Pun alert: Bending over backwards to launch Brighton Yoga Festival

They are the photographs that may come back to haunt Davy Jones - if he achieves his ambition to become the Green Party MP for Brighton Kemptown in May next year.

Standing on your head, getting all tangled up, and crouching to put a foot dangerously close to your mouth.

This is not training to become professional politician. This is the launch of Brighton Yoga Festival. For seven years, Mr Jones's day job has been that of yoga teacher.

Now, he is helping to organise the city's first free yoga festival - which is expected to attract hundreds of enthusiasts from across the region.

The festival will take place in and around St George's Church, Kemptown, on Saturday, July 26: a full day aimed at those completely new to yoga, as well as seasoned yogis. Caroline Lucas, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, is due to open the festival - although it has not been announced if she will partake of the activities.

Entry and yoga sessions and therapies will all be free of charge.

Mr Jones said: "The aim of the Brighton Yoga Festival is, more than anything else, to give a taste of yoga to people who are curious but have never actually tried it before. There will be free beginner and taster sessions, demonstrations and workshops throughout the day for adults and children, covering a number of different yoga styles, from Vinyasa Flow to Ashtanga, supported by the major yoga schools and teachers from across Brighton and Hove."

Mikaela Perera, the festival's co-founder, said: "As well as yoga sessions, the interior of St George's Church will have a music stage, featuring a number of live performers, plus areas dedicated to massage and other therapies, as well as stalls selling street food. And the cafe will be serving vegetarian food all day, going exclusively vegetarian from 2pm. A by-donation creche will also be available all day to make it easy for everyone to try yoga."

The festival is not-for-profit and raffle tickets will be on sale throughout the day, as well as collections in charity buckets, with proceeds donated to two local charities, LifeLines and Brighton Unemployed Centre Families Project.

Local organic cotton yogawear company Gossypium is lead sponsor and will be at the festival not only with clothing but with its levitation photo booth - a fun way for people to snap a picture of themselves giving the impression that they are levitating. All sponsors are listed at www.brightonyogafestival.org/sponsors.

Festival developments can be followed on Twitter at @BTNYogaFest, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BrightonYogaFestival and on the web at: www.brightonyogafestival.org