This year, Capital W has decided to partner with SISTER2sister and the UNSW Yoga Club to promote recognition of women’s wellbeing through a yoga session.
SISTER2sister is a mentoring and educational program for girls in need of a female role model to help them overcome their circumstances and empower them to reach their limitless potentials. The UNSW Yoga Club aims to deliver affordable yoga classes to students in UNSW and provide a safe and comfortable space for the practice of yoga.
In collaboration with SISTER2sister and the UNSW Yoga Club, the aim of Capital W’s yoga session event was to raise awareness and promote the significance of physical and mental wellbeing within our Capital W community.
Yoga has been proven to significantly enhance both physical and mental health. The physical movements and postures in yoga help to promote flexibility and reduce joint pain, back pain and arthritis pain. Preliminary research also shows that yoga may help with migraines, osteoporosis, balance and mobility issues, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, fibromyalgia, and ADHD. On the other hand, the practice of controlling the breath and short periods of deep relaxation or meditation alleviate natural anxiety and stress responses. Therefore, we decided that yoga aligned with our aim of promoting both physical and mental health.
An hour of the yoga session was held at Samuels Building with assistance from the UNSW Health Promotions. Students had the opportunity to learn yoga sequences that consisted of approximately 10 basic yoga postures including Pachimotanasa (Sitting Forward Bend) and Bhujangasana (Cobra Pose). The session ended on a high, with students eagerly asking for more information about future yoga sessions and SISTER2sister. The yoga event gave a new start to Capital W members who are finding ways to relieve study stress, and an opportunity for existing yoga club members to further explore women empowerment and continue to raise awareness of mental health and women’s wellbeing.