With students and staff alike accumulating stress due to the new virtual/in-person hybrid teaching style as well as the upcoming end of the third quarter, the return of the counselor department-led yoga sessions will serve as a great release. Going into the third year of student yoga sessions, however, meetings have had to adjust to the pandemic setting. How exactly will students participate in yoga over the screen?

Mrs. Wyatt, Dr.Vilbas, and Mrs. Calvello, student counselors and organizers of the student yoga sessions, give us an inside view of what the yoga sessions will look like, since becoming virtual in October of 2020. Sessions will be fully virtual and counselor-led, beginning with a grounding activity. This is followed by the presentation of a yoga video to lead students through the majority of the event. The format differs from previous years where students participated in the gym with a live, in-person yoga instructor. Clearly, this is not possible under the circumstances we are in, but that does not take away from the benefits that yoga brings. This will be emphasized in the wrap-up of the meeting with a summary of why these yoga sessions help balance the mind and body and why it is important to do these activities.

It is important to emphasize: Yoga will certainly be different, but that does not detract from the quality and benefits of participating. “The experience [in-person] will be deeper and more robust” Mrs. Wyatt states, “but kids can learn and there are definite benefits.” Through hard work, the counseling department has put together an amazing program as part of an initiative to give students access to the lifelong skills of destressing and finding balance.

If any of these exercises pique your interest, make sure to sign up for a session in the coming weeks. There will be four opportunities every Monday, beginning March 15 up to April 26 from 12:00-12:45 PM. Be sure to bring your yoga pants and balancing skills! 

Use this link to sign up: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfCmrfFYBroyzUhE18nHkADuTKVLpfCUY-YqUTmcAON8m_oXg/viewform?utm_name