3 minutes before it hit 11, I woke up with my alarm and rolled out of my bed. I dragged myself to my laptop, opened up the zoom link, and waited for the event to officially start. I was sleepy and lazy as I stayed up late the previous night, so when I pulled up my yoga mat I’m still only half-awake. However, as I followed the directions, breath in, out, strength, relax, my body and brain slowly woke up, in a nice, refreshing way. It was quite a way to start off my Sunday, and I would definitely join one of these sessions in the future if I have the choice.

The zoom virtual yoga session with Lewis was my second time practicing yoga. Before taking the class I had not been interested in yoga because I prefer to take higher intensity workouts; however, after taking that class I realized how important it is to have a balance in life. The semester had started to pick up a lot and I noticed that I was not setting aside time to take care of myself mentally and physically. After taking the yoga class I was very relaxed and still energized to continue with my day. Despite teaching virtually, Lewis was very thorough when explaining the different poses and shifts in movement which I really enjoyed.

Lewis Freedman, a Cornell Fitness Instructor, did a magnificent job in guiding me and the other Rose Scholars in a relaxing, yet energizing workout in the morning. I always intend to do some light morning yoga but my problem is just getting started. Seeing the other Rose Scholars on zoom was motivating and got me to pull out my yoga mat to join the others! After Lewis Freedman’s meticulous step by step directions of how to do certain poses, what to think, and how to feel while doing them, I have a better understanding of the poses that work best for me and most energizes me for when I do yoga on my own now!

Balance is key in both life and yoga, as I came to find out. I really enjoyed the Virtual Yoga Session, where we got to spend an hour centering our minds and bodies. I have been wanting to try yoga, and this was a great opportunity to do that. I hadn’t realized how much of yoga is about the mental exercises that go along with the physical motions, and it was fascinating to learn the meanings attached to each stretch and pose. I learned about the different groups of poses and how some of them link together, along with understanding how many variations of each one there are. The session was a wonderful chance to reflect, calm my mind, and gain a new understanding of yoga.

A haiku based on my experience doing yoga (for the first time) on a Sunday morning, feeling rejuvenated by end of the session:

Awake and rested,

I found opportunity

For peace through yoga

A haiku based on the surprising relaxation I encountered while doing yoga (for the first time) on a Sunday morning, on my dorm room floor.

Stretching on the floor

Expecting some discomfort

Yet I was cozy

With this semester essentially having no breaks, I have been really struggling with taking time out of my week to practice a self-care routine in the midst of all the exams and assignments. I have been feeling extremely burnt out from school work and most days I feel like taking time for myself isn’t possible even though I could take some of the time I use to scroll through my phone to be more active instead. For months I have been trying to implement yoga into my routine a few days a week and I hope in the future it can be more frequent. This event seemed like the perfect opportunity to get the ball rolling. Taking Lewis Freedman’s virtual yoga class on a beautiful Sunday morning in front of my window was relaxing yet so rejuvenating that I felt ready to take on the day. This is really different from my usual routines on weekends which usually consist of me waking up extremely fatigued from sleeping too late the night before. What was most rewarding was how quick, yet effective the session felt. In just an hour my body felt stretched and my mind felt calm and motivated. This one session really showed me just how possible it is to squeeze in an act of self-care into my busy schedule. Having a teacher guiding the session was really helpful so I want to take a full yoga course here at Cornell so I’m more knowledgable about yoga and can more easily fit some sessions into my routine.

The Yoga session was very relaxing and definitely was a huge stress reliever for me. It allowed me to connect to my body and my mind more. It reminded me of the camps that I used to attend in Taiwan where would meditate and connect with our minds and bodies. I would definitely recommend yoga to anyone that wants to relieve stress. I didn’t realize how much stress I was holding in my muscles until I did the virtual yoga class. The experience made me want to take yoga next semester as a PE class. I think it is extremely important to stay active during the quarantine and yoga is a great way to do it.

