As the school year continues, students find their stress levels increasing, and an easy and relaxing way students can relieve this stress is through yoga.
Yoga is the physical, mental, and spiritual practice that originated in ancient India. Currently, yoga is widely used for relaxation and health purposes.
The Yoga and Wellness Club, founded by Iman Sarsour, a senior, hopes to alleviate some of that stress by hosting free yoga sessions.
“I founded the Yoga and Wellness Club because I think activities that are about reflection and nurturing yourself are really important. This is especially true for high school students because we’re so busy with rigorous academic work,” Sarsour said.
Yoga is the Sanskrit word for “union,” which Sarsour finds appropriate in relation to her club.
“Yoga is about uniting and remembering that you’re one. It’s about taking the time to step back, breathe, relieve tension from your body, and unpack your thoughts,” Sarsour said.
Lucy Finn, a professional yoga instructor, has worked with the club since 2017, when it was first founded. She looks forward to each meeting and to leading the members of the club with different yoga poses.
“Last year, we would talk about anything that was on the members’ minds. It was a nice way to get their minds off of stress and school and instead, focus on themselves,” Finn said.
Over the years, Finn has seen the club grow in size, and at their first club meeting of the school year, she was excited to see a mixture of new and old faces.
Lindsay Hauf, a freshman, is new to the club and greatly enjoyed her first meeting and plans to come again.
“I think this club is really fun. Being in a calm and relaxing environment is a good way to start my day, as it is nice to ease into school instead of going straight to class,” Hauf said.
Although Hauf describes herself as a “hardcore night owl,” she said getting up early for yoga was worth it.
One of the many things Hauf appreciates about yoga is its benefits, such as its effect on athlete performance.
“As someone who plays a lot of sports and doesn’t stretch enough, yoga is really nice,” said Melina Dimick, a senior.
In the past years, like many others, Dimick was interested in the club but was unable to attend due to sports. However, this year, the Yoga and Wellness Club meets every Wednesday from 8-9 a.m. in the Scots gym.
“I really like this club, and I’m definitely coming back next week. I would recommend this club to anyone, even if they’ve never done yoga before,” Dimick said.
