STRESS RELIEF TRAINING FOR MAQUILADORA WORKERS

Yoga at the Border?

Women maquiladora workers  labor at tedious, mindless tasks for 8 to 10 hour days, six days per week.

Their bodies are treated like cogs in the wheel of production.

The pay is little. Supervisors demand fast and exact performance in order to meet strict production quotas.  Not even a restroom break is allowed without asking for permission.

As a result stress, felt on the mind, the body and spirit, is part of the everyday existence of the typical maquiladora worker.

As one worker has shared, “I walk out of the factory at the end of a shift in a daze.”

In time, that kind of stress, over the months and years, shows up in the body – carpal tunnel syndrome, chronic back and headaches, stiffness and a deep tiredness that worsens when she takes  up the second job at home of caring for her family.

Unattended, stress can be a problem for all the loved ones especially if the worker turns to alcohol or substance abuse in order to cope.  In the worse scenario the stress contributes to serious illnesses or to family violence.

Recognizing the impact of stress, executive director Arriola, a trained Kripalu yoga iteacher, asked the Board to help her raise funds so as to take yoga, as a form of stress relief training to the women in the Comité Fronterizo de Obreras (CFO).

The weekend project in August 2007, with the help of Director Judith Rosenberg, offered an opportunity for a few of the workers and activists to learn some very simple techniques in yoga and meditation that can be used to alleviate some of the first signs of stress.

With help from donors, Women on the Border took a half dozen sets of yoga mats, neck pillows, ties and yoga pants to women active in the CFO and those  working in the fair trade factory Dignidad y Justicia, a project of the CFO. They learned simple stretches and movements that can be easily performed at the work station or on break.

The yoga techniques they learned were drawn from the Moon Series, postures designed to empower, relax and strengthen women’s bodies.  And, typical of a good yoga class, the experience brought smiles to the faces of the students and the teacher!