Yoga class leads to inner peace

By Kathleen Howe

Looking for a way to build your flexibility, body awareness, and balance, or help with stress management? Yoga is the class for those who said yes to the question above.

Yoga 1 is a course that is offered to students in the spring and fall semesters and aims to introduce the basic principles of yoga that help educate the body, mind, and spirit. Students in the class, taught by Kathleen Yount, focus on the underlying principles, the practice of yoga, and the understanding of body awareness themselves.

“The goal of the course is to help students build skills in body awareness, stress management, coordination, balance, mobility, and flexibility, and some folks even find that they build strength during the course too,” said Yount. “In the past, I have read their reflection on their experience. A lot of times what I hear most from folks is that it really does help with managing stress and feeling a little bit more at ease and finding their own tools and skills at being able to rest, release stress.”

In yoga, there are many forms that they go over in class that primarily focus on form and stretching of the body. Some examples below from students that are taking the course of Spring 2023: 

Teacher Kathleen Yount says students find that yoga helps them manage stress. Photo by Kathleen Howe

Students in the class are doing a Crescent lunge during the session. Photo by Kathleen Howe

The following pose known as Warrior 1 pose is similar to the Crescent lunge but the heel is securely on the floor of the mat. Photo by Kathleen Howe

Students are starting with some warm-up stretches before beginning to do some postures that require focus and balance. Photo by Kathleen Howe

The last pose done for the day was the Warrior 3 pose where you fully balance yourself fully on one leg and lean forward with arms crossed on your chest. Photo by Kathleen Howe