Lindsey Switzer | lswitzer@uwsuper.edu
On a brisk but sunny morning, students from the University of Wisconsin-Superior gathered together via Zoom and in person at the Marcovich Well ness Center on campus to move their body and de-stress in a yoga class taught by an instructor from a local yoga studio based across the bridge in Duluth.
It’s an offering that the Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being hosts every Wednesday morning. The Pruitt Center for Mindfulness and Well-Being opened its doors on campus back in 2018.
The UWS website states that the Pruitt Center is a, “gathering hub, serving to provide mindfulness and well-being resources and expertise, learning projects, and personal and professional development activities.”
Each week, an instructor from Runa Yoga in Duluth leads a class through a yoga session. The class is open to all skill levels, and all are welcome no matter where you are in your fitness journey.
Hana Hellmers, a senior at UWS has attended a handful of yoga classes this year. She is a distance learning student and attends class from her home all the way in Alaska.
“It’s nice to be able to attend an ‘on campus’ event from anywhere; it helps me feel more involved as a non-traditional student,” Hellmers said after the class.
When asked what the biggest benefit of at tending this class was for her, she said, “It’s really nice to be able to take one hour out of my busy week to just focus on slowing down and breathing. It’s my one hour of self-care during the week, where I don’t feel like I should be doing something else.”
Studies have shown that students who practice yoga on a regular basis perform better academically. A study published in the National Library of Medicine Journal showed that excessive stress negatively impacts academic performance, and that practicing yoga has proven to significantly lower stress levels in students.
The Pruitt Center Runa Yoga class is a free resource open to students and community members. Classes will be offered every Wednesday through May 29, and may be extended beyond that. Class information and the Zoom link can be found on the UWS website on the Pruitt Center’s events tab.
