Early Bird

Yoga for stress and anxiety management

Prioritize self-care this semester with yoga courses.

By Josie Lavender

January 13, 2021

Stress and anxiety management are key components of student and employee success, and Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Hatha Yoga 1 and Yoga for Anxiety Management courses are a great way to integrate self-care.

“We are paying a big price with anxiety, stress, depression, sleep and eating disorders and more,” said affiliate faculty member Svetlana Lambrozo, who teaches both courses. “Fortunately, there are simple yoga ways to cope with those numerous problems.”

Employees can enroll in the courses via the employee tuition benefit, and students are encouraged to register now. The courses can be found under CRN 32363 for Hatha Yoga 1 and CRN 33193 for Yoga for Anxiety Management. For students in particular, up to 14 hours of physical-activity credits can be applied toward graduation requirements, even for non-Physical Activity majors.

Hatha Yoga 1 and Yoga for Anxiety will be taught synchronously for the spring semester, which means students and employees can participate from the comfort and safety of their home. Although a yoga mat and blanket are recommended, no equipment is required. Both classes offer a space for students to practice yoga while also learning about how diet and sleep impact their well-being. The yoga courses serve as a fantastic self-care tool and benefit academic progress and mental performance.

A RED article published last year emphasized the power of meditative breathing and its academic benefits. Lambrozo witnessed further evidence of these meditative health benefits when she received an overwhelming amount of feedback from fall yoga students,who said that yoga became a key survival tool amid the stress of 2020. Although self-care is deeply important, it can be difficult to prioritize with class deadlines and work responsibilities.

“Even short yoga practice has a great capacity to reset my body, mind and brain,” Lambrozo said.