UC Riverside is known for its state of the art student recreation center that comes with plenty of amenities for students. Along with a variety of workout equipment and spaces, the SRC also offers FitWell classes, many of which are at no extra cost to students. Since moving to Riverside, I have been looking for an opportunity to try out one of the classes. Honestly, I was a little nervous about taking a class by myself, so I put it off for over a year– that is, until this past week.
It’s always in the middle of the night when I get random spurts of motivation to turn my entire life around, and it seems like the same late-night motivation led one of my closest friends, Isa, to text my roommate, Lauren, and I about possibly attending a FitWell class together. She let us know about the different classes the SRC offers, and that we could look for a class that works with all of our schedules. Isa jokingly suggested the early morning yoga classes, knowing that none of us were too keen on leaving our beds before the sun was up.
The next morning, we looked at the schedule of classes and noticed that, between my late-night classes and my friends’ daytime classes, there was only one option: 6:45 am yoga on Mondays and Fridays. My friend’s enthusiasm rubbed off on me and the two of us managed to convince my roommate to join. So, the next morning, the three of us headed into our first yoga class.
On Monday morning, still half asleep, I managed to put on my workout clothes– which I hadn’t put on in an embarrassingly long time– grabbed a mandarin for breakfast and headed out the door with Lauren. We met up with Isa in the parking lot of our building and drove off to the SRC. We pulled into the parking lot and took a second to acknowledge the fact that we really got ourselves there and had to commit to at least trying the class.
The north building was eerily quiet. We checked into the class then sat in the silent hallway for the teacher to arrive. After a few minutes, an older, vibrant woman walked in and instructed us to grab a mat from the closet and take off our shoes. After wiping down the mats, the class started with deep breathing exercises. The instructor led us from movement to movement, which I learned are called asanas, each stretching a different part of the body. Starting off the day by moving gently and intentionally was incredible.
The final portion of the class was dedicated to the savasana, the typical pose to end a yoga class. We all laid on our backs and focused on our breath. With one hand on my chest and the other on my heart, I was reminded to be present and grateful, which can be difficult amid midterms and all the stresses that come with life.
Yoga classes such as this one are great opportunities for students to shut out the outside world for just a couple hours a week. My friends and I left the class in such high spirits, we almost forgot we aren’t early birds! So if you have been looking for a quick, affordable escape from reality that is fantastic for your health, consider looking into some of the free classes at the SRC. Grab a friend, or take a moment for independent self-care and give it a shot! You might even see us there!
