Yoga originated in India as a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that has spread across the globe. It is really simple to look up poses or a video on youtube to pinpoint a certain type of yoga to help a certain muscle, help sleep, or become more flexible. Coming next school year, yoga will be available to Parkway Central during the school day.

While an existing class, Movement to Music, has a yoga unit, the new yoga class will be an in depth focus on yoga. In the class you learning the movements, background, and even the language yoga is in which is sanskrit.

In order to have this new class, PE teacher Terri O’Leary played a big role in advocating and voicing her opinion for the class, while recently completing the 200-hour yoga teacher certification. “I like the mindfulness in yoga and strength that it provides,” O’Leary said.

With this new yoga option comes hope. “I hope that the students will gain the same benefits of learning to stay present in the present moment and gain strength and through the strength they’ll gain stretch and just a better appreciation for themselves,” O’Leary said.

Many girls are signed up for the class next year including sophomore Margaux Eubank. “I really like yoga because it’s just time you can dedicate for yourself to relax from a busy day or week.” Eubank said.

From taking this class, she hopes to learn more poses so she can take home the knowledge and try it at home. Before this class, Eubank has taken yoga classes with some of her friends near Longview park.

In yoga you have some favorite poses, and some not so favorites. “I really enjoy arm balances so case age 2 is one of my favorites and one of my least favorites is fire logs because my hips aren’t that open and it’s an extremely difficult pose for me.” O’Leary said.

According to the website yoga outlet, the fire log pose is also referred to “Knee-to-Ankle pose and Square pose”. The pose is essentially you sitting and sitting in criss cross except you life one leg over the other instead of under each other. Benefits to doing this pose is providing a deep stretch to your hips and stretches and strengthens multiple body parts such as your groins, thighs, calves, and abdominal muscles.

A well known and basic pose is child pose, which is Eubank among many others favorites. “I really like the child’s pose because it’s really relaxing but I don’t really like the warrior one because it’s more difficult.” Eubank said.

According to the website YOGASIX, yoga was first found in “Stone-carved figures of yoga postures can be found in the Indus Valley depicting the original poses and practices”.

Also, there is a broad variety of yoga schools, practices, and goals in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The six different types are Hatha, Raja, Bhakti, Jnana, Kriya, Karma each are very unique and different.