Beach yoga as a vehicle for mental health interventions
Description
Even though we are slowly getting back to normality after two years of pandemic, the society still seems to be unable to understand the consequences of Covid on mental health and open a sincere discussion on how mental health can be boosted in the post-Covid era. Surprisingly, most of the mitigation measures applied at a national context during and after
the Covid pandemic emphasized on its economic aspects leading the government to release financial packages to support those affected by job loss. Therefore, the enhancement of mental health of citizens is still not a priority at a policy level and therefore private initiatives should be taken in order to fill this identified gap. Now more than ever we are in need to find again our balances on all the levels of our existence, mentally, emotionally and physically. Our solution to this challenge is to turn to nature and outdoor activities and utilize the dynamic and potential of yoga and other holistic activities as a vehicle to help us stay both physically and mentally healthy.
Objectives
The project has set out the following objectives:
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To promote beach yoga as a tool for the better understanding and enhancement of mental health of young people;
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To customize yoga sessions and activities to address the needs of people with fewer opportunities including visually impaired people;
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To create awareness for the vitality of outdoor physical activities by the beach;
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To break social and gender stereotypes and prejudices related to yoga;
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To open up a social discussion about the prevalence and definition of mental health;
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To highlight the diversity of beaches around the island as a potential alternative recourse for future yoga sessions as well as identify any weakness to access them by people with fewer opportunities.
Activities
For the successful implementation of the project, the following activities will take place:
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Yoga sessions at coastal and beach areas in Cyprus
