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https://www.positive.news/lifestyle/wellbeing/it-connects-us-to-nature-the-muslim-women-finding-joy-in-englands-woodlands/>
"The rain is lashing down hard over Thames Chase Forest Centre on a Thursday
morning in February. Ash, willow and pine are among the trees doing a decent
job of providing a canopy for the women from the Muslimah Sports Association
(MSA) during their weekly Nordic walk. Between two and 12 women can show up on
any morning. Today there are six, and the heavy downpour is doing little to
dampen their spirits.
“I’m enjoying the fresh air, the forest, the trees. It’s just … wow,” says
Shafia Begum. The forest is 18 miles from her home in Stratford in east London
and it couldn’t look, feel, smell or sound more different. Begum is a mother of
three who has experienced anxiety for a long time. “These nature walks have
benefited me a lot. They have strengthened my connection with, and gratitude
towards, nature and my creator,” she says.
The Nordic walk sessions became popular after messages were exchanged over
social media between Forestry England and MSA. Forestry England is a publicly
owned organisation responsible for the country’s 620,000 acres of woodland. MSA
is a nationwide charity that started 10 years ago to encourage Muslim women to
participate in sports, addressing in one fell swoop mental health challenges, a
need for exercise and loneliness."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
