I’m sure all college students can attest to the fact that college, paired with an immense level of schoolwork, can get pretty stressful. Stress is certainly not limited to college students of course, so this article can easily apply to anyone who's feeling pressure in their life! But in the midst of all the chaos swirling around in the daily lives of college students, it can feel nearly impossible to find a moment to breathe, let alone find time to relax. If you’re anything like me, then you’re constantly on the go, always getting work done (for both extracurricular and academic purposes), and rarely fit in any “me-time” for yourself.
Life can get overwhelming fairly quickly, no matter if you’re a college student, a grown man or woman with a demanding job, a stay-at-home parent with a packed schedule for the kids, someone with stressful health problems, a high schooler worrying about SAT’s and college applications, or anyone in-between. Even if you’re skilled at multitasking, you’ll come to realize that sometimes, there just aren’t enough hours in the day to keep up with your busy schedule. But no matter how crazy or overwhelmed you may feel, you must remember that you need to take time to nurture your mental health. Your mind and body will thank you for it! And one simple way you can do this is by signing up for yoga classes.
A few weeks ago, I attended my first yoga and tai chi class at a local studio. Upon taking the class, I actually found out that this very studio was hosting weekly yoga and tai chi sessions on my college campus every Friday at 4:00 for free! I was thrilled to hear this, seeing that I loved the class I took, but was unable to afford paying for sessions regularly (I live that broke-college-student life, as most of us young folks do. *Sigh*). So, I jumped at the chance to attend the classes they hold on campus, and I couldn’t be happier with this decision! Without further ado, here are thirteen reasons why YOU should be doing yoga and tai chi, too!
13. Relaxation
For the most obvious reason, yoga is good for helping you to relax and clear your mind of everything that’s been worrying you, even if it lasts briefly.
12. Self-Empowerment
Honestly, taking this yoga and tai chi class has helped me feel a lot better about myself, and I feel super empowered, too! When you accomplish holding tough positions you never thought you were capable of, while simultaneously telling yourself “I can do this!”, it makes you feel like you can conquer any curveball that’s thrown your way.
11. Flexibility
It will force you to move your body in ways you didn’t know where possible, and while you may be a tad bit sore the following day(s), you’ll start to feel yourself become more flexible, which can help you in many other areas of your life!
10. Because yoga instructors are the sweetest, calmest, and most refreshing people out there
9. It reminds you to stop and breathe
It’s all about breathing. No matter what position you do, the one thing the instructor will remind you of is to focus on your breathing as you’re doing it. Not to mention, we do plenty of solely breathing-based exercises. By paying such close attention to your breathing in class, it’ll become imbedded in your mind, and then you’ll start applying these techniques in your daily life. When something stresses you out or makes you feel overwhelmed, a little voice in your head will chirp up and remind you to breathe, like the way you do in class. And this will make all the difference.
8. It improves your physical health…
7. ...and improves your mental health, too!
Yoga and tai chi helps you nurture yourself, while helping you focus on how wonderfully you’re doing in your everyday life. It reminds you that your best is in fact good enough, no matter how hard you get on yourself, and that you should always be proud of your accomplishments.
6. It gives you a positive outlook
Yoga and tai chi is clearly all about positivity and spreading good vibes. You’ll love the positive atmosphere that’s created in class so much that you’ll want to replicate that same ambiance outside of class, as well! You’ll begin to pull the positive vibes you receive from the sessions into your daily life, and this will make you feel better than ever!
5. It’s the perfect way to end a stressful day/week
My classes are held on Fridays. Now, during the week whenever I’m stressed by schoolwork or whatever other challenges I face, I instinctively say to myself “you can do this, Ariana. Just a few more days until you can relax at yoga!” So no matter what day of the week you go to class, it’ll definitely help you unwind from whatever tension you feel. And it’s especially great if you have the chance to go at the end of the week, because it’ll help you close on a positive note!
4. It helps you focus better
In class, your sense of focus is sharpened even more than you feel it regularly is. In order to hold and/or accomplish each position, you must be able to clear your mind and pay close attention to what you’re doing. If you don’t, then you might not be able to do it. This same level of deliberation you dedicate to focusing during class can aid you in your everyday life as well, because you’ll begin to apply it to other daily tasks you need to accomplish!
3. You get to meet wonderful new people
Aside from meeting an amazing instructor, you’ll also meet some pretty awesome people who are taking the class with you! I’ve encountered new people who I’ve become fast-friends with because they're there for the same reasons as I am, and they bring forth that same positive energy I’m seeking to surround myself with!
2. It’s a confidence-booster, and helps you remember to love your body
During every class, my instructor encourages all of us to say things out loud, like, “I loveeee my healthy body,” “I love you, my beautiful face,” or even something like “I love my kidneys!” While you may think you’re just simply repeating what she says, after a while you’ll begin to understand the gravity of what you’re actually saying. You’re admitting that you love yourself, flaws and all. Saying these things serves as a reminder that we all have one body, and this is the only body we’ll have in this life. To mistreat it, think poorly of it, put an infinite amount of stress on it, or do harm of any kind to it is detrimental to our health and spirits. We must be kind and gentle with ourselves, because there’s no viable reason to treat ourselves with anything less than love and respect. Perhaps saying these things starts off as repetition, but it will soon turn into something you actually say and mean.
1. It reminds you to love your life
Attending these classes will help you see the beauty in life. Instead of focusing on the negatives you face each day, you’ll begin to see the good things instead. My instructor starts off every class by asking each of us to name one good thing that happened during the week. And instead of simply focusing on one thing per week, she's helped me begin to see the good that every individual day has to offer. It reminds me to love life for all that it is.
I can’t sit here and say that yoga and tai chi is meant for everyone. It won’t work if you’re not going to put the right effort forth and allow yourself to enter into a mindset of acceptance. But I promise that if you’re willing to have an open mind, receive and spread positivity, and believe in the power of the roots that grow between your mind and body, then you’ll be able to experience all of the points on this list for yourself!
