Yoga Helps Students Find Peace Amidst Stress

When the first bell rings at Highland High School, a variety of emotions ensue. While some students greet the day with an optimistic attitude, the most common emotion is usually stress. From homework, to tests, to extracurricular activities, and problems that lay just barely out of Highland’s boundaries constantly petitioning one’s mind for attention, it becomes easy for a student to quickly become a bundle of nerves. Teachers demand that stress be dealt with, but they don’t give students the resources needed to manage this often overpowering emotion. That is, until Highland offered yoga classes.

At first glance many students may only think to take this course to gain flexibility or to fulfill an elective credit, but the yoga courses here offer so much more. Students of all grades, at all different levels of physical strength and flexibility gather and work on not only becoming conscious of their own body- but also of their mind and overall well-being. Erin Patrick is able to create a safe, peaceful classroom environment that allows students to step out of the stressful mindset of Highland without even needing to walk out the middle doors. Teaching students a variety of poses, ranging from beginner poses like cat and cow to advanced poses like crow or tripod stands, Patrick is able to take pupils of any level and not only challenge, but improve them as well.

“In all of my four years at Highland, yoga has by far been one of the most beneficial classes I’ve taken. I’ve noticed that yoga has helped me focus better as well as feel more prepared and ready for the rest of my day. It’s time out of my busy schedule to help me reflect on who I am and what emotions or thoughts are going through me at the time,” Lainie Shapiro said.

But beside helping students become self-aware, the yoga classes are also physically challenging. Although the course employs the use of simple poses like downward dog, it also offers a challenge to those who may consider themselves to be strong or flexible. Often it can be found that football players and dance company members alike have tumbled out of standing balance poses, or even trembled in boat pose.

“Yoga helps to maintain a healthy and strong body. It allows you to relax and focus. It has helped me become more flexible and has also helped me strengthen my ankle,” Jacob Kaiser said.

Yoga provides its participants with poses that are easily recreated and can be adjusted to work with one’s skillset. With the shavasana at the end of every class students are given the opportunity to unwind and employ the stress management and meditation techniques they have learned throughout the period.

“This class has allowed me to relax, something I’ve never really been good at. Not only am I in better shape I’ve been more focused and it has overall helped my academics,” Annie Crandall said.

Yoga is a great course to take for any student that wants to escape the stressful environment that any high school creates. As its first semester draws to an end soon, yoga seems to have a bright future in helping Highland’s students find an outlet that helps them become self-aware.