Yoga provides relaxing exercise for students

• Spirituality has rapidly become one of the fads popularized by mainstream media and celebrities, whether it is Madonna plugging Kabbalah or Sting sculpting his body with yoga.
• But the practice of yoga has 5,000-year-old roots and is much more complex than its popular portrayal.
• Yoga, in general, combines spiritual, physical and emotional practices to form a deeper connection with one's self and the outer world.
• However it is not limited to a singular definition and seems to take on a different meaning to everyone who practices.
• For example, Debbie Daly, owner of Tucson Yoga, 150 S. Fourth Ave., defines yoga as "a system of physical exercises, breathing exercises and meditation technique to facilitate healing and enhance people's life experience."
• According to www.yogajournal.com, the practice of yoga was said to be formed by Indian sage Patanjali into Yoga Sutra.
• Yoga is not only a well-rounded form of exercise, but it is also well- rounded in the different kinds of people it can benefit, anyone from age 8 to 80.
• However, one of the main factors that draw students to yoga is the level of relaxation it offers.
• Not only does yoga allow a break from the rigorous demands of studying and homework, but Rhodes also believes it provides clarity and focus that actually jumpstart students' motivation to study.
• They can fully embrace the fact that it's so mental, and it engages the mind in a different way," Rhodes said.
• Nursing junior Ashley Taylor has been practicing yoga on and off for six years and believes yoga is a good practice for students because it keeps them connected with their body and other people in their community.
• "It gives the physical poses a deeper meaning, which gives them the power to really create a shift with more than just the body," Rhodes said.