It might sound cliché, but college is stressful. There are different ways to relieve stress brought on by the academic pressure that surrounds us all, but yoga is one of the best methods to calm the body and the soul.

Yoga, dating back to 3300 B.C., has plenty of benefits not only for the body, but also for the mind. It has been statistically proven that yoga increases academic performance in college students. Through relaxed breathing techniques and postures, yoga establishes balance and serenity between mind and body and helps to manage stress. College students especially need yoga to manage stress from trying to balance schoolwork, jobs and social activities.

Unfortunately, students who want to relax and keep in shape through yoga have to pay an extra fee to take the instructional class at Loyola.

Loyola should offer a free yoga class to students as a way to deal with stress from a heavy course load.

Personally, I would take the yoga class at Loyola if it didn’t require a registration fee. Unfortunately, yoga is one of the luxuries that doesn’t fit in my budget. Even though the registration fee is at a reduced rate for students, many students, including myself, can’t afford to take the class here.

I could really use a weekly yoga class to keep me sane and balanced as I deal with an overwhelming 18-hour course load this semester, but I can’t swing the extra cash for the class.

The Rec Plex has many accommodations and programs that don’t require an extra fee. For example, the pool, which costs more for upkeep and to pay the lifeguards than a yoga instructor does, is free and open to use for students and members of the Loyola community. If the university can afford the maintenance of the pool, they should be able to hire a yoga instructor and offer a free yoga class.

I don’t want to bring up another reason to incite the ongoing Loyola-Tulane rivalry, but Tulane offers a free session for many of their yoga classes. Loyola should follow suit and offer a free instructional yoga class to help students cope and deal with stress caused by academic pressure.

Not only should yoga be free for students, but there should also be an instructional yoga class that offers credits that go towards graduation. I’m sure I’m not the only one that would sign up for that class. How awesome would it be to get credits for taking a yoga class? Other universities do it, why can’t Loyola?

The bottom line is that yoga is beneficial to stressed-out college students to us and there should be an instructional yoga class at no extra charge. But until then, students at Loyola have to pay.

Molly Cutler can be reached at [email protected]