Last Sunday, I attended a morning yoga session with Lewis Freedman. After a week full of prelims, it was refreshing to to relax with using different yoga poses. Initially, I was worried that I was not flexible enough to achieve the poses, but throughout the class I found that each pose was pretty simple and calming. I focused on breath which made the poses easier and brought be a lot of peace after my stressful week. I also tried to focus on the present moment, rather than the past or future, as I stretched which also released a lot of tension within me.

This Sunday was very relaxing. Lewis Freedman was very helpful in discussing relaxation techniques. Since this is my first semester here, I just experienced my first prelims week ever. I felt tired and achy and tight within my whole body due to stress. I have trouble regulating my emotions when it comes to exams. This activity really taught me how to breathe and relax. I never knew how much yoga could help me feel like an entirely new person. When the session ended I felt more energized than when I woke up. I’m hoping to take care of myself by practicing yoga more often! I’m really thankful for this event, definitely one of my favorites so far!

This past Sunday I got to have a nice relaxing morning and got to do a yoga class. I have a hard time settling down and focusing when doing things like yoga and meditation. I really enjoy doing yoga, but I struggle to relax my mind and focus to fully experience the yoga and mindfulness. I was able to relax enough to focus and appreciate our yoga class. I really enjoyed how he taught the class. I actually wanted to take his yoga class for PE but it did not fit in my schedule. Maybe next semester it will fit better and I’ll be able to become better at yoga and be able to have more time fo mindfulness in my life!

This past Sunday, I was lucky enough to participate in some morning yoga. While I was hesitant to sign up because it was on Sunday morning, I am very glad I decided to go! Because of the gentle movements, it wasn’t too hard to participate in and could even be altered to fit yoga styles and intensity levels. Waking up with yoga was something I have not done for a while, but it left me much more awake than any other day, and more naturally than coffee would.

On Sunday morning, I attended a yoga session on Zoom taught by Lewis Freedman. I was excited to attend since it was my first serious experience with yoga. Freedman taught a wonderful session, and I was actually surprised by the things I learned. I never realized yoga wasn’t only about hardcore stretching. We actually started off with breathing exercises and loosened up our bodies for a large chunk of time before actually stretching, and I really appreciated that, since I felt a lot more prepared for the big stretches. The breathing exercises alone helped with my energy levels, and after the session, I felt extremely energetic and had a lot of motivation to run a couple of miles and do a lot of my homework. I think I could definitely adapt some of what I learned into my daily routine.

After taking three prelims this week, not being extremely stressed out was weird.  I felt stressed even though I had no test looming over my head, I was not really behind in any of my homework, and life was pretty dandy.  Doing yoga this Sunday was so relaxing, that I finally experienced what not being stressed was like for the first time these past two weeks.  By the end of the yoga session, I felt that I could easily fall into a deep sleep.

The calming voice of the instructor as well as his simple yet detailed instructions made this yoga session a great experience for someone who has limited exposure to yoga.  The idea of the four B’s was very interesting and I may explore it some more.  As a martial artist, I recognized the idea behind the four B’s in the core ideas of my dojo back home.  It was fascinating to see the overlap between a peaceful art and a martial art, and I may even implement some of the breathing exercises I learned in a future warm-up that I lead.  As a side venture, I may explore yoga some more, maybe even joining the instructor in the court yard outside Rose for yoga classes.  I hope that we can have another yoga session soon to help me destress the next time I have a lot of prelims in one week!

On Sunday I joined other Rose residents for an hour-long morning Yoga session led by instructor Lewis Freedman. The instructor teaches a Yoga class often outside in the field by Rose which I often watch from my window and sometimes follow along for a bit. So it was really cool to finally (actually) take part in the class. After waking up tired and not in the mood to do any work, this session turned out to be quite a nice way to start my day and put me on track for the rest of my Sunday. Freedman led us through stretches, breathing, and more. It was a bit interesting doing it virtually over zoom and sometimes my dorm room seemed a little small for the poses, but the session overall was very relaxing and calming. It was a nice distraction from the busy lives we always are living and allowed me to put aside my thoughts for a time. I used to do Yoga a lot when I was little, so it was nice bringing it back and made me realize how much I used to enjoy it.

