I have always wanted to try something new to improve my mental health. IB has course where it requires one to have high levels of time management skills, something that I have to improve on. When I came across this opportunity I knew I had to be a part of it. Yoga improves strength, balance, and flexibility. Slow movements and deep breathing increase blood flow and warm up muscles while holding a pose can build strength. Regular yoga practice may reduce levels of stress and is good for a healthy mental and physical state. It helped me develop strength, and flexibility and helped me connect with my body. The following LOs were achieved during this experience.

LO1: Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

My strength was not giving up, this was one of the most important skills which was needed to take up difficult routines and perform asanas. I even developed flexibility during the yoga program, which I didn’t know was one of my strengths. On the other hand, I had a stiff body but I overcame it by asking my instructor for exercises that helped me loosen up. We had a variety of tasks to complete apart from meditation which brought me inner happiness.

LO2: Demonstrate the challenges that have been undertaken, developing new skills in the process

Yoga was difficult because it included a lot of stretching and I did not have a flexible body some poses hurt more than others and so I had to do extra stretches to overcome the stiffness in my muscles. Similarly, meditation required me to concentrate and sit in one place for long hours. This led me to learn stretching yoga poses and also developed a free and more flexible body for me. Yoga has been essential to me as a medium to connect to myself, especially after Covid. Yoga was a new and unique experience for me and the most authentic one as I joined my culture.

LO3: Demonstrate how to initiate and plan a CAS experience.

I was not doing any physical activity for the past few months and because of that my body got rigid and body pains happened frequently so I organized a plan where I took time out and got into yoga class after  school. Initiating was difficult because of the timings of my routine work and was unable to keep up with all of it along with the deadlines and submission, so accordingly I have made my, timetable which I am following daily. It is important we need to activities so that our things go in flow without any disturbances.

LO4: Show perseverance and commitment in the CAS Experience 

 I was showing commitment towards yoga by being regular and not skipping a single day in. The commitment was required to complete this activity because I wanted to change my body posture and make my body flexible. Yoga also helped me in balancing my menstrual cycles which were going off track. To achieve our goals we need to show commitment and perseverance. It is easy for me to commit to things because when I do something which interests me, I will show commitment toward completing it.

LO7: Recognizing and considering the ethics of choices and action.

Meditating and doing yoga helped me recognize and consider the actions I was taking when I was angry and helped me not do them in the future. it helped me stay calm and reduce the stress and anxiety I was gaining.

EVIDENCE:Yoga and Meditation Supervisor form