By The mission?
Relaxation.
The participants?
Stressed out Long Beach State students.
The methods?
Yoga, massage ball exercises, taste meditation and breathing exercises.
Amid finals, some of the most critical and tension-filled weeks of the semester, Beach Wellness and Associated Students Inc. welcomed students to destress at the May 1 Night of Relaxation event hosted at the Student Recreation and Wellness Center.
With lo-fi music softly streaming out the speakers as the sun slowly set over the west side of campus, students who arrived were welcomed in with a cool glass of water. Hydration is necessary for relaxation after all.
They were then invited to grab a yoga mat and some popsicles.
Paul Burns teaches yoga and is a professor in the department of education.
“Our hope for this is to help [students] not only destress right at this moment but also give them the tools to do this at home,” Burns said.
After students chose their preferred spot around the pool deck, the first organized event of the night began.
Led by instructions from Burns, students began with breathing exercises, later shifting into stretching exercises with a Velocity ball.
“This event is a celebration for students to treat themselves for a job well done over these last few months,” said Beach Wellness Coordinator Stephanie Hodges.
During an intermission, Hodges directed everyone to grab a wipe to clean their faces, apply some toner and after that they applied some face masks.
Students relax poolside inside the Long Beach State Student Recreation and Wellness Center while putting on their face masks. Photo credit: Alan Alejandro Ibarra
