Benefits of being a yogi
A scroll through Instagram and other social media might have you seeing several pictures of yoga poses all labeled #zen but for Susan Hearn, co-owner of Om Shanti Yoga, yoga is much more than just a physical activity and that comes with an opportunity for a good selfie.
“It’s more the practice here, the class and the way of life,” Hearn said. “The philosophy is really very much just about being good and being wholesome and not harming.”
This message resonates particularly well with some Elon University students. Even with her busy schedule, Elon junior Anya Fredsell makes time to sit, relax and breathe.
“Especially on Elon’s campus where everyone is so active, there’s this need to feel like I haven’t been to the gym yet today, I haven’t been this week, what am I doing?'” Fredsell said.
Fredsell is a yoga instructor for Campus Recreation and a local yoga studio but believes each class is different.
“Yoga is such a broad thing,” Fredsell said. “There are so many different styles of yoga, different types of yoga, different types of teachers. A class will be different no matter where you go and whether I’m doing it by myself or in a class, it’s going to look different everyday.”
The point of yoga isn’t to bend over backwards. The point of yoga is to find yourself and focus.
“You’re on your mat, it’s your space, it’s your class, so you’re responsible to kind of find your edge, your max, your level of worth that you can do today,” Hearn said.
Incorporating yoga into your life can be as simple as you want to make it. Hearn advises people to try a few poses at first and incorporating them into your daily life. For example, if someone is doing the dishes, standing on one foot and doing a tree pose will start to build better balance.
Students looking for some zen time can visit Om Shanti on Huffman Mill Road or take Campus Recreation weekly yoga classes. Yoga class schedules are available here.
