Yoga: The Winter Stress Reducer

Looking for a way to exercise that will keep you warm during the chilly Cambridge winter? Perhaps yoga is the way to go.

Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School who has studied the effects of yoga on health, emphasized the physical and mental benefits of the ancient discipline.

Harvard students might be most interested in yoga’s ability to reduce stress.

"You get an immediate feeling of relaxation...and a sense of well-being when you start a yoga session," Khalsa said. "As people practice over time, [that experience] starts to turn into something more permanent—a stress coping skill."

Sound good to you? We decided to explore some of the yoga resources that Harvard and the surrounding area have to offer.

Khalsa emphasized that for those looking to try yoga, "the key word is 'shop.'" He advised us to try out both different styles and different teachers.

In upcoming posts, we will sample a variety of classes in the Square so that you can get a feel for which class appeals to you and start reaping the rewards of yoga!

Photo by Isabel S. Hebert and Samantha J. Whitmore/The Harvard Crimson