New Opportunities for Yogis

If you’ve ever been to a YogiSoc class and haven’t shown up ten minutes early, you’ll find yourself struggling to find a spot towards the front. That's because the St Andrews Yoga Society, coined Yogisoc for short, is only getting more popular. I learned this lesson in real time during my first few Yogisoc classes last semester. No matter if it was a Beginners Vinyasa, Hatha Flow, or Power Yoga session, the room was consistently packed with smiling yogis eager to get their hour of peace and movement during a busy day. 

I have experienced a variety of classes, from Gentle Flow sessions in the mornings to Mindful meditations in the afternoons. The classes are a welcome break from the rush of student life and provide the most affordable workout classes you’ll get in St Andrews. For non-members, the cost of a single session is £4. If you plan on making yoga a weekly staple, a class-pack provides a nice discount. As a yogi myself, I invested in the ten class-pack this semester. For £30, I get access to any ten sessions over the course of the semester (not including the free classes offered throughout each week). Classes are consistently located in the Union, and mats, blocks, and even blankets are always provided. 

One of my favorite classes thus far was the Sculpt and Stretch class, which took place this past February. Taught by second-year student Jasmin Juul Hansen, who has been CorePower trained, the class featured one hour of a yoga sculpt workout class. Following the workout was a five-minute break before a transition to a deep stretching and meditation class with fifth-year integrated masters student Anna Conti. This class stood out as it wasn’t one of the ten classes routinely offered on Yogisoc’s weekly schedule. President and fourth-year student Anya Bodine-McCoy explained how this class was an example of how she and the committee are planning to expand Yogisoc by adding more classes in 601 this year. “I think of yoga as sixty minutes of selfishness, when you can focus entirely on yourself. Yoga is about more than flexibility and poses. It's about tuning into your body. You can just lie on your back for an hour if you want. There’s no room for external or disturbing thoughts,” Bodine-McCoy remarked. 

I asked Bodine-McCoy a question that had been in the back of my mind during YogiSoc sessions: Are all of these instructors fellow St Andrews students? Currently, eight out of the ten YogiSoc instructors are students, and the other two are members of the wider St Andrews community. Bodine-McCoy described how the selection process works for recruiting teachers. In order to be a YogiSoc instructor, you must have received two hundred hours of certified yoga training and a certification from an official yoga school. After receiving your certification, you can attend teacher auditions. These auditions take place in August, and the committee hires for the upcoming year. 

Bodine-McCoy became a certified yoga instructor in December 2021 and began teaching recently. It was important to her that she receive her training in person as opposed to online, which she acknowledged was an expensive process: “The certification itself was pretty costly, not including travel fees and other expenses.” Seeing how inconvenient the process could be for students, she and other committee members wanted to subsidise the process of yoga certification and make it more accessible. “We knew the cost was a barrier for students and YogiSoc had the budget to help,” Bodine-McCoy said. Second-year committee member Edie Carruthers approached the committee with the idea for a scholarship, and the YogiSoc Teaching Scholarship was born. With applications open until 31 March, this program gives two students the necessary funding to receive their yoga certification at a yoga school of their choice. The recipients are expected to complete their two hundred hours of training by the end of 2025. “My training lasted fifteen days and the two hundred hours also included independent training, reading, and lectures,” Bodine-McCoy reflected. 

You don’t need to be interested in teaching to give YogiSoc a go. The ultimate goal of the society is for students to leave feeling better about themselves. Although the club is still relatively young, having been founded in 2018, it shows no signs of slowing down. You can check the YogiSoc Instagram page on Sundays to access their schedule for the upcoming week. Maybe try out a free Sun Salutations class on East Sands or a Gentle Flow class in the large rehearsal room to boost your mood and increase your weekly wellness. With a variety of classes to choose from, relaxation is within reach!

Image by Tobias Bodine