make it something. And then after a WALK-W-ME gala, I got a lot of feedback – people wanted to keep seeing WALK-W-ME and see where the growth would go with the community and the initiative. Then I got a phone call with someone asking me about doing YOGA-W-ME, which I had originally written down in 2022.”

Partnering with lululemon and Wallaby Water to hold the event series on the lawns of the Canberra Bowling Club, Zak has now welcomed over 300 participants seeking more than just physical exercise.

The huge success of the outdoor event goes beyond the work of WITH-ME, with a network of support for community well-being being created through collaboration and connection.

“The idea was if I can create communities that can foster community connection whilst mitigating loneliness, and then work with businesses that have a) alignment or b) a global problem they’re trying to solve and pushing two messages at once while doing one thing, I thought could be really cool,”  he explains.

Also partnering with local businesses The Griff, REJU, InterSport, Frankly Speaking, Fortis Physio, and The Cocoon CBR,  Zak has decided to host the biggest session of YOGA-W-ME yet, opening bookings to welcome 85 attendees to see whether there is an appetite for larger sessions before they stop for winter.

“We wanted to include as many people as we could, to give people the opportunity to come before we shut down for the colder months and restart again in October this year,” explains Zak.

“It’s a final send-off, we can prepare for the next community event, see the community feedback, and what we can do better. It is our first time doing something like this.”

Not only offering a yoga experience, on the day, participants can also look forward to post-session treats, including handmade cannoli and coffee at The Griff, along with special giveaways from lululemon.

And as Canberra’s community becomes increasingly focused on holistic well-being, this is just the beginning for Zak and the WITH-ME events.

Choosing activities that people can do independently but “would be better to be done in a group”, he plans to launch COOK-W-ME this winter, and wants to further expand his mission – and not just in Canberra.

“The idea is to do gnocchi making classes once a month in the months of winter, to teach people how to make gnocchi from scratch, catering to the meat eaters, the vegetarians, and the gluten intolerant as well, to create a warm, hearty meal in winter whilst talking over food,”  says Zak.

“After COOK-W-ME, we thought about CLAY-W-ME and doing a pottery class…I wouldn’t mind taking YOGA-W-ME to the Gold Coast, maybe in July. It’s ambitious but it has been discussed. Otherwise, I’d like to see a WITH-ME community in Sydney or Melbourne next year.”

Also talking about expanding with WITH-ME community to Europe (which is also in discussion), Zak’s passion for creating sustainable, community-driven projects is obviously needed in a world increasingly hungry for authentic human connection.

Four years after that first walk-and-talk session, who knew it would go this far? Certainly not Zak, but he’s not planning on slowing down now.

“Walking around the lake has led to a yoga community, which has led to a cooking which is led to a gala. None of that stuff really makes sense,” he says.

“If you were to tell me when I started, that’s what it was going to look like…I think things aren’t really meant to make sense. As long as you keep trying, it should work out.”

 Images supplied.