First Arabic Yoga Teacher Training in Palestine
This Campaign ended on 22-2-2020
Campaign by: Farashe Yoga Organization
Campaign Summary
Farashe Yoga is offering the first 200 Hour Yoga Wellness Teacher Training program taught by Palestinians in Arabic – starting January 2020. This program will train students on how to teach basic yoga classes focusing on some of the most common diseases for Palestinians – including hypertension, diabetes, and chronic stress. The program was developed in partnership with 7 Centers Yoga Arts based in Sedona, Arizona.
The funds will be used to provide scholarships to those in need and would like to participate, as well as support translation costs and registration and accreditation fees with Yoga Alliance.
Problem
In Palestine, economic resources are limited, space and movement are restricted, and there are very little public parks and safe recreational spaces due to the political situation. In addition, violence and trauma are a daily reality for most. This has had a significant impact on the physical and mental health of Palestinians – with some of the highest rates of hypertension, diabetes, and chronic stress in the region.
Solution
Farashe’s mission is to make health and wellness accessible for all living in Palestine, through the practice of yoga and meditation, with a particular emphasis on reaching underserved communities. However, language is a significant barrier to achieving our goal. Very few resources on yoga exist in Arabic. Farashe is therefore committed to 1) developing a cadre of Arabic-speaking, Palestinian yoga teachers; (2) developing Arabic-language resources for yoga; (3) supporting the community and volunteer work.
To achieve our mission, Farashe has been training Palestinian, Arabic-speaking yoga teachers with the generous support of international volunteer yoga teacher trainers, taught in English with translation. To become truly sustainable and ensure consistent access by Palestinians to yoga and its benefits, Farashe has embarked on a journey to provide its own teacher training programs in Arabic. By doing this we will create a network of certified trainers across the country, and be able to reach more communities in need of mind-body health and wellness.
About Farashe Yoga Organization
Farashe, which means “butterfly” in Arabic, is a nonprofit and volunteer-based community yoga movement based in the heart of Ramallah and working throughout occupied Palestine. We started Farashe Yoga in 2010 to provide a safe space for Palestinians to breathe and to relieve the stress and anxiety of their harsh daily realities under the occupation. Farashe’s mission is to make yoga accessible for all living in Palestine, as a means to manage stress, improve healthy living, build resilience, and strengthen community bonds.