Yoga and Why it is a Practice for Students.

When moving into a new home, it is important to embrace old routines in order to retain mental clarity and help establish a stress free environment. However, old routines carry over with difficulty from a spring filled with dissertations, political campaigning, graduation ceremonies and packing. It's much more useful to begin your autumn of reorientation, culture shock and inflated supermarket prices by introducing yourself to something new. I found my new hobby thanks to my room's hardwood floor, the local sports shop's fall sales and Youtube's free lessons. Alternatively, maybe I had already somewhere in the back of my mind decided to start doing yoga.

Figure 8. A rather angelic looking roll of feel-goodness and self-improvement.

For people who have given up on going routinely to the gym, have a hard time finding mates for a particular (obscure) sport or just are looking to do something after a long period of inactivity, yoga is definitely one way to challenge your body. Students especially should try it out as it can complement a busy schedule very well. I have made a habit of starting the day with it, taking a break from essay writing for a routine or doing a quick one before going to bed. Like said earlier, all you need is your dorm room, a mat, yourself and a friendly Youtube celebrity to help you get started.

Having done this for about a month now, I can definitely vouch for the effectiveness of the practice. Being a tall guy who spends his working hours and inexplicably too much of his free time hunched up against a desk staring into the World Wide Web, short and long term issues with ones back are all too familiar. After practicing daily (save for two hangover days) for the past month, all minor back pains have almost completely disappeared. I find I can sit down at a desk and stand up tall for longer times than before, not to mention how much faster I fall asleep at night too. Flexibility itself is still waiting to kick in properly. My legs still feel like they are welded together at the joints when trying some of the more advanced poses. Yet it all feels like I am making progress. After building up some confidence for yoga by myself, I figure yoga lessons at the gym and sessions with other enthusiast will be that much more enjoyable and rewarding.

I never used to understand people who enjoy running marathons, trying to lift 2.5 times their body weight all at once, and why they felt they had to talk about these activities every single waking moment. I dismissed is as part of their workout routine. That being said, even after a short period of time, I find I have to contain myself when discussing hobbies with people. I have a disarming urge to share my new found happiness with everyone without anyone asking for it. So here is my long overdue apology to all you cross-fit onanists, triathlon preachers and Instagram body builders. I had no idea your devotion to your pass time was genuine or even logical. And even though you probably don't consider an amateur yogi anywhere close to your level, as the only thing I lift is my skinny frame into a pose named after a puppy, I want you to know I have seen the light in daily training and respecting ones own body.

For those of you wondering how to get started yourself, below is a video link to a beginner's yoga routine I found particularly helpful. The channel owner Adriene is a professional yoga instructor and posts entire routines along with shorter tutorials for specific poses and sequences. For those of you saying my interest in the practice can't be genuine because I watch videos alone every day in my dimly lit room of a fit woman showing off her flexibility, you can all return to the 50's where your prejudiced gutter-minds have come from.

Figure 9. 21st century. Gender equality: get with the times!