Packed along with the usual assortment of textbooks and laptops, an additional piece of student equipment has become more and more popular - the yoga mat. The tight bundle of rubber and plastic appears to be the latest accessory to be seen around campus.
Many people associate the practice of yoga with the idea of sitting in the lotus position, meditating, and bending in awkward positions. But contrary to popular belief, many different forms of yoga exist.
Abc-of-yoga.com explains the six major branches of yoga. There's Tantra, which "expands awareness in all states," Karma which works through changing actions to better the soul and alter one's destiny, and Jnana which "seeks knowledge through acceptance of religion and philosophy". Additionally, Raja, the royal yoga, strives for self respect through self mastery, Bhakti searches for a devotional yoga to God, life and love, and Hatha, which uses poses and breathing to fill the body with life force.
In the Tufts Athletics Department's Bulletin, there are several listings for yoga classes. But when registering for classes, the Bulletin offers no description of the style, leading students to believe that all classes have similar teaching methods and techniques. In reality, each instructor has a different style.
For example, Elliot McEldowney teaches in the Vinyasa style, which focuses on breathing while linking each pose in a fast pace, while Judy Scribner-Moore's Hatha class is slower but holds positions longer.
According to Scribner-Moore, she blended her own style of yoga "through the various types of classes she has taken," which she introduced to Tufts years ago as the first yoga teacher at the University.
Scribner-Moore came to Tufts approximately 10 years ago to teach in the Athletics Department. At the time, "there were only three students in her first class," she said. Later, Health Services - then Alcohol and Health Education - asked her to teach in the lobbies of dorms once a week.
Two years later, Scribner-Moore moved from Health Services to join the Athletics Department full-time and teach one undergraduate class. This time around, the class garnered so much interest that a waiting list was necessary. Since then, an increasing number of classes have been added, and more teachers have been asked to teach. Currently, Tufts has five yoga classes, yogalates, and yoga mini-courses.
According to students, the yoga mini-courses are a good way of practicing yoga outside class. Sophomore Jenny Deprez observed "so many physical and mental changes after her first class" that she continued yoga through the mini-course.
The mini-courses cost $50, but are less expensive than the vast majority of yoga classes at professional gyms. These courses also have the added advantage of being conveniently located on-campus.
McEldowney suggests that the increased interest in yoga may be linked to its popularity amongst celebrities.
"When people see a celebrity in a magazine declaring that she maintains her body through yoga, it triggers an increased interest in the practice," McEldowney said.
The body strengthening aspect of yoga underlies that it is not a feminine and soft practice - it requires not only flexibility, but also strength and the desire to challenge oneself.
Though a distance runner for years, McEldowney still declared that the first yoga class he took was "one of the hardest things I've ever done," adding that although the class lasted only 90 minutes, it challenged him physically, aerobically and emotionally. "This concept of challenge is often overlooked in yoga," he said.
According to Scribner-Moore, while classes at Tufts have more men than before, the majority of attendants remain women. The ratio has changed from 95% women and 5 percent men to about 75 percent women and 25 percent men. This increase in the number of men participating will most likely increase in years to come.
According to junior Julia Keyser noticed the advantage she has gained through yoga from stretching and strengthening.
"McEldowney's class helped regain [my] balance," said Keyser, who suffered an injury from last year's Boston Marathon.
McEldowney pointed out that yoga can be a great source of stretching to prevent or ease injuries, but also to better physical health in general, making it appeal to athletes, female and male alike.
Yoga's attraction to athletes works against its typical portrayal as a slow and sleepy practice. Scribner-Moore explained that yoga originated in India, where it brought calm and rest to life's chaos.
"Through the busy street noises, [people learned] to listen to their bodies. All postures, are meditative. Yoga becomes a way of trusting your body and having confidence in its innate intelligence," she said.
According to junior Carrie Davis, who took yoga for two semesters, she "feels taller, calmer, better after class. I feel more grounded than I would be otherwise," she said.
McEldowney explained that yoga is "99 percent practice and one percent theory," he said. "Directly changing diets or lifestyles is fruitless if the basics are not acquired first."
Due to the diversity of yoga practices, the lack of description of the classes offered has remained a problem for students. According to the teachers, everyone must find the style most easily adaptable to their temperament to get the most out of the experience. As a result, the Athletics department will alter its syllabus next semester, and will include a brief description of each yoga class.
Another issue that the Athletics Department faces is an increasing number of students who possess a yoga background. According to Scribner-Moore, she envisions intermediate and higher level classes in the University's future.
Currently, both McEldowney and Scribner-Moore teach different levels outside Tufts. Scribner-Moore teaches at Mystic River Yoga on Boston Avenue, and McEldowney teaches at 0 in Davis square.
"Yoga is everywhere in Boston," McEldowney said, adding that he hopes that yoga classes will help students reconnect with their bodies and provide relief from the stress of college life.
Scribner-Moore said she hopes that "yoga will evolve to hold the same importance as other courses," as it is, after all, "a philosophy and belief that concerns an essential aspect of life - the body and the well-being."
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