Thank you to everyone who joined us at Oceanside Museum of Art to move with purpose. With your support, we raised more than $800 to help RefuSHE protect, educate, and empower refugee girls in Kenya.

There are more than 100 million forcibly displaced people around the world – more than ever before. Kenya is one of the top refugee-hosting countries in Africa, with more than half a million refugees. The vast majority are women and children. Having fled violence, instability, or persecution in their home countries, refugees often face new dangers in their host communities. According to RefuSHE, unaccompanied refugee girls and young women are especially vulnerable to sexual and physical abuse, domestic servitude, forced marriage, human trafficking, and other risks.

As yoga teachers, we often stress that everyone is different. No two bodies are the same. Your story is different from anyone else’s. Similarly, RefuSHE recognizes that every refugee girl who arrives on its campus has a unique origin story and set of needs. Its case management team conducts intake assessments, creates individualized service plans, and follows girls through their entire journey at RefuSHE.

Last year, in partnership with the Yoga Alliance Foundation, RefuSHE introduced a trauma-informed yoga program for refugees and staff. It's considered a mental health service – and for good reason. There is growing evidence that regular yoga practice improves mental health, reducing stress, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. When we think about mental health services, talk therapy usually springs to mind. But given the language barriers of the refugee population and the sexual trauma that many have experienced, a somatic approach like yoga can be a powerful complement to traditional mental health services. RefuSHE has already gathered data showing that yoga helped reduce stress and improve mental health in participants and will continue to track the impact of its new program.

Some of you have asked if we plan to hold more classes at the museum. We certainly hope so! If you follow us on Instagram or Facebook, we'll keep you in the loop. In the meantime, you can find us atop The Brick Hotel, just up the street from the museum, four days a week. We would love to see you there!