Yoga Class Offers Different Kind of Physical Education

Girls at the Marlborough School in Los Angeles have an unusual class option to traditional physical education.

Since the start of the school year, students have been able to take Hatha yoga--a style that incorporates stretching and breathing exercises. A class of about 15 girls meets for 50 minutes at a time.

“A lot of them are taking the class because they want to feel less stressed out,” said Judit Sekler, the yoga teacher. “They have a really demanding academic schedule. Yoga provides them with relaxation and good workout.”

The regimen includes back bends and aerobics as well as “sun salutations”--a form of sun worship, Sekler said. The girls do hamstring stretches and strengthening exercises for their legs and upper body.

“They get the feeling of being a lot more in touch with their bodies,” Sekler said. “Girls tend to be competitive and have a negative attitude about their bodies at a young age. But when they’re doing yoga . . . it gives them a feeling that their body is OK the way it is. They seem to like that idea.”