A new semester is upon Kennesaw State students, so ways to sustain focus and combat distraction, such as exercise, are integral to student success.
One way to accomplish such success in 2022 and onward is by practicing the art of yoga. Yoga is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a system of physical postures, breathing techniques, and sometimes meditation…to promote physical and emotional well-being.”
The well-being mentioned here can positively affect those who practice it in their academics as well as in their stamina for long campus walks from the Clendenin building to the Social Sciences building.
Postures include sitting, standing and kneeling positions. Yoga even consists of incorporated postures that mirror lying down in bed, allowing for much-needed rest time. Breathing techniques can be breathing in and out for the same number of seconds or simply taking note of one’s breath and how it naturally flows. Meditation that often accompanies the physical practices in yoga brings a very peaceful and mindful awareness to the activity.
There is immense discipline that comes with finding the right amount of strain from a pose and proceeding to hold the position for consecutive seconds. This discipline can then be translated into schoolwork and extra-curricular activities, making for a more focused study session or succinct student body meeting. This is also due in part to the meditation that opens students up to a more serene mindset to begin schoolwork.
Results from a study done by the National Center for Biotechnology Information allowed researchers to conclude that “adopting a mindfulness practice for as little as once per week for six weeks may reduce stress and anxiety in college students.” In this study, for students aged nineteen to twenty-three, anxiety levels were observed to be significantly reduced even while participating in exams.
The findings that yoga and meditation have the power to lower stress levels in students are very telling of the practices’ benefits in and out of the classroom.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, yoga began as early as human civilization itself began and has only grown and developed since then. Its origins date back to before any observed evidence of organized religion; however, the Hindu faith is largely credited with its cultivation and adaptation of it. In the western hemisphere, the practice is often secular and the main focus is to merge mind and body while promoting overall wellness.
With a long-standing history and professional research studies to back it up, yoga can surely aid many students with success in the new year.
