MBU students can utilize free yoga classes in the SRC, serving as a great stress reliever and fitness option.
Photo by Michael Aylor
Instructor Denise Ulett leads MBU student Ashlyn Lee in a yoga pose.
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Ulett received her certification in 2011 and has been teaching locally for the past five years. Yoga is a wonderful practice that teaches students the art of meditation, breath control and body postures that cultivate a healthy life. “It’s a wonderful skill to learn,” Ulett said. “You’re learning to cultivate consciousness, so it helps you bring awareness and mindfulness to your body and your mind.” Ulett’s yoga class is a viable option for students who are looking for an activity to relieve stress and take a break from their school work. “The side benefit is that it lowers your anxiety and it’s an amazing stress reliever so I’m always excited to teach students the skill, because it’s so useful,” said Ulett. Yoga is beneficial for students and those with high stress. “You could be sitting in class and you can remember to breathe, or especially with a lot of the athletes here, it really is almost like an insurance policy so that you won’t get hurt,” said Ulett. “It’s a fantastic complement to any fitness program.” Most people don’t realize the many benefits of yoga. “We like the fitness part of it, so people focus on fitness first and then they soon discover all these other benefits come along,” said Ulett. Yoga is one of the simplest and most effective forms of therapy for the mind and body. “Yoga is the original physical therapy,” said Ulett. “It’s really taken off in the West, because we are such a stressed out society and we need this.” Students can feel confident they are receiving yoga instruction at a great value. The average cost of yoga at a studio or fitness center is $15 per session, but students at MBU can enjoy yoga from a certified instructor for free.
Ashlyn Lee, a senior at MBU majoring in music, is one student who enjoys Ulett’s class. “Well I’ve only been doing yoga for about a month now, so I’m real new at it, but I’ve been coming back, because I love it,” said Lee. Lee stressed the importance of combining yoga with fitness exercise. “I do a lot of cardio, but I’ve been hearing that I need to take yoga to kind of counteract it,” said Lee. Yoga helps maintain a healthy balance between mind and body. Lee’s testament of yoga is encouraging for others looking for a new health regimen. “I’ve realized that, just even coming out of an hour class that I was so much more calm and relaxed, and I was stretching places I didn’t know I could stretch,” said Lee. “It’s very enjoyable, I actually look forward to coming into these sessions.” Valaree Logan, a senior majoring in psychology, hopes more people start to attend Ulett’s class. “School is stressful and it’s a great way to relieve stress and not worry about our day-to-day lives and homework and what not,” said Logan. Logan has taken a few different yoga classes, but especially enjoys instruction under Ulett. “I like that she refers to herself as a learner as well as a teacher,” said Logan. Ulett’s class currently only has a handful of participants, but is looking for more students to get involved.
Emma Tihen 
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Jessica Kunkel