Matching workout sets, acaí bowls for breakfast, and hydrojugs filled with electrolytes all add to the trending aesthetic of yoga classes. However in addition to keeping up with the latest workout trend, some M-A students also seek yoga as an outlet to process the tumultuous and stressful days of high school. Whether it’s slow hot yoga done alone or an intense early morning sculpt class with friends, many view yoga as the perfect combination of relaxation and strength training that leaves both the mind and body rejuvenated.  

Inside the class

In the modern world, daily life is a constant rush of tasks, especially for busy high schoolers. Students say even a one-hour yoga class can bring significant peace to their lives. 

“There’s not a lot of ways for somebody to unwind without devices or without other people coming in and interrupting you, and I think going to yoga is such a good way to get out and leave all of your problems or all of your stresses at the door,” senior Avery Kerst said. 

Kerst’s yoga journey began with attending occasional community classes with her mom. When the activity gained popularity around her sophomore year, she began attending classes regularly at YogaSix, where she now works as a receptionist. 

Now, when faced with the stresses of senior year, yoga has become an important outlet. “I think it’s such a nice way to just relax and unwind because, especially senior year, I feel like I have a never-ending list of to-dos just running through my head,” Kerst said. “So it’s a really good time to try to clear everything out.” 

Brent Kirk is a fitness instructor and yoga teacher at CorePower. He strongly believes in yoga’s ability to help people relax their minds and bodies, saying it gives them much-needed distance from ever-present technology.

“Online and such, it’s really impossible to quiet the mind. Modern life doesn’t allow for it, and I love the fact that we can just sit in a room, no screens,” Kirk said. “You come to new realizations, new conclusions, new rabbit holes, and that can only happen when all the fluctuations of the mind have quieted.”

Freshman Jocelyn Bunjamin also agrees that yoga can provide an opportunity to get away from everyday life dominated by screens. “I think yoga is always such a good way to get away from devices. You totally forget about the outside world while you’re in yoga classes, even if you do it at home,” Bunjamin said. “It’s also such an awesome way to not get stuck scrolling on your phone”.

Although yoga is primarily beneficial for individual growth, the sense of community found in a yoga class also provides social benefits for teens. Whether it’s relationships with favorite instructors or fellow yoga students, students appreciated the connections they made in the studio. 

Kerst says she was immediately accepted into the yoga community at YogaSix. “I think the community that’s built around yoga is also something that I really enjoy. [The instructors] are taking the time out of their day to remember small things about you,” Kerst says. 

“There’s something about it that builds an unbreakable bond, and so when you come in here, you sweat, you’re challenging yourself, you’re laughing, you’re having fun, falling out of poses, whatever it is, it builds a bond between you and your friend or family member that you can take with you,” Kirk said. 

For many, the studio is a judgment-free place to unwind and socialize. 

Outside the class 

For M-A students, there are numerous benefits of yoga that extend beyond the studio and into their daily lives. For some, yoga is a way to strengthen and tone their bodies, while others are grateful for the long-term serenity they feel. 

Kerst is impressed by how quickly she feels the physical effects of yoga. “I think that [yoga has] just really helped improve my flexibility, and I can tell at the beginning of the class versus the end of the class,” Kerst said. 

Kirk mentioned the skills yoga develops that can be beneficial for teens. “It’s one of those practices that really is holistic. It really does and can affect, for example, your ability to be disciplined, your ability to show up for yourself, to be consistent, not to judge yourself or others too harshly,” Kirk said. 

Kirk also mentions how mindfulness practices taught inside yoga class don’t have to be left at the door. “I’ve highly encouraged people to take what they learn and apply it outside the studio. There’s so much research out there about, for example, breathing techniques and how they can really help you calm down. They can slow down your emotional outbreaks,” Kirk said. “Especially for students who are stressed or have too much on their plates.” 

“I always feel less stressed and really grounded after I do yoga, and also just helps you organize your thoughts,” Bunjamin said.

Beginning yoga

For some teens, the myth that flexibility is necessary to start yoga discourages them from taking a class. However, M-A students explain how yoga classes can be welcoming places for teenagers to strengthen themselves, both mentally and physically, while also becoming part of a safe and positive community. 

“Before I went to a yoga class, I was really scared that you have to be really high level and really flexible and athletic, but when I got there, it was honestly such a supportive community, and I felt really safe,” Bunjamin said. “I feel like it was kind of like a place where you could just do whatever you wanted to do without any judgment.”

Kirk wishes he had started yoga at a younger age and hopes more high schoolers, whether going with friends, family, or alone, will appreciate and take advantage of the amazing benefits of yoga classes. 

“What I would say is, have courage, try new things, and when you practice yoga, realize that you’re helping not only yourself but others by being a better, healthier, mindful, more kind person,” Kirk said.