I am a Yoga Girl - Effi Abath

Hi. I’m Effi Abath (@effi.abath). I’m 15 years old and I live in Aruba. My dad is from here, but my mom is from Holland.

I’m still in high school right now, so most of my time is spent studying. There is a lot of homework! I hope to study abroad one day, but I am so lucky to say that my roots are from this beautiful island surrounded by the turquoise waters. I will always call Aruba home.

My free time is limited, but you can usually find me with my friends or on my drum set when I’m not studying. We just started a band called The Seven Waves. I hope I can share our new song with everyone soon! I’m the songwriter and the drummer of the band, so it keeps me pretty occupied. I practice the drums almost every single day, and I’m so lucky to say I have a mother that supports my dedicated practice (She is usually at our glassblowing shop, so maybe that’s why she’s okay with my constant drumming!).

I’m a great problem solver. I’m reflective, meditative, a deep thinker and an even better listener. My friends and classmates have noticed this. They often seek me out for advice for school, work, or personal problems that are happening in their lives. I am really good at seeing both sides to help resolve problems. I know my friends feel understood when they come to me, which is the best feeling in the world. If a friend is in need, I will be there for them. The same is true about our community and our planet. I recently started a new project, and our first mission is to clean up the beach! It feels really good to be able to give back to Aruba.

I’ve been practicing yoga for a little while now. My mom made me go to my first yoga class and I’m so glad she did! I haven’t stopped since. I think she knew it would make such a difference in my life (moms always know best). This practice is such an important part of my self-care routine now. I notice that I’m more focused and productive, in school and in my band.
But the best part – the more I practice, the more I am able to let go of the negative thoughts I have about myself. I think we all have those thoughts of, I am not good enough and, no one likes me. Since practicing yoga, I feel a greater sense of ease with myself. Yoga has become a distraction from my own self-doubt. It has kept me positive and rooted in my own sense of belonging. When I step off the mat, there is a sense of calm in me. The worries and stresses of school and life fall away. I really do feel like a Yoga Girl!

This yoga community is so great to be a part of. Everyone comes together with smiles and love. I know everyone can be a Yoga Girl, and I know exactly what that means. To me, it means everyone gets to be their own person, exactly as we are. Everyone can be comfortable to do their own thing, and they can know there will always be a family with no judgment backing them up.

We can all start this practice for ourselves. That is hard to do at first, but once you put yourself first, it starts to get really fun and liberating. In this practice, we can all do our own thing. It’s not a competition. It’s not about flexibility or strength. It’s to explore what YOU can do, and I promise, you will be so surprised with yourself.