Domestic violence remains a major health and social problem, affecting 1 in 6 women and 1 in 16 men. In an effort to support domestic violence survivors and help them on their healing journey, a new free yoga initiative is being launched in Adelaide this week.
Counselor, author, and domestic violence survivor Amy Hill is launching Vinyasa yoga classes for domestic violence survivors starting Wednesday, September 28.
“I went through domestic violence for 10 years and one of the things that I found really healing was yoga,” Amy says.
“Yoga was huge for me. Once I got back on the mat, all these feelings came out of me, and I had the opportunity to connect with myself…because for so long when I had DV, I was so detached from myself.”
Amy shared that while she didn’t initially start going to yoga for healing, the practice had a profound and positive impact. So much so that Amy was inspired to give this experience to other survivors.
Classes are designed to be sensitive to shocks and create a safe environment for fellow survivors to connect and not feel lonely.
“I felt so isolated and felt that no one in the whole world knew what I was going through. But there were more people like me. Being in a room where everyone had this experience is profound in itself,” Amy says.
Being “trauma-sensitive” or “trauma-aware,” says Amy, means being aware of the traumas people can experience or go through. Amy made adjustments to these categories to avoid irritating the participants.
“I made adjustments before, during and after class and also in terms of the actual class structure,” she said.
“For example, I wouldn’t tell people to close their eyes. It’s optional. They can lower their gaze if they wish. The final pose of Shavasana, or ‘corpse position’, requires lying on your back which is very weak for people. While it is still being offered, People can lie on their side in the fetal position if that’s more comfortable. It’s just about making adjustments to be aware of people’s sensitivities.”
These free yoga classes will be hosted at the Human.Kind Yoga Studio on Halifax Street, which is donated. Classes will take place every two weeks on Wednesdays at 12:30pm starting on Wednesday 28th September.
Amy says class capacity is limited to 22 people per class, but if there is a demand, she can strive for more space and host additional classes. She will also offer cups of herbal tea at the end of the class to encourage more communication.
To secure your free ticket, click over here.
Human.Kind Yoga Studio is located at 60 Halifax Street, Adelaide SA 5000.
To learn more about Amy and her organization The Freedom Mentor, visit her Instagram page or join the Recovery and Empowerment group on Facebook.
[adrotate banner=”159″]
Commentaires
Enregistrer un commentaire