Recently I attended a yoga class offered here at Pacific University. These classes are held every Wednesday and Friday in Warner Hall from 12:00-1:00. Being that I rarely do yoga, and have never attended an official class on it, I was intrigued as to what it would be like.
The first observation I made during the class was that the vast majority of people in attendance were of older age, primarily in their 30’s and 40’s. This particularly fascinated me, as this class is offered on campus. As I sat down on the floor to get ready for the class, the people around around me talked calmly and seemed to create a peaceful environment on their own, before the class even started.
As the class began, the instructor played soothing, relaxing music from the speakers above the studio to set a calm, meditative mood for the environment. We began by primarily stretching our limbs through standing exercises that challenged not only our flexibility, but also balance. After these preliminary poses, we transitioned to the ground where we worked our core strength through exercises like twists and planks.
These poses were my particular favorites. They challenged our bodies the most, and in doing so, fostered a mentality of perseverance and strength. After this, we moved to a bar connected to one of the walls in the studio, and started positioning our legs on top of the bar to stretch and strengthen our leg and core muscles. We did these bar exercises for the rest of the class.
After the class concluded, I felt de-stressed. It was almost as if I had awoken from a deep slumber that healed my mind and body. This feeling carried through the rest of the day, and allowed me to approach my daily activities with a healthy mentality.
Not only does yoga help with an increased capacity for balance, strength, and flexibility, but it also helps the mind relax and focus through healthy practices. Yoga could be extremely beneficial to students facing stressful college situations, as it helps take the mind off of burdening issues, and gives way to a healthy body and mind if practiced correctly.
I believe these classes should be advertised more on campus, because they could be extremely positive for students here. Most people are probably unaware that there are yoga classes offered at Pacific. The class was taught very well, and increased involvement in it could only positively impact campus life.
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