Yoga has been a massive part of my life since I started university, and there are many reasons why I practice it regularly. It gives me time to relax and forget about the stress of deadlines – I always step off my mat after a class feeling better and happier than when I started, and it is great exercise.
Without wanting to sound too airy fairy, yoga keeps me grounded and in the moment amid the craziness of uni life. There are loads of ways that yoga benefits me as a student. Here are some of the reasons why I think all students should at least try it.
There are many different yoga styles
There are many different variations of yoga, so you’re bound to find one that suits you. Some kinds are intense and sweat-inducing, such as acroyoga, which combines acrobatics, yoga and dance, while others are more relaxing, involving a lot of lying down in a corpse pose.
Yoga Journal has a really interesting article about finding the right yoga for you. Even if you’re not into the spiritual side of things, going to a yoga class is a good way to chill out and forget about exam stress and coursework deadlines.
There’s even a new craze called Yoga Rave that has been massive in the UK in the last year. It’s a neon yoga class followed by trance dancing throughout the night. It’s the craziest yoga experience I’ve ever had.
Once you find your preferred yoga style, it might inspire you to take a teacher training course in yoga in the future. Katrina Penney, 25, started yoga three years ago when she was studying at the University of Nottingham. She says: “To say yoga changed my life is a bit of an understatement. Three years later I am now taking a foundation course which will lead on to teacher training next year.”
Yoga is becoming more affordable
It’s a myth that you can’t be a yoga bunny with a student budget. Many unis have a yoga society and if yours doesn’t, then why not start one? Yoga societies offer a range of affordable classes that are available on most campuses. If no classes on your campus feel right for you, it’ll be easy to find classes elsewhere in the area by looking online. Most yoga studios will have their own website where you can also check the drop-in prices.
Yoga societies often collaborate with local yoga studios in the area and offer cheaper classes at those studios for members of the yoga society. All the yoga studios I’ve tried offer student prices for their classes. There are also yoga websites that offer free online yoga classes for beginners, such as Do Yoga With Me and loads of YouTube channels, such as Yoga Journal and Tara Stiles.
Yoga boosts happiness and concentration
Yoga makes you happier and there is so much research to support this. For example, researchers from Boston University’s medical school found that levels of the amino acid Gaba are higher in those who perform yoga than those who don’t. Higher levels of Gaba in your system make you feel happier and more relaxed.
In another study, it was found that practicing the deep breathing technique in yoga activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which makes you feel calm and relaxed. Izzy Pugh-Cook, 20, a student studying at the University of Bath, says: “Yoga helped me recover from mental health struggles in a way that medication never could – and it improved my entire university experience as a result.”
Practicing yoga releases the essential hormone oxytocin, which fills your body with happy, calm vibes. Not only does yoga make you happier, it helps you to deal with stress, which is a huge part of uni life. A military college in Vermont has started yoga classes for cadets to help prepare them for the stress of war.
Nicola Hardingham, 21, a student at Falmouth University, says she started yoga at uni to “blow off some steam and to sweat out my dissertation stress”.
Yoga is also fantastic for concentration – which I struggle with at uni – as it brings mental clarity and focuses your mind. Recently, researchers from University of Illinois found that after a hatha yoga class, participants completed mental challenges faster and quicker than they did after going for a jog or walk. So, after seeing how yoga can benefit you as a student, why not give it a go?
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