Yoga and Wellness

Throughout this WebQuest, you will be exploring, experiencing/demonstrating, and advocating for yoga as a health and wellness practice. Below you will find information and resources on various topics related to yoga, a quiz to test your knowledge, and activities to engage you physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and socially in yoga and its potential to help students succeed academically and personally.

Phase 1: A Brief History of Yoga

In this phase of the WebQuest, you will learn about the origins, long history, various types/approaches and their similarities/differences, health benefits, and potential risks of yoga--and test your knowledge.  

Origins of Yoga

• Yoga.com: History of Yoga: How it all Started
• Wikipedia's Yoga Page
• University of Florida Student Project: "Yoga: the Art of Meditation, Breathing, Relaxation and Spirituality"
• Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India: "Yoga: Its Origin, History and Development"
  
  

Types of Yoga

• The Chopra Center: A Simple Guide to the Most Common Yoga Styles
• Yoga Journal: Types of Yoga
• Wikipedia Categories: Yoga Styles
• AARP.org: Which Yoga Is Right for You?
• Yoga U: Yoga Education for Every Body
  
  

Current thinking on the benefits--and risks--of yoga

• American Osteopathic Association: The Benefits of Yoga
• Harvard Medical School: Yoga--Benefits Beyond the Mat
• NPR's "Fresh Air": The Risks and Rewards of Practicing Yoga 
• Huffpost: "Why Companies are Turning to Meditation and Yoga to Boost the Bottom Line" 
• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: Yoga: In Depth
• OG Yoga Blog
  

Task 1:  Pop Quiz!  

Follow this link to your 10-question quiz:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/RBQQ5CW 

Phase 2: Implementation

In this phase, you will learn about the specific poses and the cues instructors use to prompt safe, effective execution of yoga poses to maximize benefit and reduce risk. Explore the resources in this phase thoroughly and complete Task 2 before completing Task 3 for a safer, more enjoyable, effective experience and outcome. If you are completing this WebQuest for a course, your instructor may provide feedback with tips to improve your personal yoga practice!

Yoga poses and how they work in the body

• https://www.yogajournal.com/poses -This link is a library of all poses broken down by type and anatomy
• https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/yoga-by-benefit -This link divides the poses by benefit
  

Cues to instruct safe, effective execution of yoga poses

• https://www.yogajournal.com/practice -This link provides tips and advice for beginners
• https://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/09/yogis-be-careful-with-your-joints-charlotte-bell/ -This article talks about Ligamentous tissue, Healthy poses, and being careful to not sprain and strain your body.

Task 2:  Recognize and understand various yoga poses

Go to the following link:  https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/types.  

Explore the various types of poses and the instructions for each.  You'll click on the category, then click on the pose you want to learn about to get to a page with a detailed description of that pose. 

Name at least 2-3 poses for each of the following categories, and list three cues and benefits for each pose:

• Balancing poses
• Binding poses
• Chest opening poses
• Core poses
• Hip opening poses
• Inversion poses

Task 3: Experiment, Experience, Demonstrate

Now that you have learned the benefits, risks, and proper execution of some yoga poses, try them out yourself--and teach them to others! Choose three poses and either record or photograph yourself giving an A+ example for others to follow. You can have a classmate or friend help you take pictures or video, or you can set up your phone or camera yourself. This can be as simple or involved as you choose, just make sure you’re doing the poses correctly and either speak (if recording video) or include the text (if taking still images) of the appropriate cues. Feel free to demonstrate “modification” poses if you prefer--again, as long as you execute them correctly. The goal with any yoga pose is to feel the effects--e.g., activation or stretch in certain muscle groups--rather than to look perfect. Explain (again, speaking or in text) what the pose is intended to accomplish.

Phase 3: Advocacy

With your knowledge of the benefits of yoga for mental, physical, spiritual, social, and emotional health, how would you advocate for the inclusion of yoga classes as a health benefit for students on your campus? 

Task 4: Present

In groups of 2-3, choose the 3 benefits of yoga that you think could help students the most to manage stress, improve and maintain their health, and succeed in school. Work together to create a 15-minute multimedia presentation arguing for the inclusion of a yoga program for students on your campus, focusing on those 3 benefits. Use at least 2-3 types of media, including (but not limited to) text, still images, audio, video, animation.  We suggest that you divide tasks among the group by who will discuss each benefit and its potential impact on student success.