SEPTEMBER,
      22,
      2006
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Jamie
      Constable
     
     
      Reporter
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      benefits
      of
      yoga
      go
      deeper
      than
     
     
      stretching
      out
      muscles,
      it
      is
      an
      activity
     
     
      that
      can
      help
      people,
      especially
     
     
      students,
      with
      everyday
      problems.
     
     
      This
      is
      a
      5,000-year-old
      practice
      that
     
     
      is
      gaining
      momentum
      in
      the
      exercise
     
     
      world
      which
      combines
      physical
     
     
      postures
      with
      specific
      breathing
     
     
      techniques
      to
      help
      reduce
      stress
      other
     
     
      medical
      problems.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ruth
      Richman
      has
      been
      a
      yoga
     
     
      teacher
      in
      PEI
      for
      over
      25
      years.
      She
     
     
      teaches
      Astanga
      Yoga
      and
      another
     
     
      style
      which
      she
      calls
      Ruth’s
      Blend,
      an
     
     
      eclectic
      collection
      of
      the
      many
      styles
     
     
      she
      has
      studied.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Richman
      said
      yoga
      has
      several
      key
     
    
   
   
    
     
      benefits.
      Astanga
      Yoga
      works
      to.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      improve
      spine
      alignment
      and
      to
     
     
      condition
      all
      parts
      of
      the
      body,
      from
     
     
      the
      muscles
      right
      down
      to
      the
      organs.
     
     
      The
      breathing
      techniques
      work
      to
      help
     
     
      the
      body
      and
      mind
      achieve
      a
     
     
      meditative
      state
      throughout
      the
      series
     
     
      of
      poses.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “The
      breath
      is
      a
      path
      to
      meditation,”
     
     
      says
      Ruth.
      “This
      meditative
      state
      helps
     
     
      to
      release
      stresses
      related
      to
      the
     
     
      financial,
      social,
      work,
      and
      school
     
    
   
   
    
     
      pressures
      that
      students
      face.
      It
      relaxes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      clears
      the
      mind,
      and
      just
      five
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Yoga
      Way
     
    
   
   
    
     
      minutes
      a
      day
      helps
      put
      all
      these
     
     
      worries
      in
      perspective.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      has
      also
      been
      proven
      that
      breathing
     
     
      in
      a
      methodical
      way
      improves
      health
     
     
      throughout
      the
      entire
      body
      and
      can
     
     
      even
      lower
      high
      blood
      pressure
      in
      just
     
     
      five
      minutes.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Astanga
      yoga,
      sometimes
      known
     
     
      as
      power
      yoga,
      has
      been
      found
      to
      be
     
     
      so
      effective
      that
      many
      professional
     
     
      athletes
      and
      even
      some
      Pro
      Football
     
     
      teams
      across
      the
      U.S.
      have
      included
      it
     
     
      in
      their
      regular
      training,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Studies
      have
      shown
      that
      people
     
     
      who
      do
      yoga,
      or
      meditate
      in
      some
      way,
     
     
      do
      better
      on
      tests.
      This
      is
      likely
      due
     
     
      to
      the
      fact
      that
      it
      relieves
      stress
      and
     
     
      increases
      brain
      cell
      activity,
      Richman
     
     
      said.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ten
      minutes
      of
      Yoga
      practice
      a
     
     
      day
      will
      have
      life-altering
      benefits,
     
     
      Richman
      said
      She
      offers
      classes
      twice
     
     
      a
      week
      in
      Charlottetown,
      and
      charges
     
     
      $10
      a
      class
      for
      a
      series
      (8-10
      classes)
     
     
      and
      $14
      a
      class
      for
      a
      drop-in.
      For
      more
     
     
      information
      on
      upcoming
      classes
     
     
      contact
      Ruth
      at
      902-583-2674.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Mary
      McPhee
      is
      also
      a
      local
      Yoga
     
     
      teacher
      who
      has
      taught
      Astanga
      Yoga
     
     
      since
      1997
      and
      has
      been
      offering
     
    
   