I had a very productive day today, and it all stemmed from this morning. I didn’t “wake up on the right side of the bed”, but instead forced myself to wake up properly with some morning yoga, compliments of Rose Scholars. I really enjoy yoga both by myself and with others, but never have I done it virtually! This new experience was really interesting, and the style of practice presented was different from other yoga I have done. Struggling to find room in my dorm to complete the poses and watching a small zoom window isn’t exactly how I typically do yoga, yet I still connected with my breath and felt rejuvenated from the hour’s practice.

Doing hot yoga classes is one thing I especially miss from the pre-covid era. Hot yoga typically consists of Bikram Yoga Flow taught in a sauna like room. There is nothing on this planet more refreshing than stretching and getting some zen in while sweating out all the toxins in your body. Today’s class made me reminisce on those Sunday classes I used to attend. I hope to be able to enjoy in person classes again soon, but for now, zoom will do just fine.

This morning I attended a virtual yoga class taught by Lewis Freedman with other Rose Scholars.  I was really excited about this event because I took Lewis Freedman’s Intro to Yoga gym class last semester and really enjoyed it.  I was sad that the class got cut short by the pandemic because I learned so much and looked forward to class each week.  That gym class was my first experience with yoga, but during quarantine I continued with yoga, taking virtual classes or following Youtube videos.  However, since the semester has started, I have fallen out of practice.  So, I was very excited for this opportunity to get back into it.  This yoga class was a great way to wake up on a Sunday morning and stretch.  The class reminded me of the basics of yoga and focused on using the breath to wake up and focus the mind while stretching the body and getting your blood flowing.  Attending this class has inspired me to get back into doing yoga.  It is such a good form of exercise and keeping your mind and body healthy, which is really important, especially now.

After trying out the yoga in the Virtual Yoga Session, I have realized that yoga is not for me. Now, I do not want to discount yoga. Yoga’s focus on meditation, breathing, and mind-body connections establishes mindfulness and can be a great stress reliever. Throughout the session, I was open to the instructor’s words and actions, and I did feel more awake than when the session began. But, I am not partial towards a slow-paced workout that is meant to be relaxing. I am someone who likes to feel my heart race, my muscles burn, and adrenaline rush through me. My preferences tend towards strenuous exercise that allows me to be a bit aggressive. This is how I relieve my stress and tune out what is plaguing my mind. That’s why I am a part of Cornell’s tae kwon do club. I did not dislike the session; there is overlap between the yoga and tae kwon do. In both I have to be focused and completely aware of my body so that my body does what I want it to. And, for tae kwon do, there is the added element of analyzing what my opponent is doing and how I should respond; there is strategy and quick decision-making involved. I like these aspects of tae kwon do, and for this reason, I am committed to it. During the session, I saw moments where these two types of exercise intersect. It was a good opportunity for me to explore other types of exercise and I encourage my peers to try out something new. You do not have to like it after trying it out; you only have to be open to it. Yoga was not my style, but I am certain others enjoyed it. After today, I have a better understanding of why I love tae kwon do and why other people love yoga.

Today I participated in Lewis Freedman’s virtual yoga class with the scholars. I particularly enjoyed this class because it was a very peaceful start to my Sunday morning and allowed me to start my week off right. The way Freedman organizes his class is in four parts: Breath, Balance, Body, and Beyond. I appreciated how he divided his class in this way because each pose we did had a purpose and correlation to one of the four B’s. I have been doing yoga sculpt since 6th grade, so for about 9 years now. Yoga sculpt is different than regular yoga because it is done in a heated yoga studio with weights and high intensity music. Yoga sculpt is a mixture between traditional yoga and a fitness boot camp style of class. I appreciated today’s class because sometimes I forget that yoga does that have to be extremely rigorous, and I loved today’s class because I was able to truly focus on my body and work on my stretching and all the smaller aspects that I often forget about.