First Feature Story

At a glance:

What: Yoga/ relax

When: Any time

Learn More: Check out Linn Benton class listings

Namaste



Today college students are preparing for life by taking classes, working a job to support themselves and figuring out how to pay for daily living. Linn-Benton Community College is a great place to start making your life better. Staying on track with classes and homework can be overwhelming for most students.Linn-Benton can cause stress but what can the college do to help release it? Luckily, not only does LB offer stress management courses, it has a grate yoga program designed for students to learn yoga.

Yoga at LB is for any type of student. While practicing yoga, you will see that it focuses on breathing, balance and posture. Everythingyoga.com states that, "The word “yoga” is derived from the Sanskrit root yug meaning to join together and direct one’s attention." You will find yourself to be more flexible and less likely to have any muscle or tendon related injuries. Living a healthy life style now in college matters because it will only help further down the road. Breathing and stretching the muscles by various poses will make you feel relaxed and you can also sleep better at night. After a yoga workout you can just feel the stress melt away. Without a doubt, yoga helps connect your thoughts and your actions as one.

Albany, Benton and Sweet Home campus' all offer yoga throughout the work week (Monday through Friday) and some have a few Saturday classes as well. Linn-Benton offers a PE credit for select yoga classes but that shouldn't discourage anyone from trying it out for a term. There are a number of different yoga classes you can take. Just a few are, power yoga, gentle yoga and Hatha yoga. The classes usually get filled up and they can have around 20 students for each class.

Amy Schneider, a student of LB is enrolled in a yoga class this winter term, she states that,
"I've never tired yoga before," Schneider explains, "so far I love it, I feel so amazing after the class."

When you walk into the room for a yoga session you lay out your mat. You can either sit or lay down, the time before the instructor begins the class is for breathing and relaxing. The instructor will start out with a few breathing poses for the class and then progress into the session. The various posses are done twice and always held for maximum stretching. At the end of the session you lay down and meditate. You let your body relax and let your mind become clear of any thought.

The best solution to relieve the stress of school or bills or the ups and downs that life gives you is simply, yoga. Practicing the poses can help prevent muscle pains, it can also make weak ligaments in the body strong again. Posture is very important because gravity is always pulling down on us.

"Yoga makes you feel like your walking on a cloud" Schneider concludes.

If your one of the many students that have a full schedule this term, try to incorporate a yoga class for the up coming spring term. Brittney McDaniel, a freshmen at Linn Benton this year is wanting to try a yoga class.
McDaniel says " I always see the classes at the Benton center, I want to sign up but my classes right now didn't allow for that particular class, next term for sure though!"

I had a chance to talk with Ms.Baskerfield a yoga instructor at OSU. I asked her why she started doing yoga?

"I studied yoga in India when I was in college. When I went there I didn't notice how poor my posture was. When I came back to the states I was standing up straight and tall."

Yoga is designed for meditation, to connect body and mind together. Taking classes at Linn Benton on top of everything else in life can really make you feel stressed out! When students can learn to put there priorities in place as well as their physically and mental wellness, there will be much to achieve while staying stress free!