   
    
     
      classical
      Hatha
      Yoga
      classes
      since
     
     
      2002.
      She
      focuses
      primarily
      on
      pre
      and
     
     
      post-natal
      Yoga.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Hatha
      means
      Sun/Moon,
      Yin/Yang,
     
     
      or
      Male/Female,”
      explains
      McPhee.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Tt
      is
      a
      combination
      of
      breath
      and
     
     
      movement.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      She
      said
      that
      while
      yoga
      initially
      starts
     
     
      with
      work
      on
      the
      body,
      it
      develops
      a
     
     
      growing
      awareness
      of
      all
      aspects
      of
     
     
      the
      self.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “First
      you
      may
      be
      aware
      of
      how
      your
     
     
      body
      feels
      or
      moves,
      and
      then
      you
      may
     
     
      become
      more
      aware
      of
      your
      thoughts
     
     
      and
      emotions,
      and
      gain
      greater
      control
     
     
      over
      these,”
      said
      McPhee.
      —
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Yoga
      is
      a
      full
      life
      management
      system.
     
     
      It
      is
      deeply
      rooted
      in
      philosophy
      and
     
     
      encompasses
      the
      whole
      person.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Both
      McPhee
      and
      Richmond
     
     
      speak
      of
      Yoga
      as
      having
      8
      parts
      or
     
     
      limbs.
      The
      first
      limb
      is
      related
      to
     
     
      guidelines
      such
      as_
      kindness,
     
     
      truthfulness,
      and
      causing
      no
      harm.
     
     
      The
      second
      limb
      is
      more
      focused
      on
     
     
      the
      self,
      like
      cleanliness
      of
      thought
      and
     
     
      self
      care.
      The
      third
      limb
      holds
      the
     
     
      physical
      aspect,
      or
      poses,
      of
      yoga.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Stacey
      Murray
     
     
      Advertising
      Manager
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      received
      the
      second
      lowest
     
     
      approval
      rating
      in
      overall
      quality
      of
     
     
      student
      services,
      a
      recent
      survey
     
     
      revealed.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      Maclean’s
      University
     
     
      Graduate
      Survey
      2006
      ,
      which
      ranks
     
     
      UPEI
      among
      14
      primarily
     
    
   
   
    
     
      undergraduate
      schools
      across
      the
     
     
      country,
      found
      only
      twenty-six
      per
      cent
     
     
      of
      students
      rated
      students
      services
      as
     
     
      ‘very
      good.
     
    

    
     
      The
      university
      also
      scored
      low
     
     
      in
      extracurricular
      activities.
      Twenty-
     
     
      five
      per
      cent
      of
      graduates
      polled
      said
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      quality
      of
      the
      extracurricular
     
    
   
   
    
     
      environment
      was
      very
      good,
      the
      fourth
     
     
      lowest
      percentage
      from
      schools
      in
     
     
      their
      category.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Students
      polled
      were
      graduates
     
     
      from
      the
      classes
      of
      2002,
      2003,
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      2004.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      MacLeans
      Review
      of
      UPEI
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Vianne
      Timmons,
      Vice-
     
     
      President
      of
      Academic
      Development
     
     
      at
      UPEI,
      said
      new
      plans
      have
      been
     
     
      implemented
      since
      2004
      that
     
     
      graduates
      polled
      would
      not
      have
      been
     
     
      aware
      of.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Student
      Services
      has
      designed
     
     
      and
      implemented
      a
      new
      format
      for
     
     
      student
      advising,
      programs
      for
     
     
      students
      at
      risk,
      support
      for
      students
     
     
      with
      learning
      disabilities,
      and
     
     
      international
      students,”
      she
      said
      in
      an
     
     
      e-mail
      last
      week.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Timmons
      was
      also
      critical
      of
     
     
      Maclean’s
      polling
      in
      general,
      saying
      it
     
     
      lacks
      data
      about
      practical
      issues
      such
     
     
      as
      finances,
      convenience,
      and
      it
      offers
     
     
      few
      results
      concerning
      specific
     
     
      programs.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      She
      also
      noted
      that
      the
      National
     
