49 percent of students report feeling stressed every single day.
Stress has become a problem in teenagers of the 21st century and now ranks a 5.8 on a ten point scale compared to the average adult stress level of 5.1.
With finals coming our way, high schoolers are under a lot of stress which can cause physical symptoms such as headaches, anxiety, and sleep problems. Yoga has been proven to not only alleviate and manage stress but also increase flexibility and strengthen muscles. The Wellness Club, a club that discusses and learns about wellness, offers free yoga lessons and aims to help teens de-stress.
Iman Sarsour, a committee member of the Wellness Club, said, “There are different focuses, sometimes we focus on breathing and meditation, other times it’s more about stretching certain areas, but it’s really about just de-stressing and taking time to center.”
The Wellness Club has two separate meetings, the first meeting is used to go over the advantages of yoga and discuss other club matters. The second is every Tuesday after school where they have a yoga class with Lucy Finn, a professional yoga instructor at a local studio.
Finn said, “Since this is a club it’s more relaxed and so we have more conversations whereas in a studio the students don’t talk at all, so this is definitely more exciting and I look forward to it each time.”
The club provides all the equipment necessary for yoga as to not limit participation due to lack of materials. They also use a diffuser and turn on music which adds to the atmosphere and helps the students and teacher relax.
“It’s a very open, and loving, and warm environment, I think it’s very uplifting and I really appreciate it,” Sarsour said.
Through yoga, the Wellness Club works to help students and teachers realize the rewarding effects of meditation and exercise.
“Yoga is very beneficial in every aspect, it’s amazing for not only your body but also your mind, being able to de-stress and tone and at the same time relax and forget about all the stuff going on,” Sarsour said.