Group Project: Yoga & Mindfulness
Led by faculty members Ruth Hecht and Marie Cinquemani-Thomas, the Yoga and Mindfulness January Short Term group project offered students an immersive experience in yoga and meditation as tools for self-discovery, stress management and holistic well-being.
Through daily movement, stillness, and reflection, students Adyssen McClendon-Lockhardt and Zamylah Gray-Chatmon engaged with both the physical and philosophical aspects of yoga. This included physical practice of yoga, journaling, group discussions, creative expression, and exploration of yoga’s cultural and historical roots. Both students chose to dedicate their 3 weeks of independent JST to a goal of both physical and mental self-improvement.
A major focus of the Yoga and Mindfulness group was to emphasize slowing down and reflection. “I think it’s important for everyone, especially living in this age of nonstop connection to the outside world and to everyone in our lives, to make room to connect to Self, and to care for Self. So much of our time is spent plugged into our electronic devices, it’s hard to discern our own personal voice from the cacophony we are constantly bombarded with. When you slow down enough to spend time with yourself, hear your own inner voice, you can access clarity of thought and action. You spend a lot less time second guessing your decisions, because they come from a place of coherence - not the collective,” Cinquemani-Thomas reflected. Over the course of the 3 weeks of January Short Term, Hecht and Cinquemani-Thomas also led students through:
- Learning and applying basic yoga poses and breath work techniques.
- Developing a daily meditation and mindfulness practice.
- Exploring the impact of chronic stress and how mindfulness supports holistic health.
- Reflecting on personal identity, values, and future aspirations.
- Gaining tools to manage anxiety, improve focus, and enhance emotional regulation.
Both Adyssen and Zamylah hope to continue to take what they learned over the course of the past 3 weeks and apply it to their lives. “Something I looked forward to gaining from this project was more mindfulness, flexibility, and learning new methods of calming myself down. Of course, I wasn’t able to master yoga in such a short amount of time, but I was able to learn poses and methods I can carry with me for life, and well as me and my mom,” Adyssen recalled.
