It’s midterms season at USC. Have you had the chance to slow down, calm your mind and recharge your body? Well, some students turn to yoga, an ancient practice traced back to India over five thousand years ago, to help them through the midterms stress.
Brooke Nelson: “Well, I actively practice yoga. I try to practice three times a week. And I think that not only is it good for your physical health, but I definitely find that it’s good for my mental health. I’m able to kind of escape into the world, and I’m able to just be present. And I feel like that’s something that I’ve been trying to work on, and yoga has been helping me a lot with that.”
That’s art history and business student Brooke Nelson, who attended Thursday’s Yoga at Fisher event hosted at the USC Fisher Museum of Art. The event was led by certified yoga instructor Siwen Xi, who guided participants through “physical posture practice,” “deep healing relaxation,” “breathing exercises” and “meditative techniques,” according to the USC Event Calendar. Participants were surrounded by works of late French-American artist Louise Bourgeois.
Brooke Nelson: “I think that this event really combined everything that I love, like beautiful scenery with art, as well as participating in yoga with like fellow peers. So I feel like it was a very nice and grounding event, and it made me feel much, much better. I was very stressed yesterday, and now, I just feel so much more refreshed. So I’m grateful for these opportunities.”
English and economics junior Alan Enriquez also attended the Yoga at Fisher event and shares similar sentiments.
Alan Enriquez: “I think it just puts things into perspective and, you know, calms you down and centers you around a lot of things. I was kind of overwhelmed today, and I feel really relaxed right now. So I have some classes, but I don’t feel as anxious as before.”
However, some students worry that yoga has diverged too far from its cultural origins. Journalism senior Shreya Ranganathan, a certified yoga instructor, shares her perspective.
Shreya Ranganathan: “It’s an external to physical journey at this point here in the States. But what it could be is lessons, guidance, bots for existence that extend beyond the mat and can help you just transform your life in ways you didn’t even think were possible.”
Outside of the yoga available today at the Fisher Museum, the USC community can continue to take part in yoga classes with Shreya on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 at the Physical Education Building as she aims to reduce the barriers to practicing this art form.
For Annenberg Media, I’m Michael Melinger.