With mental health currently a growing concern on campus, the opportunity to add a new yoga class to the physical education department’s offering for 2018-2019 was welcomed by students.

The new class will be year-long instead of a semester class. “Yay, more yoga!” said instructor Chris Walsh. He thanked principal John Walker and councilor Jenna Wrobel for their support in placing another yoga class on the schedule.

An advanced yoga class was also considered, but since seniors or more experienced yoga students were limited in their schedules, Walsh and administrators decided to offer an additional year-long class with accommodations for different levels.

Currently, 2 sophomore options for yoga are semester-long, and there are 3 year-long classes for the other grade levels for a total of 5 yoga classes.

“I think it’s going to fit in very nicely with the new wellness center,” added Walsh. The Wellness Center is new to the counseling office, meant to offer students a refuge from school work and a way to relax. After a statewide survey indicated student stress is a major issue in schools, according to Walsh, schools have been adding courses like yoga.

Sophomore Harnoor Lal said, “I think yoga is a really good tool for school because there are a lot of academic classes at Campo and you get really stressed and yoga is a really good release for a lot of students.” Lal took a yoga class because, as a sophomore with a different health curriculum, he had to choose a semester-long class.

Yoga is increasingly popular district-wide. Walsh estimated that around 175 students will be taking a yoga class next year just at Campolindo, but added that Las Lomas, Miramonte, and Acalanes are developing their own yoga curriculum.

Sophomore Natalie Baier said, “I think [the new classes are] a good idea…I don’t know if it would be as good at the other schools as it is here because we have Mr. Walsh, but I think it would be good to try.”

Walsh said adding yoga in other schools in the district was “really driven by the fact that they implemented the program that [students] don’t have to do PE if they do sports,” referencing the new sophomore PE accommodations that allow 10th graders to earn PE credit for after school sport participation.

Lal said, “Unfortunately I’m taking 7 classes next year, but if I had room I would definitely be taking yoga again.”

However, numbers are still going up for yoga. “Sophomore PE [requirements] tripled [sign-ups],” said Walsh.

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