Students - Posture, Stress and Yoga 18th January

Why Students should do Yoga!

Are you worried or anxious about student life? Are exams are stressing you out? Are you missing home? Do you struggle to get up in the morning and be productive? Or are you just finding that your posture is starting to look a bit like Quasimodo?

Life at University can be a whirlwind of emotions and experiences. University looking to harness the potential you have to change the world. They encourage you to focus on what you can learn, broaden your horizons and understand yourself a little better.  University help us explore the way we want to engage with the world as people who know their purpose and have the power to fulfil it.

You don't have a lot in common. In yoga, this purpose is called dharma and the point of yoga is to give you the additional tools to help you fulfilling your dharma.

So, let’s explore some of the reasons why yoga is awesome for university students!

1. Yoga’s a barometer for your life. 

Non-scientist?  -  a barometer measures atmospheric pressure.

University students are under lots of pressure: there is an expectation that you can pump out a 10-page essay in a few hours, good great marks, have a social life, and make new friends from scratch… all of this while we take care of ourselves - mind, body and spirit - often for the first time alone.

Yoga is your perfect barometer for student life, because how we show up on the mat is an indication of how we show up in life. Make sure that the amount of time you dedicate aids in your overall well-being!  Going to a class can help you keep that focus.

If you start slacking in your yoga practice, what's going on off the mat? What is it that you are prioritising over wellness? How can you bring the pressure back down?

2. Yoga improves concentration. 

There are now hundreds of studies showing that yoga, especially meditation and relaxation, can greatly improve concentration.  The ability to let go of the outside world, to focus on that particular moment, can help us find the inspiration and concentration to manage the ups and downs of everyday life.

3. You'll learn how to sit. 

All that time rounded over a computer or a book may end up making you feel like Quasimodo. Poor posture can lead to tension headaches, back pain, and compromise your mental health.   

‘The purpose of yoga is to learn how to sit better. What?! You mean I'm flying from crow pose to plank pose just so I can sit later?!Well...yes, you are. The physical practice of yoga was curated by Indian monks who were meditating all day long.

After years of meditating, these monks were having a hard time sitting still. It was uncomfortable. Their legs were falling asleep. Their backs hurt. They needed a practice that would stretch out their muscles so that when they were not using them, they wouldn't be in pain.’

Practising a few yoga poses before and after a big study session can make all the difference.

4. Calm the mind and get restful sleep

If you never give the mind a chance to slow down, you may remain anxious and restless even with a full night’s sleep.  Yoga practice it Is aimed around slowing the heart rate and calming and slowing down mind. The physical part of yoga, asana, is a moving forward of this practice allowing us to bring our concentrations to a single point, our body.

Are you ready to try something that looks after your well-being, your mind, your body and your spirit?