The time has come for you to meet each of the six powerful women we have had the pleasure of filming with more intimately.
Here is the story of Erika,
a 27-year-old Japanese artist who currently lives and works in Pardes Hanna, Israel, and whose sunny disposition lights up the entire room.
From having an active temperament from childhood, movement is integrated into Erika’s life in many forms.
Aside from choosing to work as a greenhouse manager, which naturally keeps her on her toes most of the day, Erika enjoys yoga, hula hooping, qigong and simply dancing to anything that makes her feel good.
“Movement is a necessary part of my everyday routine”
she shares with us.
“it keeps me focused, awake and alive while simultaneously helping to release pent up energies and emotions that need a healthy form of release”.
Erika’s journey of self-acceptance and self-discovery has been lined with turbulence, as we chat she emphasizes that women and girls can get lost as they are manipulated by society’s perspective on beauty and supposed representation of what is beautiful.
Erika, who has an autoimmune condition called Alopecia that causes hair loss, shares with us that “each of us needs to learn what the word BEAUTY truly means to us, and not what beauty means in terms of social ideals and standards”.
We asked Erika if there is a message that is important for her to pass on to you,
“Who has the right to tell us what IS and what IS NOT beautiful? What IS and what IS NOT feminine or masculine?”
She adds,
“You are natural and unique, and beauty exists within you just as beauty exists in nature! Embrace your differences, quirks, and the things that make you stand out because these are the attributes that make you... YOU. Nature doesn't judge, not you and not anyone else! Empower yourself through self-love, and see where this fantastic journey of growth and love takes you”.
Here is the story of Lori, a 22-year-old that has traveled a bumpy road towards self-acceptance and self-love.
Lori, whose given name is Loran,
has avoided participating in some physical and movement-related activities as a child and teenager.
“I didn’t always feel like I had the ‘right’ to move freely and to take up space, I didn’t feel worthy”.
Lori shares with us that it took her a good few years to gather up the confidence and dare to express herself through movement, initially privately on her own, and then with and amongst others.
“Today, movement and physical activity are an inseparable part of my personal expression, my self-fulfillment, and a way in which I practice respect towards my body. For me today, to move is to be one with life itself, it connects me to my body - which is my vehicle of expression and experience in this life”.
Amongst other things, Lori’s life course has led her to become a body image activist, she is also a model and a writer. She loves art, nature, and spending time with friends and loved ones.
When we asked her if there was something specific she wanted to share with you she was so eager to pass on her message, she barely waited for us to finish the question (:
“I want to highlight that movement is for everyone!!! I know what it’s like to feel ashamed or guilty about your body, but today I understand that it was me that didn’t allow myself to try and move freely, I was the only one that stopped me. How can I decide that I am not athletic if I never even try? Movement doesn’t have to be connected to losing weight or getting into “shape”, it is a celebration of our connection with ourselves and our bodies, whatever size, age or shape we are”.
While each of these two incredible women has her own personal story with its own particular nuances, their complimentary messages of self-expression and self-love are as clear as day!
Stay tuned to more personal stories from the women behind Ripple’s Yoga for EveryBody Campaign.
Excited to share with you more…
The Ripple Family
