Being a student in this day and age is difficult,. Thankfully, Doshia Dodd, fitness instructor at Sonoma State, provides Stress Reduction Yoga on Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the Sonoma State Recreation Center. Admission is free and those interested may register for their spot online through the Sonoma State University Campus Recreation website.
Yoga began in India over 5,000 years ago. At first, it was mostly about calming the mind, breathing deeply, and living a good life. A book called the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, written around 2,000 years ago, explained how to follow yoga through eight steps, including being kind, controlling your breath, and focusing your mind.
Later, yoga spread to other parts of the world. In the 1800s and 1900s, teachers from India brought yoga to the West. People in the West started doing yoga more for exercise and stretching. Today, people all over the world do yoga to feel strong, relaxed, and focused. These teachings continue with Dodd’s fitness and well-being classes.
At 9 a.m. class began with different breathing exercises, including bubbling and symphonic breaths – breathing exercises aimed at releasing tension in your face and using the full extent of your body for a deep breath.
The class continues with other poses such as slow-controlled mountain climbers, which begin in the downward dog pose, in which you form an upside-down V shape with your body. Your hands and feet are on the ground, your hips are lifted high, and your head is between your arms, looking toward your legs. This is followed by bringing your knee to the opposite side of your chest to stretch your arms, legs, and back.
Dodd has been at Sonoma State for eight years, following a college career at the school. She started with teaching Buti Yoga on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and added her Stress Reduction Yoga classes after students called for other types of classes.
“[Students] specifically wanted gentle stretching or a lunch time stretching class, so I brought up the idea of stress reduction that would really be about gentle stretching and breath work; and this one was born.” said Dodd
Heather Khoupradit, a fourth year psychology major, said her favorite part, if not all of it, was the combination of “focusing on the breath work and gentle movements” saying “it’s like magic” when it comes to reducing stress.
Everyone is welcomed whether you’re a student with a lot on your plate or someone who just wants to find an outlet to move around. Whatever reason you may or may not have, give it a shot! Stress Reduction Yoga with Doisha Dodd Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
