The aroma of eucalyptus essential oil surrounds the Activity Center. Four girls lay on the floor, listening to meditative music. Senior Megan Manion walks around the room, reading each of the girls’ aura and describing each of their chakras to them.
Megan has started a new activity here at OVS with the new sports offering of yoga. Guiding a handful of girls, Megan is able to help them de-stress and learn skills such as meditation, practice breathing, and syncing their bodies to their minds.
“I have always really liked [yoga],” Megan said. “This summer I worked at an internship at a meditation studio where I was doing meditation and yoga about three times a day.”
Inspired by Jen Muller, an OVS alum who taught a yoga class two years ago, Megan kickstarted her yoga journey in the past two years. Currently, she is in the middle of getting her yoga certification and is very excited about it.
“All summer, I have been having one on one classes with teachers who have been really great. It’s a really great opportunity,” said Megan.
To Megan, yoga and meditation are very important, as they allow her to let go of anxiety and be able to de-stress from the academic environment. She is combining her passion for spirituality and mental health in order to create a serene environment for yoga.
The class begins with a stretching session and then the girls move into their sequences. Watching videos online, the class follows Vinyasa yoga, a type of yoga that is characterized by its seamless movements. Megan ends the class with a session of meditation where she clears the girls’ auras then sends them off for a relaxing afternoon.
“After all your classes, having an hour to calm down right before you go home is super nice,” said sophomore Violet Ruby.
Megan loves the new community that she has formed on campus. Providing a fresh and different sports activity for OVS, the girls are able to work on their physical and mental states, which is why Megan feels it’s so important for the school to have.
“Its really helpful to be in the now,” Megan explained. “Students build up a lot of stress and anxiety. [Yoga] is a time that [students] are able to sit and be calm. It has really helped everyone in the class, I can tell a big difference.”