Staff and Students De-stress at Kean Ocean Community Yoga

By Logan Germano | Published November 19, 2022

On Tuesday afternoons throughout the fall semester, Kean Ocean academic specialist Taryn Schlosser welcomes students and faculty to join her inside Room 108 of the Hovnanian Health Sciences Building at Ocean County College to put their schoolwork aside and unwind.

“People come here as a safe space to escape from the stressors of everyday life,” Schlosser said. 

Schlosser is the instructor of Community Yoga sessions at Kean Ocean. She began teaching yoga at the campus last semester when the Yoga Teacher Training Certificate Program first came to campus. The program is a 10-credit program that allows students to obtain their 200-hour registered yoga teacher certification in two semesters. 

Schlosser is grateful for this program, as she learned about the history of yoga, meditation, breathwork, physical posture, and gained the experience of being a yoga teacher.

“I became interested in yoga 10 years ago and I fell in love with it when I did the certificate program,” Schlosser said. “This program is well worth it and adds to the experience at Kean Ocean.”

At these sessions, Schlosser enjoys communicating with people on how they’re feeling about themselves and connects with them to help relieve stress. 

“Yoga helps me recenter myself and escape from a clustered mind of everything happening in my life at once,” Schlosser said. 

Some students attend class as a leisure activity rather than a stress reliever. Tonya Coccio, a public administration major, says that these yoga sessions are a way to get credit for another class without any pressure. 

“I use this class as an opportunity to get participation points for my Transfer Transitions class,” Coccio said. “I feel relaxed whenever I leave each session.”

Dr. Jessica Adams, the Dean of Kean Ocean, actively participates and finds time to attend sessions whenever she can. She is proud of how far Schlosser has come as a yoga instructor. 

“I come here to support Taryn on her journey as a yoga instructor,” Adams said. “I love how she is building a culture of health and wellness at the Kean Ocean campus.”

At the main campus in Union, the yoga sessions are no different. Tara Bogota has been a yoga instructor since 2013 and received her yoga certificate at the Institute of Progressive Therapies in San Diego, CA. Her favorite parts of instructing the classes are teaching mindfulness and watching students put their bodies at ease. She recommends for students of any major to consider taking Yoga 1, a one-credit free elective course for anyone who is interested in practicing yoga. 

“I think this course will benefit students because it is designed for self-care and helping students de-stress,” Bogota said. 

Community yoga is a service that Kean University provides for students to live healthier lifestyles. The challenges that come from a work overload, the ongoing stress that is happening in the personal lives of students, and an opportunity to get involved are all what make the Kean community choose this activity. 

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