     
      Survey
      of
      Student
      Engagement
      found
     
    
   
   
    
     
      that
      ninety-one
      percent
      of
      fourth-year
     
     
      students
      rated
      their
      university
     
     
      experience
      as
      ‘good
      or
      excellent.’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      university
      did
      score
      better
     
     
      in
      other
      areas
      of
      the
      Maclean’s
      survey,
     
     
      including
      the
      overall
      quality
      of
     
     
      teaching,
      and
      the
      quality
      of
      the
     
     
      learning
      environment.
      Most
      notably,
     
     
      56
      per
      cent
      thought
      the
      teaching
     
     
      experience
      was
      very
      good,
      and
     
     
      seventy-three
      per
      cent
     
     
      significant
      benefit
      in
      attending
      the
     
     
      university.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Saw
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Although
      Timmons
      didn’t
      receive
      any
     
     
      student
      feedback
      as
      a
      result
      of
      this
     
     
      particular
      survey,
      which
      is
      published
     
     
      on
      Maclean’s
      website,
      she
      does
      hear
     
     
      compliments
      and
      complaints
      often.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “Our
      data
      shows
      that
      students
      feel
     
     
      very
      positive
      about
      their
      educational
     
     
      experience,
      their
      professors,
      and
      the
     
     
      university
      overall.
      We
      do
      get
     
     
      complaints
      about
      specific
      issues
      such
     
     
      as
      parking,
      as
      does
      every
      university.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      @
      7
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      fourth
      limb
      involves
      the
      awareness
     
     
      of
      proper
      breathing.
      The
      fifth
      limb
     
     
      helps
      develop
      control
      over
      the
      senses,
     
     
      and
      the
      ability
      to
      be
      aware
      of
      one’s
     
     
      thoughts
      and
      actions,
      and
      their
     
     
      consequences.
      The
      sixth
      limb
      involves
     
     
      the
      skills
      of
      concentration.
      The
     
     
      seventh
      limb
      is
      about
      deep
      meditation,
     
     
      and
      the
      eighth
      limb
      (samadhi)
      is
     
     
      known
      as
      the
      enlightened
      state.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      McPhee
      has
      taught
      classes
      out
      of
     
     
      Birchwood
      School
      and
      students
      were
     
     
      offered
      a
      Bring
      a
      Friend
      discount
      of
     
     
      two
      for
      the
      price
      of
      one.
      For
      more
     
     
      information
      about
      Hatha
      Yoga
      in
     
     
      Charlottetown,
      contact
      Mary
      at
      902-
     
     
      892-4658.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Yoga
      does
      indeed
      have
      something
     
     
      to
      offer
      everyone,
      whether
      merely
      in
     
     
      terms
      of
      physical
      benefits
      or
      for
      the
     
     
      mental
      and
      philosophical
      aspects.
      It
      is
     
     
      up
      to
      every
      individual
      to
      take
      the
     
     
      practice
      as
      far
      as
      they
      want
      to
      go.
      If
     
     
      you
      ate
      thinking
      of
      trying
      Yoga,
      you
     
     
      should
      try
      a
      class
      in
      several
      styles
      and
     
     
      choose
      the
      one
      that
      feels
      right.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Benefits
      of
      yoga
      accordin
     
     
      to
      abc-of-yoga.com
     
    
   
   
    
     
      *Concentration
      improves
     
    

    
     
      *
      Memory
      improves
     
     
      *Attention
      improves
     
     
      "Learning
      efficiency
      improves
     
     
      ®
      Mood
      improves
     
    

    
     
      *Reaction
      time
      improves
     
     
      *Posture
      improves
     
    

    
     
      *Strength
      and
      resiliency
      increase
     
     
      *l.ndurance
      increases
     
     
      wartlautaue
      aug
      lstilecernian
     
     
      *Weight
      normalizes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      wire)
      (eels
      lentes
      conyers