Updated: October 28,2022

With the first big round of college application deadlines on Oct 15 and Nov 1, high school seniors have been dealing with lots of stress. This additional stress has caused student’s to find new ways to manage their energy while still giving their bodys enough time to rest. One of the many ways to cope with stress is yoga. Loudoun Valley provides a yoga class for its juniors and seniors and the students have already been taking advantage of it this school year.

Yoga is not only a good exercise and stimulant for your body, but it is also a great way to help control your breathing and increase your flexibility. The class is instructed by one of the gym teachers Ms. Lewis. “I enjoy teaching and practicing yoga because it’s something that doesn’t have high expectations, and helps reduce my anxiety and stress,” Lewis said. Most of the students in this year’s yoga class are juniors, but luckily they are still eligible to take it again next year. 

Compared to possible coping mechanisms at home, having this class during the school day gives students the opportunity to relax and take a break.  

“Trying to relax at home when stressed doesn’t always work but when you are in a yoga class, that is what you are there for,” senior Calista Zorbas said. “It gives me a moment where I have nothing better to do than relax.”

“My favorite part of class is the shavasana, it helps lead me not to overthink and just be in the present,” senior Chelsea Neaveill said.  At the end of every practice, the class closes the session with a shavasana. A shavasana is a relaxation period that is taken laying down or in a corpse pose and typically used to meditate and regroup after a session. 

“The shavasana at the end of each practice helps me reset because it gives me a sense of calm and resets my body after a difficult yoga practice,” Zorbas said.