Yoga encourages mindfulness

Like most college students, sophomore chemistry major Sydney Santiago leads a busy lifestyle –– she’s an active sister of Delta Phi Epsilon, studies for organic chemistry tests during the week and struggles to find time to hang out with friends on the weekend.

The studio offers a variety of meditative classes (Instagram).
But when she started to face overwhelming anxiety last semester, Santiago needed a coping mechanism that would fit into her busy lifestyle while effectively reducing her stress and worries throughout the day.

That was when she discovered Campus Town’s Empower Yoga.

 “I had really bad symptoms of anxiety last semester and I needed to meditate and let off a lot of steam every week,” Santiago said. “Now, I do (yoga) to get my mind off of things and reset my body.”

The National Alliance on Mental Illness  discusses in a country-wide study that one in four adolescents between the ages of 18 and 24 will be diagnosed with a mental illness – 11 percent of college students are diagnosed with anxiety and more than 10 percent are struggling with depression. NAMI found that 80 percent of college students reported feeling constantly overwhelmed in their environment.

 Mental health awareness has been a pressing, campus-wide discussion in recent months at the College especially since the recent student deaths. The school has taken initiatives such as a Lions’ Hour on grief and loss, and has promoted on-campus resources, such as Counseling and Psychological Services, for those seeking help.

Santiago is part of the growing number of students at the College turning to yoga and meditation to improve her mental and physical health.

Eight months after her first class, Santiago now attends regular classes at Empower Yoga and has noticed a stark difference in her mood.

“It definitely lets all of your problems literally roll off your skin,” she said. “I feel extremely relaxed and calm afterwards, compared to maybe being anxious or frustrated that day.”

Santiago isn’t the only one noticing positive results. As a 2018 New Year’s resolution, junior communication studies major Christina Buz was inspired to improve both her physical and mental health by joining Empower Yoga.

She regularly attends “power hour,” a combination of core work and vinyasa flow (yoga movements). The classes have pushed and challenged her while also giving her the space to grow.

Now over a year later, Buz credits Empower Yoga’s welcoming ambiance and passionate instructors for her overall improvement.

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http://www.tcnjsignal.net/2019/04/22/empower-yoga-encourages-mindfulness/