Note: Read or scroll to bottom of page to see links to more testimonials

"I had never taken a yoga class before this quarter. My father has been taking yoga classes for the last 5 years. He has tried a variety of types and has been trying to get me to accompany him for a while. I decided to try yoga here at school because of the comfortable environment and to try something new. I am neither a strong, nor flexible person, but only after only a few weeks I am feeling a major change in my body. I like having yoga in the morning before I have done anything else because that is when I am most relaxed and most able to focus on my body. I am usually a very twitchy person and it is sometimes hard to focus on anything for long periods of time. I find that in yoga, it is easy to stop thinking about life and stress and just focus on what is going on in that moment. I feel energized after yoga and it is easier for me to concentrate and do work after class. Already my arms have become stronger and I’m more flexible in my shoulders, back, and legs. My carpel tunnel syndrome isn’t as noticeable during poses as it was at the beginning of the quarter. I hope that I can use the techniques I am learning now to help focus and relax myself before I go to bed so I can sleep better. I want to continue to practice yoga even after the class because I really feel a difference in my body and mind."
Sydney

"I enjoy yoga; I find it challenging, but also relaxing, soothing, and invigorating. I have always had a lot of difficulty concentrating, in part because I have Attention Deficit Disorder; yoga helps me focus, even if it is only a little bit. I find it very difficult to remain focused in certain poses, but since beginning yoga at the start of second semester, I have found that gradually this difficulty occurs less and less often. I often think that my lack of focus contributes, in some way to my lack of balance, which is something I find yoga helping with a lot. It also relaxes me, not only my muscles and body, but my mind as well. In my attempts to concentrate and focus on the poses, I am able to let the rest of the world slip away for a while. Considering how much stress there is in my life right now, as graduation approaches and I have to get ready for the real world, yoga provides a much needed opportunity to focus on something else for time, while also relaxing my muscles and releasing the tension that is caused by all my stress. I sometimes feel like, with all the other stuff I have to do, the time I spend in yoga could be better used for something else. However, the more I think about it and the more I practice yoga, the more I realize how much I need that time away from everything else; I need the time I spend doing yoga to focus on myself and help relieve some of my tension and help relax me, so that when I leave yoga, I have more energy and am more able to focus on the other things I have to do. I don’t often allow myself to take such time to focus on me, so I need a routine activity in my life that compels me to set aside time for myself. For that reason, I would like to continue practicing yoga, and I will certainly try to do so. I feel like, while my life is stressful now, once I graduate, this time for relaxation and reflection will become even more important, so I think as my life goes on I will come to appreciate and enjoy yoga even more." McKenzie

"My honest thoughts about yoga are that I dreaded coming to it. I knew that I am not flexible at all and it would be a challenge for me. After coming to class a couple of times, I started to see a difference. I could finally touch my toes while standing. Yoga allows me to concentrate on areas of my body that I have never thought about before. I have learned many different things like Yin-Yang movements. I have focused more on Yin movements because it stretches connective tissue around joints, which is what all athletes need in life. I also learned how to deepen my breath, which has helped me with my sports-induced asthma. I plan on having yoga in my life, because of its wide range of possibilities." Stacey