Here are some statistics: Girls are 50% more likely to skip phys.ed. class one day of each week of school than boys. Around 15% more boys than girls participate in vigorous physical activities and sports for all ages and racial/ethnic groups. 72% of girls and 56% of boys can not do any kind of physical activity that makes them breathe hard (aerobics) for 60 minutes. Girls who are physically active report that they feel good about their bodies- no matter how much they weigh. This translates to fewer eating disorders and less depression. Despite being 50% of the school population, only 40% of those participating in high school sports are female. A similar statistic continues into college. The more active girls get, the greater their self-esteem! Many girls do not participate in physical activities, because they do not feel good enough at the activity or because their bodies don't look good enough. Girls who do participate in physical activities have higher grades, more volunteer activities and community involvement, and civic engagement. Also girl athletes are 6 times more likely to suffer debilitating knee injuries than their boy counterparts. Girls are increasing their participation in sports as opportunities increase - an 800% increase in the past 30 years!
Need we go on?! It is obvious that girls need physical activity and that the benefits are huge! This is why we have begun this project - Yoga4Girls. Girls benefit from the physical activity in all the ways listed above, but we want to go further! The physical benefits of yoga are important for all ages and genders - increased body awareness, flexibility, strength, and simply a love for the body. There is also the physical benefit of understanding how the breath affects the body - the nervous system and the brain can be be dialed up or down and manipulated in many ways with simple yogic training. The breath also affects the mind or the emotional aspects of life. Breathing can make feelings of joy - really! Breathing can create peace and calm. It can create relief. Breathing can motivate, excite, or create ease and release. Yoga also invokes thoughts, visions, feelings as the body moves, the mind quiets, and the spirit rises. This allows practitioners to let go of thinking patterns that are harmful or repetitive and creates a new canvas of activity from which to live.
The goals of Yoga4girls are simple- get girls involved in a physical activity they enjoy and one that makes them feel good no matter their fitness level or capabilities. Get girls to understand their bodies better, to prevent injury, to treat them with respect, not as weaker versions of the male body, but to understand the amazing strengths of the female body! This is not about improving weaknesses, this is about improving strengths! Getting girls to love moving their bodies, expressing themselves, and loving themselves as a whole unit (not that "well, I have nice eyes, but my butt's too big" kind of stuff) - loving one's whole self! Getting girls to understand their inner voices, to ignore messages from media, peers and other external sources. Getting girls to feel confident in being who they are!
Yoga4Girls = know yourself, love yourself, be yourself!
Contact us if interested in more information or in getting involved!
Tammy and Carmen
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