College and health rarely go hand-in- hand. Sleeping, eating healthily, and exercising become extremely difficult to fit between classes, activities, jobs and limited bank accounts. Yet in order to be successful in school and in life, it is vital that we stay healthy.

Fortunately, student well-being is of the utmost concern to Creighton University. Hence, we have access to fully-equipped gyms and are offered healthy eating options in the dining hall. These options were very useful when I lived on campus and could run over to the gym at 11 p.m. or snag some bananas from Brandeis on my way to class, but living off campus, I have found it more difficult to utilize Creighton’s health-geared amenities.

Never wanting to return to Creighton to work out after a long day of school and work, I decided to start exploring health opportunities beyond Creighton’s campus. I have explored various running trails around my neighborhood, gone to the Saturday farmer’s market in the Old Market and attempted riding my dad’s century, old bike to and from class. As the weather is turning cooler, I now need to find more indoor options. This weekend I attempted to channel my inner yogi while exploring the Lotus House of Yoga.

Searching the Internet for yoga options, I discovered that the Lotus House of Yoga offers a free session of yoga for first time visitors. With no excuses financial or otherwise — I planned this yoga excursion. Come Sunday morning, as I lay in my cocoon of blankets shielding me from the frigid air of my house, the last thing I wanted to do was head to yoga. Nevertheless, a few hours later, I found myself displaced from my cozy bed and lying on my paper-thin yoga mat amongst legit looking yogis in a dimly lit white room.

Walking into the studio, I felt an immediate
sense of calm. I also felt the sudden urge to
speak no louder than a whisper and to breathe
deep, purposeful breaths. Having only done
yoga a total of twice in my life, I was initially
intimidated going to a class of regular yoga-
goers. Yet, as soon as the meditating music was
cued, everyone went to their personal focused place, and left me to wobble on one leg in peace.

The instructor was extremely helpful and kindly repositioned me every time I tried to cheat myself out of the difficult positions. What I found most intriguing about the yoga session was that, while the moves were all extremely painful and challenging, my mind seemed too calm to care.
At the end of the session, we spent a few minutes simply lying in the dark with calming music creating ambient noise while the instructor came around to each person and gave us all mini massages. When the session came to a close, I felt as though I had just slept for an entire week. My mile-long to-do list did not seem as daunting as it had when my day began, and I felt energized and excited for the upcoming week.

As midterms are approaching and stress levels are rising, attending a session at the Lotus House of Yoga or any other local yoga studio is a great way to stay relaxed and fit amidst the chaos of college life.