By: Aria de Lima
“So many years of education yet nobody ever taught us how to love ourselves and why it’s so important.”-David Wolfe.
This quote is one that heavily resonates with educator and children’s Yoga instructor, Incia Pamieri, who feels it brings awareness to the promotion of self-discovery, self-love, positive body image, and self-care. Although an ancient practice originating in India, Yoga is an activity that she feels is still very relevant in our world today, acting as an activity that transcends time and encourages self-love.
With the desire to make the promotion of self-love in ways such as Yoga more accessible to children of all ages, including pre-teens, Incia developed “Once Upon A Mat.”
Her brand concentrates on giving children access to programs focused on creating a connection with the body. The available programs are designed to embrace and nurture children’s creativity and encourage them to be proud of who they are. They also provide opportunities for moms, dads, aunts, uncles, other family members, and friends to establish a bond by being physically present with their children through the experience of breathing and moving with them.
More specifically, Incia saw a need for opportunities for young girls to learn how to make informed decisions about having a positive outlook about themselves. This led to the creation of the “Once Upon A Girl” program, which is specially designed to help girls gain self-confidence.
“As an elementary school teacher I began teaching Yoga in my classroom to girls as young as seven and eight years of age. I believe that exposure to self-love, self-gratitude, and self-reflection is imperative within the early stages of life so that as they grow older they are already strong in both mind and body,” said Incia.
With a significant increase in people experiencing challenges with mental health, the promotion of self-care and love is something that the world can never have enough of.
“Girls are receiving their information these days from social media and pop culture. These images are what influence decisions about education, relationships, self-image, and self-esteem, ultimately leading to depression, anxiety, and self-harm,” said Incia.
Yoga is known to help manage stressors and embrace one’s well being by uniting the mind, body, and spirit. In addition to creating this level of unity throughout the body, Yoga is a non-competitive activity for girls to partake in either on their own or in a group setting. In addition to educating girls on the benefits of Yoga, Incia is also working to change the image of what Yoga is and the “type” of people who participate in the practice.
“Within social media, Yoga is intimidating! You have to represent a certain shape, you need to wear certain clothes, you need to be in a picture perfect setting and be flexible,” she said.
According to a mental health focus survey conducted by The Health of Canada’s Young People, of 26,000 Canadian students surveyed, approximately one-third of girls feel depressed or low on a weekly basis.
“As an elementary school teacher I began teaching Yoga in my classroom to girls as young as seven and eight years of age. I believe that exposure to self-love, self-gratitude, and self-reflection is imperative within the early stages of life so that as they grow older they are already strong in both mind and body,” said Incia
“With a significant increase in people experiencing challenges with mental health, the promotion of self-care and love is something that the world can never have enough of.
