State College Area High School Students Maya Ikenberry, Jacqueline Lawrence, Anna Smithwick, and Ava Conroy are starting a yoga club at State High that will meet every Monday from 7:50 a.m. to 8:25 a.m. The supervisor is health and wellness teacher, Nicole Himpele. Their mission is to spread awareness of the importance of focusing on students’ mentality in a way that is physical, too.

“I feel like it would be nice because students that like to do yoga in their free time will have a free outlet to do so,” sophomore Lorenzo Frepoli said. Stress is a big part of school and a lot of people do not know how to handle it in a healthy way. A lot of fitness classes are not free, whereas the yoga club will be free of charge, so that would be one less thing a participant would have to stress about. 

“Yoga will help calm you down and take stress away from school, life, and after-school activities,” Kate Lundy, a sophomore, said. A lot of the clubs at the school don’t have outlets for mind and body, so it is important to start something that combines the two. 

The yoga club is hoping to provide a creative outlet for people who need to clear their mind and release stress from their bodies. The people in charge chose to have it on a Monday morning to allow students to mentally prepare for the upcoming week.

“It is so important for State High to have a club that allows people to relax as well as making sure people’s mental state is healthy,” Ikenberry said. “As school starts up again it is important for students to figure out a way to release their stress in a healthy and productive way.”

Now that the school year is in full swing, the new yoga club hopes to successfully help students cope with stress in a way that is not only healthy but fun.