This Saturday, at University of Liberal Arts (ULAB), Dhaka Flow presented the first in a series of Youth Wellness Festivals targeting university students, covering topics related to mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional health. The event drew 200 students to the research hall to participate in a day-long exploration into healthy living. The festival will continue this week at IUB, AIUB, Brac University and others.
Students are at a critical phase of their lives. They are soon to leave their families and the choices they make, the habits they form, will become the foundation of their adult health and wellbeing. They need coping mechanisms to manage stress, and depression, while also learning how to eat and exercise and meditate in beneficial ways.
Five private sector companies showed their commitment to the wellness of Dhaka’s youths by supporting this festival. Turaag Active, a local athleisure wear, is providing the clothing necessary to pursue active lifestyles in Bangladesh. Prime Bank is providing student accounts to help students learn to manage their money. Rise is a fashion brand with trendy styles. Sajida Foundation, a big supporter of wellness and mental health, was represented at the festival by Kaan Pete Roi (suicide hotline), Shojon (mental health counsellors) and Relaxy, an app designed to help you understand and manage your emotions. Aarong Earth is providing clean skin and hair care products for people.
The Honorable Mayor of North Dhaka, Atiqul Islam, spoke at the event on the importance of yoga and meditation to reduce non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. He asked, “How can we ensure that our youth have access, as they are the future of our nation, the upholders of our dreams.”
“Wellbeing needs to be approached in a holistic way,” says Shazia Omar, yoga instructor and co-founder of Dhaka Flow. “We need to work together to create a healthy lifestyle enabling environment if we are to achieve SDG 3: health and wellbeing, as a nation.”
Yoga can help people cope with stress and reduce physical and mental ailments. Meditation and mindfulness can improve concentration, compassion, peace and community. An understanding about healthy food habits and better nutrition can contribute drastically to reducing our incidence of diabetes and heart disease and help us on our journey towards inner peace. To join the wellness movement and ‘surrender to the flow’, check out Dhaka Flow’s website and follow the Dhaka Flow Facebook and Instagram pages.
