Warrior one. Feet apart. Hips facing forward. Front leg bent. Front foot facing forward. Arms extended above the head. Quads and calves burning.
Inhale. Exhale. Upward facing dog. Legs and hips on the floor. Hands flat on the ground. Arms straightened, lifting the upper body. Abs on fire.
Inhale. Exhale. Senior Meera Chakravarthy started the yoga club at BV this year after taking a yoga class through Blue Valley Recreation. “Last year I started doing yoga, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever,” Chakravarthy said. “I wanted to show people how calming and impacting it is. It’s good for peoples’ everyday lives.”
Communication Arts teacher Jessica Edwards leads the group in the yoga poses. She also leads a brief discussion about yoga philosophy at the beginning of each meeting.
“Yoga philosophy is basically just being kind to the planet, to other people and to yourself,” Edwards said.
Chakravarthy said doing yoga is a good way to relax and helps her keep her focus on life and her
goals. “Yoga relates to every aspect of life,” Chakravarthy said. “It brings peace to my life because I am a very high-stress person. It helps me relate everything to the big picture.”
She said people need a moment to step back from what- ever is going on and just think about themselves.
“Everyone is so caught up in competition,” Chakravarthy said. “We just need some time to think about ourselves as people. Your ego shouldn’t matter.”
Freshman Jefferson Harwood said more boys should join the yoga club.
“Sometimes it’s kind of odd to be the only guy, but at the same time it’s awesome,” Harwood said. “I would definitely recommend it to more guys. It is a real stress reliever, and it is a great way to just forget about whatever is going on.”
He said he likes that yoga is a stress reliever for him. Harwood also said he likes the atmosphere of the yoga club.
“My favorite part is getting together with friends and being in a peaceful environment,” he said. “It is relaxing and it helps me relieve my stress. It gives me peace of mind.”
Chakravarthy said yoga takes strength in two different forms.
“Yoga takes strength — both mental strength and physical strength,” she said. “With the physical strength, you go as far as your body will let you.”
Edwards said the chance to try yoga through the yoga club is a good way to experience something different.
“It’s a good opportunity to get involved in something that’s new and challenging,” she said.
The club meets on Thursdays in the wrestling room at 3 p.m., and practices for about an hour. Once the wrestling
season begins the meetings will be relocated since the wrestling room will be occupied. Edwards
encourages more people to join yoga club.
“For people interested – don’t be intimidated or afraid,” Edwards said. “Just
give it a go, and it could end up being really rewarding.”