Ellen McAllister
Creative Editor
At the beginning of class, all you hear is the sound of deep breathing. With eyes closed and legs crossed, the mood is serene. All eyes then slowly flutter open and the sound of feet and hands stretching and twisting can be heard, breaking the silence. Yoga class has begun. On Jan. 23, a snowy and cold Sunday afternoon, Power Yoga with Emma Davidson ’22 was the escape needed to warm up the body and release the tension and stress caused by the beginning of in-person classes. Davidson teaches Power Yoga every Sunday from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Scot Center Hot Box. This was the first of many Lunch Hour Yoga classes of the semester, which were created to give students a chance to practice yoga free of charge when they could use a little de-stressing.
Davidson has been doing yoga since high school after she decided to try a hot yoga class to challenge herself with a new form of exercise. Over quarantine, she decided to go to “yoga school” to become a certified yoga instructor after having to practice virtually or by herself. While she doesn’t have a favorite pose, she really likes hot yoga and has been enjoying arm balances recently. When asked if she had any advice for future yogis, she said to talk to one of the instructors and they would all be very happy to help anyone feel more comfortable about coming to yoga. She reminds them that the class isn’t for the instructor, it’s for the student. Even though there is a big difference between leading a yoga class and taking a yoga class, Davidson says, “I do really love getting to see students grow in their practice and get to share all of the things that I love about yoga, which I don’t get to do as a student.”
There are two other yoga instructors at the College, offering even more options to breathe and relax on campus. Annie Yoder, a Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 500), teaches All-Levels Vinyasa Yoga, a class that builds strength and flexibility by using different poses and breathing. It is a moderately-paced class that students at any level can enjoy. Yoder’s class is from 11:00 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. every Tuesday. She also teaches at Flex Yoga, a yoga studio in Wooster. Rachel David, the Health Education Coordinator at the College and a certified yoga teacher and mindfulness coach, teaches both Beginner and Intermediate Yoga from 11:00 a.m to 11:50 a.m. on Thursdays. The class begins with basic yoga poses and will increase in difficulty as the semester continues. For all three yoga classes, students should dress in clothes that they can comfortably move in and must bring their own mat.
Yoga is not meant to be scary or intimidating, but rather a time to work on yourself and learn what your body needs. Rachel David wants to remind beginners that “yoga is for everyone and everybody, because it’s more so about a mindset than physical postures.” Next time you feel a little overwhelmed or stressed out, trying yoga might help!
Questions about Lunch Hour Yoga or yoga in general? Reach out to rdavid@wooster.edu.
