Yoga classes offer stress relief, community for refugees and immigrants

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — It can be intimidating to move to a new country and start a new life but a local organization is helping to relieve some of that stress.

The stress of losing your sense of home and community, taking a toll on your mental health – but a group of migrants and refugees gather twice a month to relax and stretch.

"One of the powers of yoga is that, since it's body movement, you can pretty much do it without even speaking the same language. So we're able to overcome some of those language and cultural barriers with body movement, meditation and mindfulness practices that are also culturally sensitive and that are trauma-informed for all of them," said Fiore Bran Aragon, a yoga instructor.

Global Refuge teamed up with Kula Yoga to make these bimonthly sunset sessions possible.

"We're a collective founded by immigrants and immigrant-led. And we facilitate yoga and mindfulness classes for immigrants and refugees in Albuquerque," Bran Aragon said.

The classes help provide opportunities for families dealing with the struggles of moving to a new country.

"It provides a really great way to build community with other members of the refugee community here in Albuquerque for all of our refugee families, as well as it's a great activity that promotes mental health for our families, " said Becca Marshall, a refugee and agricultural program coordinator.

The style of yoga, trauma-informed yoga, especially focuses on what people are dealing with.

"Trauma-informed yoga specifically refers to processes and practices to bring your mind back to the present moment and to practice interoception, or embodiment practices, which really help to cope with PTSD symptoms," Bran Aragon said. "I'm able to get back to them and help them co-create a sanctuary so they can kind of give back to their communities too. And I feel very honored and humbled to be able to do that with them."

Monday was the last class of these sessions. Classes will resume with the next session starting next month.