Can yoga heal trauma among Palestinians, Lebanese?

Yoga seen as a healer in region with high stress levels and anxiety due to decades of conflict and coronavirus pandemic.

In the occupied West Bank, an unexpected source of solace for a traumatised population has emerged in the form of the Farashe (butterfly in Arabic) Yoga Center. Founded in 2010 in Ramallah and run by volunteers, the centre has seen rising demand for its classes from Palestinians suffering bouts of anxiety and elevated stress levels. Majdal Soboh, a 27-year-old volunteer who teaches at Farashe, told Al Jazeera by telephone the school was set up to provide “coping mechanisms” to Palestinians living under Israeli occupation.