Yoga: an extreme sport

The word "yoga" often either conjures images of a relaxing euphoric state of peace and flexibility or of people contorted into seemingly unnatural pretzel-like poses. Kimberly Rachel Roderick, a Weber State University sophomore in the nursing program, said it is a great pain reliever. "As a nurse we are taught that yoga is an alternate form of treating pain, because it lengthens the muscles," Roderick said. "So if you have sore muscles from stress, working out or just have strained them, yoga can help by stretching them out, and using the deep breathing exercises will really help to relieve the pain, or at least distract you from it." Yoga can be traced back as far as 900 B.C. from the Hindu schools of philosophy. It has been used through the ages as a way to center oneself and to unite body, mind and spirit. It has been commonly used as certain bodily postures that force the body to work with itself to achieve balance and stability while relieving the tension and stress in the body. It also teaches you to breathe deeper and use your lungs more effectively. "Yoga focuses on your breathing," said Yoga Instructor Claudette Halverson. "When you are stressed, your breath gets short and choppy. If you can focus on your breathing during a test in school, you can kind of chill out and concentrate more." Halverson has been teaching yoga for more than four years and teaches free yoga classes at the Davis campus. She said that she started yoga for the stress relief. "I wanted to share the stress relief and strength that I had felt with others," she said. "If you can hold a pose that is stressful, then you can maybe handle an everyday situation that is stressful." Practicing yoga can provide a workout that can be beneficial to those recovering from injuries. "There are a lot of poses that help you strengthen your core." Halverson said. "I used to have lower back problems and so yoga has helped me with those." Along with helping people with their breathing, yoga also helps with blood flow. "There are poses in Yoga like inversions that bring the head closer to the ground, which gives your brain a fresh supply of blood and regenerates the brain," Halverson said. Yoga is a great low impact workout. With its focus on posture and breathing, you are sure not to overdo yourself while working up a sweat. "On days that I do not want to go to the gym or run, it is a good idea to opt for yoga instead of not exercising," Roderick said. "It's better than just sitting there." Roderick said she loves doing headstands, but can only do them against the wall. "When you get really advanced," she said, "I have seen some yoga masters balance on their heads, no hands, in the middle of the room." Yoga, despite its relaxing reputation, can get the heart pumping hard. "I was, like, sweating," said WSU junior Alyson Bauer. "It was so relaxing, but it really works you." At the end of each yoga session, participants' heart rates are brought down though cool-down poses, including the child pose, which has you on the ground, arms out over your head, knees to your chest facing the ground. "This has to be my favorite pose," Bauer said. "It stretches your back and legs wonderfully and you are totally relaxed. It's just great." Yoga classes are taught Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 in the University Village Community Center. They are free to all students and faculty.