Yoga poses, breathing techniques, and meditation practices, among other fun activities, were a big part of the Women Deliver Conference 2023.
According to Emmanuel Manirarora, a yoga coach and Managing Director of Live Well Rwanda, communal yoga can help form connections, strengthen ties, cultivate harmony, and promote community welfare.
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The particular art, curated yoga experience for the gender equality advocates at Women Deliver spaces, focused on stress management and self-care. Both beginners and experienced were guided into prioritising well-being, recharging, and fostering self-care amidst the advocacy work.
"We often find ourselves consumed by the larger purpose we’re attempting to pursue, and in the process, we disconnect from our immediate surroundings. However, yoga allows us to nurture our inner selves, discover inner peace, and enhance our dedication to equality and building a more equal world,” Manirarora explained.
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Yoga is divided into eight sections: Yama (external discipline), niyama (internal discipline), asana (postures), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (sense withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (integration).
One can practice principles for how to treat others and themselves in a yoga class, as well as breathing techniques, physical postures, focus, and continuous meditation - the ultimate goal of yoga - oneness with the object of meditation, freedom, and union with the universe.
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Mursalata Muhammad, a professor who practices yoga and educator from the United States who attended the Women Deliver Conference, began performing yoga as a complement to her long-time interest in dancing.
She asserted that having dyslexia, a learning difficulty that primarily impacts the abilities related to reading and spelling words accurately and fluently, yoga assists with her cognitive processes.
Among other things, yoga is said to have several benefits for both mental and physical health, including the ability to reduce stress and induce relaxation.
Yoga, according to Pakhshan Bibani, an experienced yogini who has been doing it for 15 years, and an aspiring coach, is a form of therapy that can help with many types of trauma and helps one be more mindful.
Bibani, the founder, director, and researcher of Action against Suicide, was in Kigali for Women Deliver 2023, with a particular interest in the discussions about Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).
She believes that yoga can help with self-awareness, physical and mental fitness, improved heart health, and the reduction of depressing symptoms, and some types of chronic pain.
Live Well Rwanda offers wellness services to individuals, corporates, and NGOs. In addition, it offers weekly public yoga classes in multiple locations of Kigali including Nyandungu Eco-Park.
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