When the Student Recreation and Fitness Center stopped offering free fitness classes in the fall of 2006, Brandon Hidaka, Prairie Village senior, and Molly Daughety, Topeka junior, founded the Yoga Club in order to give students and faculty the chance to try yoga free of charge.

“The club was founded on the belief that yoga is a right, not a privilege,” Daughety said.

The club meets Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Courtside Room of the Burge Union. Its members currently include only students, but Hidaka said faculty were more than welcome to join.

Although Hidaka usually leads the class, guest teachers from yoga studios in Lawrence teach on occasion. Recruiting different instructors allows club members to gain exposure to many styles of yoga.

Hidaka, who is now an instructor at the recreation center, experienced yoga for the first time in the summer of 2006 after taking an interest in Eastern thought and practices.

“I found it to be a wonderful blend of mindfulness, strength and flexibility,” Hidaka said. “I’m the kind of person who loves a good workout. After my first class, my entire body was sore the next day. I was hooked.”

Hidaka said yoga strengthened muscles proportionally to how useful they were for the body. He also said it helped him relieve stress.

“Stress physically manifests itself in hunched shoulders, a higher heart rate and shallow building,” Hidaka said. “I have techniques to quell it...I roll my shoulders down and back, away from my ears...take a couple of deep breaths through my nose and feel my heart beat recede.”

In addition to the physical benefits of yoga as a form of exercise, it also holds a therapeutic quality for many people. Daughety said she used yoga as a vehicle for self-discovery and self-actualization.

“I am drawn to the introspection that yoga allows,” Daughety said. “The positions are challenging enough that full concentration on the body is required. Through this concentration, a lot can be learned about the state of oneself.”

Chris Westphal, Kansas City senior, has been involved with the club since its inception. He said yoga helps him in his ordinary life.

“It’s a good combination of stretching, strengthening and focus,” Westphal said. “It’s great for studying.”

Hidaka said he has noticed camaraderie develop between club members.

“Personally, my relationships with my friends has benefited from sharing the experience of yoga with them,” Hidaka said.