Namast’ay with Yoga at UF Get Your Ommmm on!

Keeping Stress at Bay with Yoga

I started doing yoga several years ago after being invited by friends. I never thought of myself as much of a yoga person. I’m really more of a gym and outdoor sports person, but I was feeling a little anxious and thought I would give it a try. Fast forward two-and-a-half years later and I am hooked. My daughters also love it. They beat me to the yoga mat, as a matter of fact, having caught the “namaste bug” during their dance days. My younger daughter needed an elective one semester and even took it as a class.

There’s a reason the practice of yoga is over 5000 years old. It has been proven to alleviate stress. Honestly, what college student doesn’t have to manage stress at some point? Research has shown that within seven weeks of regular practice, students enjoyed significantly reduced stress levels and, as a result, their academic performance increased. This, in turn, also makes students more confident. They find they are able to enjoy a greater clarity of mind and cultivate a sense of peace, even in the face of stressors. Allowing for their mind to be cleared regularly can help students concentrate while studying or even sitting through long lectures.

Not only is it good for your emotional well-being, but it’s great for your physical health, too. And it’s a practice that almost anyone can do, from gym rat to future former couch potato.  It strengthens one’s core, it tones muscles while also making them limber, and it stretches out the contortions that heavy backpacks and slouching study habits bring to bear on students’ bodies daily. Even better, there is plenty of yoga to choose from in Gainesville, both on and off-campus.

UF Student Recreation Center Classes Offered:

• Outdoor Yoga – Yogis take a hike! Rejuvenate your senses and spirit while practicing out on the North Lawn. Feel the warmth on your face as you practice sun salutations, mimic the natural world around you as you practice tree pose, and feel at peace as you relax into savasana.
• Vinyasa Yoga – Vinyasa translates to “Breath-synchronized movement”. Be prepared to get in tune with your breath and follow it through standing, flowing, seated, and balancing postures.
• Vinyasa Yoga (75) – The same as Vinyasa, except the class duration, is 75 minutes.
• Hatha Yoga – This class will ease your mind and guide mental clarity toward strength, flexibility, and relaxation. Breathing, postures, and stress management will serve as the foundation in this centuries-old form of exercise.
• Power Yoga – A more advanced energetic flowing sequence of postures and poses. Breathing techniques move participants rapidly from one pose to another. Classes focus on body weight-bearing exercises, torso stability, and intermediate balance.
• Recovery Yoga (75) – This restorative class is a perfect way to recover from strength training or running by self-massaging the body from head to toe. This integrative class utilizes foam rollers to lengthen and massage your muscles and is a great opportunity to relax and rejuvenate.
• Yogalates – A Pilates-yoga fusion class that emphasizes essential skills for the proper execution of movements. Activate, isolate, and stabilize deep core muscles while improving posture, flexibility, balance, and overall body strength.
• Tai Chi – Tai Chi is a graceful form of exercise that focuses on slow movements and balance. Come ready to learn how to control your breathing, meditate, and reduce stress and anxiety.
• Power Yoga (75) – A more advanced energetic flowing sequence of postures and poses. Breathing techniques move participants rapidly from one pose to another. Classes focus on body weight-bearing exercises, torso stability, and intermediate balance.
• Acro Yoga – A physical practice that combines classic positions and acrobatics to increase strength, flexibility, coordination, and balance. Participants work with each other in a series of aerial postures and supported poses, adding the joy of camaraderie and human connection to traditional yoga practice.
• Vinyasa Yoga @ Harn Museum – This class will take place at the Harn Museum, please bring your own mat to this class! Meets directly at the Harn Museum.
• Meditation (30) – Recharge yourself mentally and physically with this 30-minute guided meditation session. Transcend into a deep rest while calming your mind and settling your body, generating a high state of self-awareness.
• Yin Yoga – In this style of yoga, each pose is held for an extended period of time, stretching not only muscles but the surrounding connective tissue. This class is great for anyone looking for relaxation or to improve mobility and flexibility.
• Ashtanga Yoga (75) – Often called “eight-limbed yoga,” Ashtanga focuses on cleansing the mind and body using the ujjayi breath and Drishti gaze. The first heat-building series serves to purify the body, while the second series serves to cleanse the mind.
• Meditation (45) -Recharge yourself mentally and physically with this 30-minute guided meditation session. Transcend into a deep rest while calming your mind and settling your body, generating a high state of self-awareness.
• Yoga Foundations – Our Foundations class takes a slower methodical approach to set up our fundamental/foundational asanas (postures), developing body awareness and strength through repetition & longer hold times for the postures.
• Recovery – This restorative class is a perfect way to recover from strength training or running by self-massaging the body from head to toe. This integrative class utilizes foam rollers to lengthen and massage your muscles and is a great opportunity to relax and rejuvenate.

UF Class

HaveUHeard that you can even take a yoga class for credit (DAA 2381)? The course is designed to introduce students to yoga, including the theory and physical practice of body position, breathing, and meditation. It meets twice per week. My daughter needed an easy elective to go with one of her most difficult semesters and decided to take this class.

Off-Campus Yoga

• HOTWORX – This 24-hour infrared fitness studio is in University Towne Center on SW 34th St. Hot Yoga and Hot Pilates are just two of the offerings here.
• Searchlight Yoga – 3501 SW 2nd Avenue, a monthly membership rate: runs $84. If committing to a monthly membership isn’t your thing, they do offer a single class and multiclass passes. A single class is $12 and unlimited 2 weeks runs $30.
• Sanctuary Yoga – 411 SE 7th Street, next to Depot Park, they sell single class passes and multi-class passes. One class (drop-in) costs $20;  4 classes runs $65 and 8 classes runs $100.
• Flow Space Yoga – 117 NW 16th Avenue, Flow Space offers a Student special of 2 unlimited weeks of floor classes for $28. They also offer a 30-day unlimited floor class membership for $89 (no-commitment) or you can sign up for a 6-month membership and get unlimited classes for $79/month.
• Yoga Pod – 3045 SW 34th St., Suite 22. They are currently offering 30 days for $30 as an introductory offer.
• Make sure you check Groupon as you may find special pricing on these recommended studios or other yoga studios you might like.

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