In this fascinating conversation, Charlie shares his profound journey through music and mental health with Jayda. Talking about the incredible highs he’s experienced as a DJ, but also the often unspoken harder parts of the industry, including the loneliness and depression he experienced. Diving deeper into his mental health, Charlie talks with Jayda about he was struggling the hardest at some of the most pivotal moments in his career, and how discovering running and yoga transformed his mental health. Jayda hears how the significant impact running had for Charlie, led him to found the urban running collective Run Dem Crew, to encourage more inner city Londoners to take up running. They talk about how running, movement and community are pillars of hope for them, internally and socially, as well as why Charlie works with disadvantaged communities, including in prisons, to share the practice of yoga with them, to help give hope and inner strength to those he feels needs it most. Charlie also expands on why yoga classes and wellness spaces must diversify, so people of all backgrounds can see themselves in the spaces and feel a sense of belonging and connection with wellness practice too.

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Run Dem Crew

Hailing from South London, growing up on pirate radio and warehouses parties, Charlie Dark is a stalwart of the underground UK music scene, spinning records and igniting dance floors since the early eighties. From his time on Mo Wax records with Attica Blues in the 90’s, a major label deal on Sony Records and the plethora of remixes and productions, DJing and bringing people together has been at the heart of everything he’s gone onto achieve. If you ever caught his Blacktronica Parties, sets at the legendary Plastic People or listened to his Worldwide FM or NTS radio shows then you’ll know that 'All forms of music in one room the way it used to be’ has always been his motto and his record crates run deep. Charlie is also the founder of the urban run collective Run Dem Crew, a Yoga teacher and advocate for mental health and wellness within the music industry.

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