On Friday, March 24, yoga enthusiasts met in the NASH wrestling room after school at 2:30 for an hour of strengthening and relaxation. 

You may have noticed the bright pink flyers around the halls advertising the club. We are lucky enough to attend a school that has such a cultivating environment for niche clubs.  

I talked to NASH junior, Olivia Shubak, founder of the Yoga Club. Shubak wanted to take her passion and turn it into something that others could also enjoy. She understood how busy schedules could be and still wanted to incorporate the club into students’ lives.

“I decided to start a yoga club because when we first started the yoga unit in gym class, I found I really enjoyed it,” Shubak said. “In the past, I’ve spent lots of time doing yoga; however, as the school year has gotten busier I’ve lost that time. Considering how important yoga is to me, I wanted to carve out time to dedicate to it, as well as share it with others.”  

Yoga Club sponsor Mrs. Winters was thrilled to start the group.

“Our plan is to practice a variety of yoga styles bi-monthly. Yoga offers so many physical and mental health benefits for people of all ages.  The benefits range from improving strength, flexibility and balance, one of our units in the Junior HPE Curriculum,” she said. “Yoga also benefits heart health, promotes relaxation and better sleep, helps increase energy, brighter moods, connects you with a supportive community, helps you manage stress, and nurtures better self-care.”

A study done by the National Library of Medicine found that yoga dramatically reduces stress levels, anxiety, depression, and even helps with regulating sleep patterns. 

Senior Bruce Zhou definitely found this to be the case after his first Yoga Club meeting. 

“I went to yoga club because I saw one of the flyers and I was intrigued. I just needed a place to relax,” Zhou said. “College essays, applications, and just school in general were really stressing me out. The Yoga Club was awesome. Afterwards, I felt completely opened up and relaxed. It was very rejuvenating, and I especially liked the end when we did shavasana because I was able to just breathe and process the past week.”

Yoga has become more and more popular with Gen Z, with nearly one quarter of today’s teenagers partaking in yoga or pilates. Junior Skyler Agostoni was thrilled when the Yoga Club was added at NASH. 

“I think the club is a great addition to NASH. I love taking yoga classes outside of school, and having a club at school makes it even more convenient. It gives kids an outlet to relax and move their bodies, even if they don’t have a ton of time after school,” Agostoni said.

Almost monthly, new clubs continue to pop up at NASH. Yoga club is a wonderful environment to de-stress after a difficult week at school. Interested students can join the club in the wrestling room at 2:30 on April 14 for an hour of dimly lit relaxation in a safe, warm, and comforting environment to reset for the weekend.