Yoga Club is a new club at Orono High School this year. Juniors Julia Steadman and Paulina Gabos created the club so that students would be able to briefly escape whatever stress they may be experiencing and simply get away from school.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the benefits of practicing yoga are complementary to the mind and body, being used to achieve peacefulness between the two.
In addition, yoga has been used as a means to help students relax, manage stress, decrease depression levels and improve physical fitness.

It is because of these benefits that schools have slowly begun to incorporate an opportunity to participate in yoga into their schedules, gym classes and club offerings.

“I know when I am really stressed it just helps to breathe. I think at least everyone should give Yoga Club a try and then they can decide whether or not they think it helps,” Gabos said.

Although Gabos and Steadman believed that students could benefit immensely from doing a little bit of yoga, the two were skeptical about how many students would decide to join. This doubt was quickly relieved, however, when the activity fair came around.

“I was creating the [sign-up] sheet the night before the activity fair and I had spaces for 34 people to write their names. I wasn’t expecting more than 25. We ended up with 120,” Gabos said.

While Steadman and Gabos were the ones who brought Yoga Club to life, the idea of a yoga club had been on the mind of guidance counselor Katie Dorn for some time. Having been involved with yoga for a number of years, Dorn knew first-hand the benefits that the club had to offer students and was thrilled when asked by Steadman and Gabos to help get it started.

“The [guidance] counselors have wanted to start a yoga club like this for quite a while now,” Dorn said. “School involves a lot of sitting and [yoga club] will be a way to help wake up and rejuvenate the students and prepare their minds to focus on the day’s remaining classes and activities,” Dorn said.

The goal of the club is to motivate and inspire students to achieve a balance between their mind and body. Steadman, Gabos and Dorn hope that the club will help to increase confidence, concentration, productivity and physical fitness in students as well as reduce their stress levels and anxiety.

The club will be meeting three times a week. Yoga stretch will be on Mondays during snack break from 9:10-9:30 a.m. behind the gym bleachers. Yoga sculpt will take place on Wednesdays after school from 2:45-3:45 p.m. in the cafeteria. Vinyasa will be Fridays before school from 7:00-7:50 a.m. in the underground.

Steadman and Gabos understand the stress that can be accumulated throughout a school year. Because of this, they designed Yoga Club to be very relaxed and worry free, having no requirement on the number of sessions a member attends.

“I would definitely consider joining Yoga Club,” said junior Avery Rasmussen.“Yoga promotes inner peace and being able to find that [peace] before school could greatly benefit students.”

“You do not have to be skilled or anything to do yoga; it’s just a fun way to relax while enjoying your time,” Steadman said. “Also, many coaches these days are recommending yoga for their athletes because it will help to improve flexibility and reduce the chances of things like spraining ankles and getting hurt.”

Zach Wagner Lund is a Copy Editor for The Spartan Speaks