Something to Cry About

Hotpod Yoga Edinburghis teaming up with comedian Stephen Campbell for a Fringe Festival show unlike any other on the programme this year – one that swaps a traditional stage for the studio’s signature heated pod.

Something to Cry About, running daily at Hotpod Yoga Edinburgh (Haymarket), blends stand-up comedy with breathwork, yoga, storytelling and meditation, weaving in themes of mental health and emotional wellbeing alongside the laughs. It’s the latest instalment of Campbell’s Comedy & Yoga series, which has built a following for combining big laughs with a genuine wellness payoff.

Audiences who’ve seen the show before have called it a standout on both fronts, with one describing it as, “the best comedy show I’ve ever seen, and the best wellness experience I’ve been a part of."

The partnership plays to Hotpod Yoga’s wider mission of making yoga accessible and unintimidating. Turning up the dial on a typical yoga class and deepening the effect, Hotpod Yoga is renowned for its immersive experience – soothing heat, dim, glowing purple-hued lighting, and calming music, all designed to relax and revitalise within the cocoon-like environment of the pod, transporting customers a million miles from the everyday and restoring both body and mind.

That focus on mental wellbeing is increasingly backed by science. A major study by Harvard Medical School found that hot yoga could help treat symptoms of depression, with 44% of adults attending at least two classes a week seeing improvement so significant they were no longer classes as clinically depressed.

"I am so grateful to have crossed paths with Hotpod Yoga,” says Stephen. “We've toured our Comedy and Yoga experience around the US for two years and it usually takes some time to communicate what we're building to our partners, but Naomi and the team at Hotpod Yoga got it right away.

“Something to Cry About combines breathwork, comedy, yoga and meditation into one experience that takes audiences on an emotional journey; with the number one review being, "I feel less alone." 

“Properly delivering that experience takes a rare combination of open-minded curiosity and operational prowess. I can't wait to share it with everyone!" 

Naomi Watson, Studio Manager at Hotpod Yoga Edinburgh, adds: “We're always looking for creative ways to help people connect with themselves and each other, so partnering with Stephen for this Fringe collaboration felt like a natural fit.

“The Edinburgh Fringe celebrates bold, unexpected ideas, and while yoga and comedy might seem like an unlikely pairing, both have the power to shift perspective, lift our mood and remind us not to take ourselves too seriously. With a rotating team of Hotpod Yoga teachers supporting Stephen, every show will bring its own unique energy while celebrating movement, laughter and the many different ways we can support our wellbeing."