“I was in yoga the other day,” said Ellen Degeneres on her talk show. “I was in full lotus position. My chakras were all aligned. My mind is cleared of all clatter and I’m looking out of my third eye and everything that I’m supposed to be doing. It’s amazing what comes up, when you sit in that silence. Mama keeps whites bright like the sunlight; Mama’s got the magic of Clorox 2.”

Multitudes of distractions absorb students every second of the day: conversations with friends, assignments for classes, and of course, the need to eat.

Even in silence, as Ellen Degeneres light-heartedly shared, thoughts of random outside stimuli zip through the mind. Yoga, if practiced continually and correctly, can help you tune-out the unnecessary things in life for a while.

It’s all about awareness.

Yoga is more than just physical postures; it enables people to experience introspection and fuse the body, mind, and soul. This is because the exercises are connected to the breath, which directs the attention of the mind inward.

The mind is cleared of extraneous thoughts allowing one to focus on relaxation on a mental level.

Benefits appear physically also. The stretches help relax the body’s muscles, making it an easy way to contribute to good health and good posture.

The harmony yoga creates in relaxing the body and mind generates more energy flow within the body’s system.

Everyone needs or wants time to rejuvenate, and yoga provides a way. Thankfully, Guilford and the surrounding area provide outlets to practice.

Yoga Caf

You’ve probably seen flyers posted advertising their classes around Founders hall. This is the place across the street from campus owned by Judi Rossabi.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to come out and develop a yoga practice,” Rossabi said. “They can use it to learn to relax, stay focused, and increase strength and flexibility.”

Every Tuesday and Thursday from 4 to 5 p.m. yoga classes are taught free to Guilford students.

“I really like the way it’s taught here,” said first-year Bailey Arnold, who took a few yoga classes in New York over the summer. “It’s pretty easy to pick up for beginners, and for those with experience and knowledge provides a time to hone in on the skills.”

Guilford College yoga class

It’s time to start getting schedules finalized for spring semester. This class is one credit and counts as an elective towards a sports studies major or concentration.

“I would suggest to anyone interested in yoga or healing to take the class,” said senior Peter Raines, who took the class last year. “It provides knowledge and practice of the combination of the mind and body in the western world. Once you understand how to do it, you will feel the effects.”

The introductory class will be offered on Monday and Wednesday from 10 to 11:15 am. A mixed-level yoga II class held on Tuesday and Friday from 11:30 am to 12:45 pm is also offered.

Yoga on TV/DVD

If classes do not fit your schedule, find individual practice through a virtual instructor. Learningfromdvds.com rates several yoga DVD’s based on viewers’ reviews. Videos like this can be useful because you can go at your own time and speed, and it’s much than a personal trainer.

In the meantime, here is an example of an enriching yoga pose anyone can do, the Half Spinal Twist (Ardha Matsyendrasana).

You start off kneeling down with your legs together, resting on your heels. Then you place your butt to the right of your feet. Lift your left leg over your right, placing your foot against the outside of your right knee.

Bring your right heel in close to your butt. Keep your spine erect. Now bring your right arm down on the outside of your left knee and hold your left foot in your right hand, placing your left hand on the floor behind you.

As you exhale, twist as far as possible to the left. Look over your left shoulder.

This rotates the spine, and tones its nerves and ligaments, and improves digestion. Here at Guilford we need all the help we can get in digesting that cafeteria food.