Nearly 60 CC students stretched out their muscles, soothed their minds, and dined on frozen yogurt pies this past Tuesday at a free event called Yoga and Yogurt, organized by the CC Yoga Program.
The hard work of CC senior and yoga instructor, Emily Faxon, brought together the local organizations CorePower Yoga, Buttercup’s Frozen Yogurt, and lululemon athletica to provide CC students with a free, hour-long yoga class taught in Gaylord Hall followed by a dessert of frozen yogurt.
“This event is a gathering of local businesses to show their support of CC and the CC Yoga Program,” Faxon explained. “I had been wanting to reach out to the greater yoga community and thought that free yoga and yogurt would be the best thing since Bagels and Brews.”
Faxon explained that lululemon athletica had expressed interest in becoming more involved in the yoga program at CC.
“Buttercup’s also wanted to expand their reach and become more of a factor in CC students’ dessert choices,” Faxon said.
Sarah Martin, a CorePower Yoga instructor, taught the yoga class with energy and enthusiasm.
“This is my dream come true, to stand behind a podium and talk about yoga,” Martin said, laughing, as she commenced the class from behind Gaylord’s podium.
She led the CC students through several yoga sequences, occasionally targeting body areas that typically suffer in college students due to stress.
“Here are student shoulders,” Martin said, exaggerating a pose of hunched-over shoulders, “and here are happy yoga shoulders.”
In the last 10 minutes of the class, Martin asked everyone to leave their mats and form a circle. All the students placed their right hands on the back of their neighbor and their left hands over their hearts before attempting to do Tree Pose.
Shortly after, each student was asked to try doing Tree Pose without the support of the circle. With prominent unsteadiness and tottering, Martin’s point was clear. Support systems are crucial.
“I love teaching college students. There’s just such an energy,” Martin said.
Because the CC Yoga Program does not have funding, this event relied entirely on the generosity of local businesses. The CC Yoga Program has put on other events this year such as December’s well-attended Glowga, which combined the teaching of CC yogis with the music of DJ Siborg and glow-sticks galore.
“I would love for this event and other community yoga events to continue in the future. So many CC students practice yoga that it only makes sense for us to expand and grow their practice,” Faxon said.
With events that utilize the allure of froyo or glow-sticks and then combine them with free yoga classes, who wouldn’t want to attend?
For more information on upcoming CC yoga schedules or future events, check out the Colorado College Yoga Facebook page.
Kate Leaf
Active Life Editor