Zoom Yoga: Lower your levels of stress and anxiety

By Lenny Mata Cuevas | Published by November 19, 2020

To reduce levels of stress and anxiety, the School of Health and Human Performance began to offer free yoga classes via Zoom.

The abrupt changes that students have faced in recent months could have influenced the increase of student’s tensions and worries, negatively impacting their performance, self-management and even their social skills.

Doing yoga gives students the opportunity to find a healthy and active alternative that could help them prevent from drowning within the pressures of college responsibilities. Therefore, every Friday, starting at 12:45 p.m. students will have the chance to disconnect and put aside their tensions.

Yoga is a practice that has been around for more than 5,000 years. It can help to strengthen your abilities by increasing flexibility, staying power (endurance), your ability to focus, and decreased stress, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Tara Lynn Bogota, Program Coordinator of the Yoga Teacher Certification Program, said that many of her students join the program because they need to relax or destress.

“Many report high levels of anxiety,” said Bogota.

This online program can help to release some of the pressure accumulated during the week and give your weekend a better start off.

Amy Giordano, student majoring in Psychology, has seen a physical and mental difference after she practices yoga.

“I have noticed a difference in my concentration and focus, a reduction in my anxiety and stress levels, and an overall calmer demeanor,” Giordano said.

Virtual yoga at Kean University comes as an aid to students who wish to develop and strengthen their academic success and lifestyle. A study published by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), titled Psychophysiological Effects of Yoga on Stress in College Students; found that “Yoga holds potential as a self-empowering, non pharmacological method for enhancing stress management, and wellness in college students.”

Another reason to choose yoga as a stress-relieving practice it’s because of its inclusiveness and welcoming to all. Usually, practices that require physical skills presume to have a certain level of resistance to be able to join. Nevertheless, that is not the case when it comes to exercise while doing yoga.

Giordano also explained that regardless of age and fitness level, yoga can work for everyone.

“I think one of the things I like about it best is that anybody can practice!” said Bogota. “No matter your age, gender, size, any state of health yoga is accessible to everyone.”

Yoga is intended to be a non-competitive discipline whose main purpose is to fill you all with good energy and positive vibes.

“Yoga does more than burn calories and tone the body” Giordano said, “it also focuses on the overall wellness of your mind, body, and soul.”

The objective the School of Health and Human Performance pursues with this program is to share Yoga with as many people as possible.

“Many people on campus do not know that the Yoga Teacher Training Center at Kean exists so this is a way to let everyone at Kean know that we are here!” Bogota said.

The benefits of practicing yoga regularly unfold on a long list that goes from lowering blood pressure to weight loss.

“Yoga provides the tools to live a life on purpose – one with more kindness, equanimity and balance.” Bogota said.

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