By Cara Waters
A weekly yoga class on St Kilda beach that is free or by donation is in danger of having to shut down after the local council said it had to limit numbers to 15 people or only run it four times a year.
Yoga teacher Eliza Hilmer started Feel Good Flows during lockdown and for four years has led a yoga class on the beach to “pause, reset and connect with nature”.
Eliza Hilmer may be forced to stop her yoga by donation classes on St Kilda beach after the council intervened. Credit: Wayne Taylor
The class has grown in popularity and on a sunny day can attract up to 100 participants, but if the weather is bad, Hilmer said, occasionally nobody turns up, and she practises yoga alone.
Attendees are asked to pay what they can – and can participate for free – but the City of Port Phillip wants to limit the class to just 15 people or impose a fee for events over that number at $400 per gathering – for a maximum four times a year.
Hilmer, who also runs a weekly event on the beach at Elwood, said the fees would force the end of the classes as she didn’t want to exclude people from joining in or cut back from weekly to four times a year with a fee of $400 for each gathering.
“This is an exorbitant amount for a gathering of just one hour on public beaches,” she said. “I don’t do this to make money. The model for Feel Good Flows has always been it is free for those who need it and by donation for those who can afford.”
Hilmer said what started as her practising yoga has turned into a community of like-minded people.
“It is the public using public land,” she said. “If you are walking past, and you are curious to what is going on I see you and I hand you a mat and say ‘Join in’. I get so many messages saying, ‘Thanks so much, I just lost my job’ or, ‘I am going through a custody battle and this has been my saving grace’.”
Hilmer said the classes were not intrusive, and she didn’t use a microphone, have banners or branded hoodies, just a chalkboard which states: “Yoga by donation”.
Hilmer said she contacted the council when she started the classes and was told to pay a yearly personal trainer fee of $390 a year, which she has done.
Hilmer running her yoga class on St Kilda beach on New Year’s Day.Credit: Penny Stephens
However after the classes were featured on the front page of The Age in early January, a council officer contacted her seeking more money.
“Personal training is not what I am doing. If you rock up to a personal training group and start doing star jumps next to them, they will ask you to leave,” Hilmer said. “I never want to be the person who says, ‘You can’t sit with us, you can’t participate in this’.”
Hilmer said regular attendees were devastated to hear that the classes might have to stop, and she has started a petition on change.org, which has been signed by more than 1000 people in a few days.
“Are the police going to come and pull people meditating off the beach or will the council come and fine me?” she said. “If someone wants to fine me, they can fine me and I will cross that bridge when I get to it. I am so sad. I am almost in tears talking to you about it because it breaks my heart.”
Local Carin Lavery has been attending the classes since they started and said they had been a “god send” as her husband is severely immune compromised, so she cannot exercise with other people indoors.
“I’m able to get social connection and not be isolated and feel part of a community and get exercise,” she said.
Lavery said limiting the classes to 15 people would kill the spirit of the event.
“I don’t understand why [the council] is taking this attitude,” she said. “Money is not everything. Find a solution for heaven’s sake, it’s ridiculous.”
Regular attendees of the yoga class say they are devastated to hear the sessions may have to end. Credit: Penny Stephens
Port Phillip Mayor Heather Cunsolo said Feel Good Flows had been operating outside its licence by hosting events with more than 100 people.
“The business needs to adhere to its personal training licence in line with other commercial businesses at our beach destinations to ensure our popular public spaces remain available, safe and enjoyable for everyone,” she said.
Cunsolo said Hilmer could run multiple sessions through the week limited to 15 people which would be in accordance with her licence, or could apply for permits for larger scale events at $400 each.
“Other businesses operating along the foreshore pay a licence fee for the use of public open space and adhere to the 15-person limit per session,” she said. “These capacity limits help provide fair access for many businesses operating with a personal training licence, while minimising any potential disruption for visitors to our foreshore.”
Cunsolo said she was happy to meet with Hilmer and answer any questions. If the petition was sent to council, she said, the matter would be heard in the City of Port Phillip’s chamber.