Stressed? Anxious? Overwhelmed? You are not alone. Join 4th Avenue Yoga in uncovering Tucson’s best efforts in healing the stressed out student every week.
4th Avenue Yoga shares its holistic values, along with practices that stimulate physical and spiritual growth, to create the perfect cure for every student’s uneasy days.
Whether it’s the everyday college routine, the inexplicable amount of procrastinated homework, or the “I need to learn this entire subject in one night” final exam study technique, students get stressed, are stressed and will always be stressed.
Though this stress persists in students’ lives, it is easy to find ways of relieving this all too familiar, anxiety provoking stress. 4th Avenue Yoga is close in proximity to the UA campus, and at only $4 per class, it easily costs less than a lunch from Chipotle—meaning, it’s a doable price for students.
4th Avenue Yoga makes it their mission to provide a local, affordable and welcoming home to those who are looking for a healthy outlet for negative thoughts. Alexandra Roush, who has practiced the art of yoga for five years and recently began teaching at 4th Avenue Yoga, said that “yoga is for anyone with any type of body.”
She encourages students to reach outside of their comfort zone and attend a class if they are looking for a way to calm their minds and bodies.
“You can’t be bad at yoga,” Roush said.
Roush’s class begins with relaxing music followed by unison “Oms,” or a sacred sound which promotes well-being within the body and mind.
“Yoga is a time to pause and be with ourselves, away from computers, TV and chatter,” Roush said. “It’s a time to study ourselves.”
The class also executes various poses that center students’ bodies, ultimately relieving stress. Her students perform poses including Uttanasana, or Standing Forward Bend, which, according to Roush, relieves depression felt in the mind. Students also practice Adho Mukha Svanasana, or Downward Facing Dog, which removes fatigue and restores lost energy.
Roush said one of her personal favorite poses is Ardha Matsyendrasana, better known as fish pose. It releases toxins from the body through a twisting movement.
As the hour-long class continues, negativity, anxiety and stress literally sweat away, leaving students’ bodies feeling refreshed.
Elizabeth Sutton, a UA dance junior who attends weekly classes, said, “Before class I feel run-down, tense, tired and unmotivated, but after, I feel rejuvenated, uplifted, free and happy.”
Sutton said she uses yoga for self reflection and personal motivation, and as a physical way to take time out of her week devoted strictly to herself.
4th Avenue Yoga offers various forms of yoga, and ends each class with a five minute relaxation session where students lay flat on their mats, focus on breathing and feel ready to step back into their hectic lives—only this time with a new sense of refreshment granted from practicing yoga.
Jamalyn Ray, a business senior, also avidly practices yoga. She said she feels that yoga relieves her stress.
“While taking class, I can feel my inner strength become present,” Ray said. “It helps me in school and many other areas in my life.”
Overwhelmed students, take note: 4th Avenue Yoga waits only a short trip from campus, ready to help heal and alleviate stress. Namaste.
Follow Kristine Bruun-Anderson on Twitter.
