Student Life hosted a beginners’ “Stretch it Out” yoga class in the Honors Center lobby on March 25.
Charlee Rhodes, the founder of CrissCross Yoga, taught the beginner-friendly class. The purpose of “Stretch it Out” was to provide a way for students to relax, stretch and learn basic yoga techniques to help them wind down after school.
During the class, Rhodes guided students through various yoga poses, including downward dog, happy baby pose, cat pose and any pose of their choice. She also helped students practice breathing exercises and meditation.
Evelyn Prosser, student life specialist for student engagement, helped make “Stretch it Out” possible and shared how yoga can benefit students.
“CrissCross Yoga – a mobile yoga studio based in Lake City, SC – reached out to make a connection in the fall of 2022, and we were happy to have Charlee join us in an effort to encourage health and wellness to our student body,” Prosser said. “Stretch It Out was created as a way to encourage both the mental and physical health of our students through the practice of yoga. The practice is used to reduce stress, improve sleep and increase flexibility and strength. Overall, it has created a community of like-minded students who want to take care of their mental and physical health, and helped students to better themselves for their studies.”
According to a student who participated in the yoga class, the group setting provided them with the opportunity to manage their stress and effectively relieve it.
“I came to CrissCross Yoga really to relieve myself,” Tykeria Blakely, a senior sociology major, said. “I love Yoga, and so I was glad to be able to do it in a group setting, especially with the fountain; it was very relaxing. I enjoyed being able to learn more about my body throughout the yoga poses, stretch as much as I should and being able to do my own freestyle.”
Another attendee who joined the yoga class shared that it helped to relieve stress and increase their mind-body connection.
“What brought me here today was just to relieve some stress and to really release those emotions out of my muscles,” Omiya Baccus, a healthcare administration major, said. “What I liked most about it was that I was able to train my mind to increase that mind and body connection and to really move forward with it in better ways.”
In the end, Stretch it Out was able to effectively allow students to have an outlet for their stress that left them feeling relaxed.
“I was able to let go of any stress or tension that I have built up in the last couple of weeks,” Samiya Pinckney, a senior psychology major, said. “Kind of letting go while getting back in tune with my body after Spring Break.”
For more information about the next “Stretch it Out,” you can visit the CrissCross Yoga Instagram page or the official FMU website, where you would also find upcoming events.