Gentle yoga class aims to recharge students' mind and soul - Roosevelt Torch

The gentle yoga class meets on the second floor in the Auditorium building weekly.

Roosevelt University students don't have to venture to the Far East for the soothing practice of a yoga class. In fact, they only need to travel to the second floor of the Auditorium Building. A weekly gentle yoga class is offered in the Spertus Lounge, where individuals can reap the benefits of the ancient meditative practice and unwind the daily troubles of the mind.

It's not every day that one can imitate the poses of a happy baby, a monkey and a tree in less than 75 minutes with a group of people on an idle Wednesday afternoon. The Spertus Lounge offers a peaceful ambiance to the class taught by yoga instructor and composition professor Julie Sanford.

Sanford efficiently describes each of the poses and guides the class through a number of different exercises. All yoga poses are relatively low-key in the sense that no one needs prior yoga experience to follow along and benefit from the practice. Sanford completed her Hatha Yoga Teacher

Training Certification with Suddha Weixler at the Chicago Yoga Center and has been practicing the mind and body discipline for 12 years.

"Yoga has changed my life so much," said Sanford. "I really want to be able to share this with other people and have them feel as good as I do."

After noticing that Roosevelt had no yoga class to offer students, Sanford coordinated this class as an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to partake in the advantages of yoga.

In a Mayo Clinic article regarding stress management, the staff highlighted four of the numerous benefits yoga produces. Mind concentration reduces stress and an increased overall body fitness and flexibility. Better management of chronic health conditions such as cancer, depression, pain, anxiety and insomnia, and weight loss are all possible health benefits of yoga, according to the report.

Students of all ages, skill levels, shapes and sizes are encouraged to attend a gentle yoga class. Sanford said she hopes to attract more people for the classes, especially students.

"Students who need a place to go and figure out how to deal with stress, school, tests, exams and may need a place to recharge, it's a great place to come," said Sanford.  

Read more about Yoga at : http://yogatips.infoplugin.com/

New yoga club aims to relieve students' stress - RU Daily Targum

Not Just Yoga, a campus organization catering to students interested in yoga and meditation, seeks to provide students a refuge from the chaos of campus life.

Bhaskar Mitra, a School of Engineering postdoctoral associate, founded the club early last year.

"[Not Just Yoga is] an organization dedicated to relieving stress via healthy methods," said club President Justine D'Souza.

At a standard club meeting, members engage in meditation, practice breathing techniques and hold discussions.

"It's also a good outlet for people interested in peace and spirituality," D'Souza said.

But as the name suggests, Not Just Yoga goes beyond the realm of yoga mats and breathing exercises. Members also volunteer and give back to the community.

"[Not Just Yoga] offers members the opportunities to participate in community service initiatives throughout the semester," club administrator Najuk Mehta said. "Whether it's tutoring elementary school children after hours or spreading smiles across the campus with the ‘RU Smiling' campaign."

Club leaders also host "De-Stress" events for students in the University's residence halls with other campus organizations.

"Any student would benefit from this organization," D'Souza said. "Everyone endures tension and experiences difficulty in managing it single-handedly."

D'Souza spoke from experience.

"There was one meeting where I was really tense, because I had so many things to do after the meeting," she said. "After participating in the meeting's meditation, however, I felt great. I thought to myself, ‘If I can bring this to others, I can't wait to do so.'"

Mehta elaborated on the club's benefits. Unlike everyday activities, programs at Not Just Yoga put members in tune with themselves and bring them to a new level of understanding, she said.

"It's amazing what we don't notice about ourselves day in and day out," Mehta said. "We get stuck in the same patterns, and we often miss simple truths. But with a little awareness and wisdom, we can look deeper into these patterns of the mind and can be much more free and relaxed, enjoying the present far more."

School of Arts and Sciences sophomore Emily Chou expressed interest in joining Not Just Yoga.

"I currently take yoga classes at the College Avenue Gym," Chou said. "It's really relaxing and calming because it makes you forget your stress. A club about yoga would be beneficial to all the students, especially during exam time. I'd definitely like to attend."

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