3rd On-campus Yoga Lesson (September 1st 2023)

 The Center for International Students and Scholars (CISS) held the 3rd on-campus yoga lesson for Japanese and international students, faculty and staff on September 1st in English. Ms. Mika Takada, a former staff member of the International Student Affairs Section, once again offered to lead this event and instructed ten participants for about one hour, which was followed by get-to-know session where international students, faculty and staff had a chat and played a game to get to know each other.

 CISS's Robert King (UEA) opened the event and soon turned the lesson over to Ms. Takada, who then talked about some of the basics of yoga, such as correct breathing, etc. The lesson began with basic poses and the participants followed Ms. Takada's instructions as they moved through the individual poses while paying close attention to their form and breathing. She continued to demonstrate the moves while pointing details from foot and hand positions to where to focus your line of sight to help everyone, both new and returning participants, to quietly concentrate inwardly on their body.

 After the lesson finished, participants sat in a circle introducing themselves and then King introduced a common icebreaker game Human Knot, explaining how to get ready and what the goal of the game is. In Human knot the participants grab hands randomly to create a huge knot and then have to work together to 'untie' everyone, but they cannot release the hand they chose to grab. In order to reach the final goal of becoming a connected circle, everyone has to communicate as the move up and down, side to side and through people's arms, etc. After about fifteen minutes the knot was undone, but for some reason they actually became two circles connected together.

 Many of the students who participated are regulars who once again expressed their hopes for the yoga lesson to become a staple activity on campus, but there were also new faces that enjoyed the lesson and we hope to see them next time as well. CISS and the international offices hope to keep holding athletic/sports events for students so that they develop ties across campus while exercising for their health.