The fitness studio of the Campus Recreational Center was transformed into a meditative sanctuary as almost 30 students gathered to celebrate Women’s Health and Fitness Day through a session of slow-paced, onset flow yoga. Additionally, each participant was gifted a bouquet roses at the beginning of the class.
While participants came for the flowers, they stayed for the ambiance. Mats were lined with candles, the air filled with ethereal flute and a lingering aroma of soft sage and rosemary – cultivating both a soothing and healing atmosphere.
For many students, it was a much needed respite from the daily grind of college life, an environment of bliss in an endlessly hectic world. Megan Murphy, a sophomore construction-management major, described the class as a perfect unwind after a long day.
“I’ve always enjoyed (yoga classes) in the evenings to wind down for the day. This class definitely stuck out to me as a fun way to do so, whether coming with friends or yourself, it’s just a more exciting yoga class,” Murphy said.
“Yoga is not about how it looks, but how it feels,” was a notion that was reinforced throughout the session by the instructor, emphasizing the sensation it elicits over a certain form or technique. Yoga is a unique practice in the way it actively works to enhance both physical and emotional well-being in synergetic tandem, enhancing the spiritual mind-to-body connection.
The class concluded with “Dead Man’s Pose,” a restorative pose where you lie flat on your back, legs spread comfortably apart, allowing every muscle in the body to gradually decompress. This is often the final, restorative pose in a yoga session, as it releases all of the tension that had been building up over the class, achieving a climax of mental and physical bliss.
The class was led by Amanda Xui Bai, a part-time instructor at the Rec Center and avid yoga practitioner.
“I wanted to share my knowledge of yoga with students and faculty on campus at UNL, and I also love the environment on campus – it makes me feel very happy and energized,” Bai said.
As both an avid practitioner of yoga and a woman trainer, she particularly resonated with the national holiday.
“I think it’s very important that women, actually everyone, pay attention to their mental and physical health. Yoga is definitely one of the most effective ways to help people to stay healthy, mentally and physically,” Bai said.
While they won’t include bouquets, the Campus Rec Center holds weekly yoga classes of varying difficulty and experience levels, they are open for registration and free to students. All classes can be found on the Campus Rec website.
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