Yoga is an ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice that originated in India. The word ‘yoga’ derives from Sanskrit and means to join or to unite, symbolizing the union of body and consciousness. Today it is practiced in various forms around the world and continues to grow in popularity.

Recognizing its universal appeal, on 11 December 2014, the United Nations proclaimed 21 June as the International Day of Yoga by resolution 69/131. The draft resolution establishing the International Day of Yoga was proposed by India and endorsed by a record 175 member states. The proposal was first introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address during the opening of the 69^th session of the General Assembly, in which he said: “Yoga is an invaluable gift from our ancient tradition. Yoga embodies unity of mind and body, thought and action… a holistic approach [that] is valuable to our health and our well-being. Yoga is not just about exercise; it is a way to discover the sense of oneness with yourself, the world and the nature.”

The International Day of Yoga aims to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.

With that in mind, we sought out the SUSTech Yoga Club and interviewed their leaders. We sat down with them before their regular Tuesday night yoga class.

The leader of the club is Liu Shuxian, a senior studying Financial Mathematics from Anhui Province. She was joined by Shenzhen freshman Wu Weiyue and Guizhou sophomore Qian Oune. Wu Weiyue is thinking about studying mathematics, while Qian Oune is leaning towards one of the finance majors.

All three women started yoga at different times. Weiyue started in senior high school. One of her PE teachers (a former professional swimmer) set a yoga course for students and she fell in love with it. Oune was trying to find a way to relax in her freshman year at SUSTech and really enjoyed the experience, while Shuxian was introduced to yoga by a good friend in her sophomore year.

They all agreed that yoga was easy to pick up and was truly relaxing. Shuxian said that yoga doesn’t require many introductory or foundational skills in order to start, a sentiment that Oune agreed with. Oune added that it doesn’t take up too much of her time during the week, and it was very good for relaxing her body and mind. On the other hand, Weiyue was a dancer as a young lady, and had always been attracted to anything related to dancing. As a keen basketballer, volleyballer and badminton enthusiast, Weiyue was also attracted to yoga as a sport that she found comfortable and enjoyable.

Shuxian told us that the club has about 50 members this year, and that number increases each year. They run a yoga class on Tuesday evenings and a pilates class on Saturday afternoons, with both classes being equally popular. She noted that while they get about the same number of people, they tend to get a different mix of people in each class. Students do make up about 95% of the club’s membership with a small number of staff and faculty members joining in.

We asked them about their favorite positions and why. Shuxian said that she found the cat position and the snake position most relaxing, so they were her favorites. Oune is a big fan of saluting the sun, a multi-step position that provides her power, warmth and strength. Weiyue admitted that she enjoys all the positions equally, having never considered what her favorite position might be.

It’s well established that yoga is a practice that provides many benefits, so we wanted to know how it had helped each of the three young women. Shuxian said that SUSTech students need to be well-developed individuals, with good habits and life quality. Yoga is a very easy habit to pick up. She found that if she was having a problem or was down, yoga would help take her mind off whatever might be causing her stress, and help her live a healthy lifestyle. With a commitment of just 90 minutes a week, it doesn’t require much of her time, and overall it had improved her efficiency.

Weiyue commented that she was experiencing a heavy academic load with a lot of homework. Whenever she felt stressed and tired, yoga would make her feel relaxed. Yoga would redirect her thinking into concentrating on her breathing instead of everything else around her. By focusing on one thing, she was able to enjoy herself, and relax even more.

Oune found that by the time she came to Tuesday night classes, she had spent most of Monday and Tuesday hunched over a desk typing on a keyboard for hours on end in classrooms and lecture halls. Yoga helps to relax her body and straighten her spine. She added that she never felt hungry on a Tuesday night after doing yoga, so it was a good way to keep fit without wanting to eat something afterwards. Oune also remarked that she now felt closer to nature when she did yoga and had more regular breathing in the classes.

The yoga students do not restrict their relaxing practices to the dance rooms on campus. Weiyue continues to dance with both the Latin dance and ballet clubs on campus. Shuxian enjoys jogging and walking around campus of an evening, when the air tends to be fresher. She also likes to climb the mountains around Shenzhen, something that Shenzhen has plenty of. Oune has also learned taekwondo, a habit that she has found to be centering and relaxing in its own right.

In their final thoughts, we asked them what they would say to try and convince someone to try yoga for the first time.

Shuxian: It’s easy to learn, even if you have no foundational skills or have never learned any form of yoga before. Many people think it needs balance, but you don’t need to be a dancer or need any special skills. Anyone can learn the skills to take part and enjoy yoga.

Weiyue: Everything is worth trying. Yoga is such an interesting sport, you can’t miss out on such an opportunity.

Oune: If you want to begin yoga, try it – it’s not so difficult. It’s very easy to learn for everyone, and you can do it well.

The SUSTech Yoga club has been in operation for many years now. They regularly hold events like seaside yoga, candlelight yoga and other yoga classes for the benefit of society. The role of yoga in finding inner peace is undoubted, particularly in the fast-paced world we live in today. We thank Shuxian, Weiyue and Oune for their time and insights into the world of yoga.