When Sami Nandam, a 19-year-old sophomore and neuroscience student at NSU, stepped into an outdoor evening event at Nova Southeastern University, she didn’t know what to expect. It was the first time she experienced yoga, and this was a candlelight yoga event.
“I would definitely attend another event like this in the future,” Nandam said. “It is a great way to maintain a healthy mind and body while fostering community.”
On Wednesday, Oct. 5, NSU held this outdoor candlelight yoga event. Nandam, one of about 20 students in attendance, said she was able to relax and enjoy herself, though entirely new to yoga when she walked in. She found it especially helpful in light of upcoming exams.
“This experience was really relaxing, especially before midterms,” Nandam said.
Christian Bettencourt, the assistant director of the RecWell Center, said yoga has many science-based benefits. He mentioned, specifically, that yoga improves strength, balance, mobility and flexibility. It can help with pain relief, ease arthritis symptoms, benefits heart health, relax students, improve mood, help to manage stress, promote self-care and connect students with a supportive and inclusive community.
This NSU event brought in Lourdes Perez, a yoga instructor, to teach students a simple yoga flow, while incorporating breathing techniques with zen music, a peaceful environment and blue-toned candles.
Bettencourt added that the benefits of yoga to the student population are especially significant, which studies confirm.
The National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association, which surveyed 682 colleges and universities in the United States about the benefits of Recreation and Wellness programs on student academic success, found a strong positive correlation between participation in those events and academic success in students.
The RecWell Center, which is in the process of organizing another candlelight yoga event soon, has many other events planned for this year.
They include a safe sex education and safe sex products trick-or-treat event on Oct. 31, a healthy eating seminar on Nov. 7 and a rage room on Dec. 5.
These events are free for NSU faculty, staff and students to attend and sometimes include free giveaway items, such as yoga mats, stretching blocks and blenders. The RecWell Center also regularly holds raffles to win items like AirPods and iPads.
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