Namaste: Say goodbye to stress and hello to a class you’ll love

If you are like many, you may relate to anxiety and its crippling effects. As fellow students, and simply as fellow beings of the same species, you’re likely to identify with the overwhelming feelings accompanied by stress.

Yoga is one of many tools that can be used in managing personal stress, and can even be its cure. Salt Lake Community College offers several yoga classes, and the potential health benefits are many.

Once old stereotypes are let go, yoga is a great way to relax

While some of you may be thinking of yoga as a hippie, granola session composed of heavy breathing, awkward poses, and tight pants, you may find that yoga offers you the vital tools that you need not only to strengthen your body, but more importantly, your mind.

“I think the people that are most apprehensive of yoga, need it the most,” says Kerri Holladay, one of several yoga instructors at SLCC.

Now you may be wondering why you should take yoga at your school instead of elsewhere. Kenzie Knight, a yoga student at the University of Utah, advocates the benefits of taking the class offered through her college.

“I enjoyed having the opportunity to take it through my school, because it ends up being more affordable than a regular yoga studio’s rates, and it was nice to switch up my normal day-to-day routine,” says Knight.

At SLCC, not only can you strap another credit hour under your belt, but the internal and external gains alone enough to make yoga a class worth taking, according to Knight.

“In addition to the physical benefits, I found yoga to be the most peaceful part of my day. It gave me the chance to relax and put all stressors aside,” says Knight.

Yoga has many health benefits, both physical and emotional

Like a therapy session, yoga offers improvements that range from balance and breathing, to concentration and meditation; supplying tools for students that can be applied in everyday life.

In gaining an understanding of yoga, you will learn that it is not merely a hobby or an exercise, but a school of philosophy and a way of life.

Yoga classes at SLCC offer a place where you can take off your shoes, drop your heavy backpack and let your problems, whatever they may be, melt into your mat and away from your being. Holladay seems to echo this notion as she refers to her students.

“You can see it on their faces when they leave, they feel better,” says Holladay.

Yoga courses at SLCC are offered on a variety of days and in different session lengths, making it easy to find one that caters towards you.

More information about classes, including course descriptions and scheduled sessions, can be found online at www.slcc.edu.