Someone asked me the other day, why is this yoga movement for girls and not boys? A very valid and important question. Here is why...
I agree men need yoga boys need yoga, everyone needs yoga.
This movement for girls empowerment is not anti boys.
There is a book I could write on why girls. But here are a few general reasons why...
Teen girls have been proven to be dealing with higher rates of depression, anxiety, stress and emotional issues in comparison to boys the same age.
But really the main reason to focus on girls is this - Girls in our culture and all cultures are still dis-empowered in general to varying degrees and not given equal opportunity to men.
Women and girls are growing up in a patriarchal culture that has not seen women able to express themselves as self empowered autonomous beings for around 10 000 years. Things are changing. But we aren't there yet...
Girls need yoga and it's methods to reconnect to who they are in their own unique way not who they have been told to be. Yes, our culture in Australia is more free for women and girls than most no doubt but even though girls and women are gaining more parity with men and freedom of choice there is still something at the heart of our culture that is deeply dis-empowering many girls and women.
With such alarmingly high rates of teen girls suffering from depression, anxiety, eating disorders and body image issues you have to look at the reality that something is not working, girls are not empowered, raised up and supported by our culture the way we would like to think they are.
There's no denying these stats that make me so sad, that are jaw dropping but that I can actually relate to in my own experience as a girl.
As a girl myself who has struggled with body image issues and eating disorders I can relate to what many girls are going through, and I know creating a national community of girls practicing yoga together with women teachers is a beautiful way to begin to give girls the methods to learn to accept them selves, love themselves and empower themselves. And if many many girls begin to do that then yes, men and our boys and the children our women raise will all benefit!
Yoga is the way to change for the better of everyone and empowering our girls and women is the other key need for our world to change for the better too. That's why girls. So we are FREE GIRLS YOGA.
I agree men need yoga boys need yoga, everyone needs yoga.
This movement for girls empowerment is not anti boys.
There is a book I could write on why girls. But here are a few general reasons why...
Teen girls have been proven to be dealing with higher rates of depression, anxiety, stress and emotional issues in comparison to boys the same age.
But really the main reason to focus on girls is this - Girls in our culture and all cultures are still dis-empowered in general to varying degrees and not given equal opportunity to men.
Women and girls are growing up in a patriarchal culture that has not seen women able to express themselves as self empowered autonomous beings for around 10 000 years. Things are changing. But we aren't there yet...
Girls need yoga and it's methods to reconnect to who they are in their own unique way not who they have been told to be. Yes, our culture in Australia is more free for women and girls than most no doubt but even though girls and women are gaining more parity with men and freedom of choice there is still something at the heart of our culture that is deeply dis-empowering many girls and women.
With such alarmingly high rates of teen girls suffering from depression, anxiety, eating disorders and body image issues you have to look at the reality that something is not working, girls are not empowered, raised up and supported by our culture the way we would like to think they are.
There's no denying these stats that make me so sad, that are jaw dropping but that I can actually relate to in my own experience as a girl.
- Looking at fashion magazines for just three minutes lowers the self-esteem of over 80% of women.
- 40% of all 9 and 10-year-old girls have already been on a diet.
- 70% of 6-12-year olds want to be thinner.
- Over one-half of teenage girls use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives.
- 3 out of 4 women stated that they were overweight although only 1 out of 4 actually were.
- While only 1 out of 10 high school girls are overweight, 9 out of 10 high school girls diet.
- Adolescent girls were more fearful of gaining weight than getting cancer, nuclear war or losing their parents.
As a girl myself who has struggled with body image issues and eating disorders I can relate to what many girls are going through, and I know creating a national community of girls practicing yoga together with women teachers is a beautiful way to begin to give girls the methods to learn to accept them selves, love themselves and empower themselves. And if many many girls begin to do that then yes, men and our boys and the children our women raise will all benefit!
Yoga is the way to change for the better of everyone and empowering our girls and women is the other key need for our world to change for the better too. That's why girls. So we are FREE GIRLS YOGA.