Yoga incorporates wellness and mindfulness into everyday habits

Nova Southeastern University offers a variety of exercise and wellness classes, including yoga. Yoga gives students, staff and faculty the opportunity to participate in an environment where they can destress.

Kelly Concannon, associate professor and yoga instructor, teaches yoga almost every day. She connects with her students in a setting where they can be comfortable and relaxed.

“So a lot of us, when we teach yoga, we’re not there to teach people how to do handstands or anything like that,” Concannon said. “We’re there to teach them how to incorporate wellness and mindfulness into their everyday habits so that they can be successful at the university.”

Concannon has built a community centered around the idea that yoga can help students ease their minds.

“As a teacher, I’m able to literally bring students from class into the gym. A lot of them are really intimidated to go into the gym, and us being faculty members who’ve been here for a really long time, it makes it less intimidating,” Concannon said.

“So for me, I feel like it’s just another modality to introduce to students so that they can manage their stress.”

Concannon believes that taking that first step just walking in the door can lead to feeling positive and motivated.

“Yoga is about everybody. It’s not a one-size-fits-all. It’s a modality to assist you in connecting with your body and being mindful of the stress and its impact on you,” Concannon said. “After every class that I teach, I do a 30-minute mindful meditation. So that might be another way around it, if you’re nervous about going to yoga class.”

Concannon said managing stress in college is important, and that exercising and taking time for yourself are helpful ways to connect without distractions while focusing on being less stressed.

“I can’t stress enough how important it is for students and faculty, and especially first-year students, to take a little bit of time for themselves every single day,” Concannon said. “Whether that be you go for a walk on the quad for 10 minutes without any distractions or go to the gym for half an hour.”