Juniors start yoga club to relieve stress

On May 11, Blair's new yoga club had its first introductory meeting. Junior Elizabeth Liu, the club's president, with the help of the vice president, Elena Polozova, and officers Charmi Patel, Carol Shou and Thomas McHale put the club in motion.

William Rose, the club's sponsor, makes sure the students have a quiet room to meet in on Wednesdays after school and expresses some interest in yoga. Liu is hopeful that the prospect of seeing a teacher do yoga will drive more students to join. "So if you join, maybe you'll catch [Rose] doing some yoga," Liu said.

After seeing the beneficial effects of yoga herself, Liu wanted other students to enjoy the same activity. "I've been doing yoga for about a year now and I found that it really helps me relax and focus," Liu said. "Since junior year is the really crazy and stressful part of high school, I felt that a lot of people would like to have a place where they can just relax and forget about school, even if it's just for an hour or so."

The club has had three meeting so far this year, including the informational meeting. Recent club meetings were canceled due to Advanced Placement (AP) exams. "Unfortunately, I had to cancel meetings right before and during the AP weeks since so many people needed to study. We'll be starting again right after APs though," Liu said.

In a typical yoga club meeting, the members usually start off with a basic yoga sequence for half an hour and then meditate for about five to ten minutes while listening to soothing music. The club meets on Wednesdays at three o'clock in room 312.

Though Liu usually leads the sessions, she wants to give every member a chance to do the same. She encourages anyone in the club who wants to lead a session to get a chance to create their own routine and practice instructing the group. "I am not a certified yoga instructor, but hopefully I will be by the end of this year, and I am the one leading the sessions," Liu said. "But hopefully before the summer, anyone who wants to will get a chance to create their own routine and practice instructing."

Liu wants to continue the yoga club next year and gain membership from more students. She plans to find some interested underclassmen to take over the club after she graduates.