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Students walk into classroom 344 at Hollister High School, remove their shoes and place their backpacks in a locker near the entrance. They then take their places on one of 40 bright red yoga mats arranged along the room’s four walls.
Next to their mats they put a journal and pencil as instructor Jessica Kim continues a lesson on the Yamas—the moral, ethical and societal guidelines for practicing yoga. It’s a class that students are using to better their mental health.
The day’s lesson on Feb. 6 was on Satya, or truthfulness. Students are instructed to write in their journal about words or actions related to truthfulness and then take a pose representing it.
The 80-minute class provides an opportunity for some students to take a breather, particularly if they have a busy and stressful schedule.
Mikayla Lake, 16, said she spends 12 hours at the campus three days a week so she uses the class to rest.
“It’s a good place to be able to calm down whenever I’m stressed or anxious,” she said.
Lake said one of her favorite things about the class is Shavasana, in which students have 10 to 20 minutes at the end of the class to rest their bodies and minds.
![Students practicing a yoga pose. Photo by Noe Magaña.]()
Students practicing a yoga pose. Photo by Noe Magaña. ![Students practicing a yoga pose. Photo by Noe Magaña.]()
Students practicing a yoga pose. Photo by Noe Magaña. ![Students write in their journals about truthfulness. Photo by Noe Magaña.]()
Students write in their journals about truthfulness. Photo by Noe Magaña. ![Kiara Valencia (right) participates in a breathing exercise. Photo by Noe Magaña.]()
Kiara Valencia (right) participates in a breathing exercise. Photo by Noe Magaña. ![Students practicing a yoga pose. Photo by Noe Magaña.]()
Students practicing a yoga pose. Photo by Noe Magaña. ![Jessica Kim took over the class this year and teaches the Yamas and Niyamas from the eight Limbs of Yoga, which are the ethical ways we move throughout the world (truthfulness, cleanliness, right use of energy, etc. Photo by Noe Magaña.]()
Jessica Kim took over the class this year and teaches the Yamas and Niyamas from the eight Limbs of Yoga, which are the ethical ways we move throughout the world (truthfulness, cleanliness, right use of energy, etc. Photo by Noe Magaña.
Kim said she believes students learn valuable life lessons and develop tools for overcoming anxiety and regulating their emotions. “We value that time knowing we all need time to rest, relax and recover,” she said.
Kim, who began teaching the class this year, said she sees how students are engaged with the class and are trying to understand how to implement the movement and meditation into their everyday lives.
Hollister High counselor Heather Nichols was the first to instruct the yoga class in 2019. It was implemented to expand the physical education program’s goal “to develop lifelong, healthy habits that students will benefit from for many years after graduation.”
Kiara Valencia and Blithe Richards, both 15, agree that the yoga class is the perfect time to wind down.
Valencia said she had no prior knowledge or experience in yoga but decided to enroll to try it out.
“I like when we journal because we get to express how we feel,” she said.
Richards said her older sister encouraged her to practice yoga. As a tennis player and track and field athlete, she said, it also helps her stretch after workouts and minimize the stress on her body.
She also said she considers herself an over-thinker and that yoga has helped her process her thoughts and overall mental health.
BenitoLink thanks our underwriter, Hollister Rotary, for helping expand the sports coverage around San Benito County. Rotary is a nonprofit organization that conducts humanitarian projects, encourages high ethical standards, and works toward world understanding. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.
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