For a year, Oxford High senior Olivia Kincaid has enjoyed and taken part in the practice of yoga.  

She has grown to love the hobby and strived to do more with her passion.

“At first I was just doing it for a workout, but it really just becomes more than that; it becomes a part of your life,” Kincaid said.

Yoga has changed Kincaid into a better person and affected her body physically and mentally in a positive way.

“Yoga is a good way to release stress.  It’s helped me become more mindful of what I do and how it affects people,” Kincaid said.

Recently she has decided to take her yoga skills to the next level: teaching.  Kincaid is taking a course to receive her certification to instruct yoga through an eight-month national program called Yoga Alliance.  The program is a 204-hour course that teaches students the depth and instructing skills of yoga.

“We learn about the history and philosophy behind yoga, along with the anatomy and how yoga affects your body,” Kincaid said.

Kincaid does most of her coursework on the weekend, including: writing papers, reading books and attending yoga classes to participate and critique.  At the end of the program the students go on a weeklong yoga retreat in Louisiana.

“At the retreat, we will do yoga pretty much all day, every day all together,” Kincaid said.

Along with her teaching certification, Kincaid has started a yoga club at OHS.  Yoga instructors whom Kincaid has met have agreed to offer free classes to OHS students and the new club.  

“I’m really excited about the new club because I think it’ll be a fun way to make new friends and be active,” junior at OHS Kelsey Rauschenberger said.

Sponsored by OHS Nurse Meg Hayden, the yoga club will hold its first interest meeting Nov. 3 at 3:45 p.m. in the OHS library.