2008 Woodie Awards
Ancient Hindu yoga offered to students
Lisa Lindsey
Issue date: 12/3/04 Section: Arts & Entertainment
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One of the classes is called Yoga-Pilates, taught by Corrina Willingham, who's been teaching yoga at AC for six years.
"I started off as a personal trainer and then expanded to teaching kick-boxing, cycling and aerobics," Willingham said. "I think AC's program has done really good. I have anywhere from 20 to 50 students in a class at one time."
An ancient form of meditation that originates in the Hindu religion, yoga incorporates physical exercise as a means to attain discipline. Students who take yoga achieve both benefits of the physical exercise and discipline in the practice.
"My students have a love-hate relationship with me," Willingham said. She explained that students may think she's being too tough when teaching a move they may not like.
When they can do the move, however, they are happy they learned it. Willingham leads the class in specialized movements, alternating breathing and stretching to attain a complete workout.
"What I teach is Hatha yoga," she said. "A lot of people think its mainly meditation, but Hatha yoga is more interested in learning how to stretch the body, to elongate the muscles and to work stretching the spine or stretching hip joints or knee joints.
"At the same time, some of the positions you get into are actually moving the internal organs around so that it strengthens the kidneys and lungs. Because of the breathing practices, it also increases lung capacity."
Positions taught in yoga include the Tree Pose, which improves posture and increases flexibility in ankles and hip joints.
The Warrior is a deep lunge that strengthens the quadriceps, hamstring muscles and gluts. The Rabbit Pose gives a maximum longitudinal extension of the spine.
The class takes place on the second floor of the Nixson Gymnasium on the Polk Street Campus. Music plays softly as Willingham choreographs each position.
Women of all ages are stretching, breathing and focusing to accomplish the position they are working on.
"Students of all ages and varied levels take yoga," Willingham said. "It is very individualized. It reduces stress, teaches breathing and relaxation, and while they're focusing on learning the moves, the mind clears from problems and stress from the day.