Someone said once that great minds have purposes and others have just wishes. Often times, those great minds follow their purposes with unbreakable passion, it’s then when the magic of perseverance happens, when purposes are pushed towards dreams and dreams become realities.
From the rink to the ring
A couple of decades separate the professional ice skater from the Fight Fit gym sponsored fighter, but both are pillars in their own right within Meredith a.k.a. Dedo’s path, a journey full of ups and downs that has forged an independent strong woman.
Experienced as she is in dealing with mental health issues, Meredith had it clear. She wanted others to benefit from the regular practice of Muay Thai as she had done herself before. So when Nuraan Felix became a trainee at Fight Fit, a project secretly started to unveil. The opportunity Meredith was looking for presented itself right before her eyes; and as she likes to say, “you have the idea, but you need to jump”. And she couldn’t have chosen a better “jumping” partner, Nuraan Felix, a natural hurdler herself.
Daughters Rising
Daughters Rising is the NGO Nuraan Felix is part of and its reason to be is simple, “we started with the notion that if we really wanted to prevent trafficking of the most vulnerable victims in the poorest areas, we would need to instill change from the bottom up”; so from the bottom up and from the inside out, Nuraan and her team develop and support women empowerment projects with the aim of negating the risk factors that allow trafficking to exist in the community. These projects range from scholarships and courses to workshops, a wide variety of free and fun events “aimed at boosting girls’ self-confidence and leadership skills”. Although the exploitation of women and children is a major issue today, Nuraan reminds us that “on top of that, domestic violence is still a huge problem” so “by empowering women we promote the overall development of society. It’s as important today as it was 100 years ago”.
Martial arts and somatic therapy
The particular characteristics of somatic therapy, also known as body oriented psychotherapy, makes martial arts and, in this case Muay Thai, the perfect match as it encourages the communication between the mind and the body. This allows greater understanding of the issues and enables sustainable movement towards improved health and wellbeing. Stress, abuse and trauma, anger, anxiety and panic attacks, depression and eating disorders are just some of the ailments this type of therapy can help to mitigate. As Nuraan explains, “Martial arts are highly effective as a coping strategy for mental health issues. During a good session there is a massive release of neurotransmitters and feel good hormones. This gives you a natural boost without having to take meds”. Research shows how the regular practice of martial arts can increase the emotional stability of its practitioners. “It’s a healthy way to release anger and frustration, but there’s also the social aspect of it. You connect with your trainer, you connect with your sparring partners. As humans we need connection”, affirms Nuraan.
Nuraan and Dedo’s reachout
The free seminar celebrated at Fight Fit Muay Thai last month was the first trial of an ambitious project: a series of monthly free events dedicated to support those in recovery programs.
Focused on mental health and women in recovery, Dedo and Nuraan managed to gather a nice little audience to deliver a clear message: women can (and must) empower each other.
Introduced smoothly by sponsored fighter Kitty with a general warm up, the class continued with a focus on Muay Thai basics, when Kru Mike and Dedo herself helped the girls to improve their balance and mobility by explaining the secrets of the art of eight limbs. The heavy bags didn’t get a break either as these women tried their new acquired skills on them, with fast and furious moves.
The two hour free session lead by Kru Mike allowed these women to enjoy a tranquil and relaxed atmosphere where they learnt the foundations of the sport. Between hooks, jabs and kicks, the camaraderie on the mats was palpable. Nuraan and Dedo’s efforts to create a safe environment for these women exceeded any expectations.
But the story has just started. When these two bright minds come together great ideas come to life; their formula for success is simple: heart and courage. And with heart and courage they are already preparing their future seminars and events. Fight Fit Muay Thai and Daughters Rising have a great challenge ahead but the goal is clear: empowering women to empower the world.
-Saray-
*Follow Nuraan’s work on www.somatictherapy.co or her Instagram @somatictherapy.co
For a great Muaythai gym visit the Fightfit guys at www.cnxffmuaythai.com/
