Students find yoga practice worth using for peace; strength

 While it had a bit of a strange reputation for a while, it is making a comeback with a new fanbase. It is reaching out to teens and adults alike, boy and girls of all types, and bringing them together for one common goal: relaxation. It makes these people pose, but not for the camera.

“Yoga is a practice where your mind and body are in sync,” sophomore Bella Noy said. “It creates mindfulness and personally for me, it helps me have a positive outlook in my everyday life with situations I face.”

In addition to the mental aspect, junior Tyler Svoboda uses yoga to strengthen his body and relax from a stressful day.

“My uncle does it and he’s in great shape because of yoga,” Svoboda said. “I wanted to have that same level of fitness.”

The trend is constantly attracting new participants eager to get into a class and see what the craze is all about.

“I really enjoyed it the first time,” senior Katie Schuessler said. “I hope to go again in the future because it’s a really great experience. It was really relaxing and it made me really calm for the rest of the day. The only problem is that it can be expensive for classes.”

However, some people do not start off their yoga experience by going to classes. Noy expanded her interest with an app she downloaded called Pocket Yoga.

“It sounded like the perfect thing because you could do it in the comfort of your own home. I found it was great while I actually had the motivation for it, but after a while I got lazy.”

Noy heard from a friend about one of the most popular yoga studios in the city, Yoganics, located in downtown Wylie.

“Having a membership there holds me accountable and the people there definitely make me feel welcome,” Noy said.

Even coaches are bringing it into their teaching and training styles, introducing the practice to students.

“Coach Andrews puts us through a few stretches after weight room practices once or twice a week,” junior Holt Black said. “My favorite thing is just the relaxing feeling afterwards.”

Proven benefits from yoga include better posture, aid in breathing, lowering of blood pressure and of course helps improve flexibility and overall strength. It also has been shown to help with mental irregularities such as depression, anxiety and insomnia.

“I cannot emphasize enough how much better it will make your life,” Noy said. “It’s the healthiest addiction.”