High school alumna says namaste to yoga
By Hannah Spranger, Co-Content Editor

Alumna Sydney Spencer is working to bring clarity and reduce stress in the lives of high schoolers. During late arrival mornings from March through June, Spencer is offering yoga classes for high school students looking for a low pressure physical activity.

The classes are from 9-10 a.m. at Core Centric Elite Training Center, and students can either pay $90 for the full five classes, or $22 for every drop in.

Spencer first became interested in yoga three years ago.

“It basically just started because I was online and I saw people doing handstands, and I was like, ‘I want to be able to do that,” Spencer said. “Eventually I was like, ‘I need to build strength and flexibility from this.’ … I ended up enjoying all of it.”

After moving from Vashon to Seattle, yoga provided Spencer the ability to take a step back and stay relatively stress-free throughout the transition from a small community to a big city.

“It brought in a lot of clarity and a stress relief for me,” she said. “I decided that I needed something that was just for me, and that’s what it’s been. It’s something that I’m able to give to myself every day.”

In the future, Spencer hopes to inspire others through her love of yoga.

“Long term, I want to own my own studio,” Spencer said. “In the meantime, I just got my 200 hour certification, but in a couple years, I’ll probably want to go get my 300 hour –– which is more intense –– and hopefully travel with it.”

After getting her 200 hour certification, Spencer decided to offer classes to high school students.

“I’m going to fit in as much as I can,” she said. “It’ll be learning breathing techniques, learning some sequences and poses. Then, at the end of class, I’m going to try to do a fun pose, which is like an arm balance or learning how to do a handstand.”

Spencer believes students will take away valuable lessons from the classes, and will be able to apply what they learn to many areas of their lives.

“I think that just moving your body in general at some point in the day is really good,” she said. “I think that it just helps with overall mental health [and] it will make you stronger physically and more flexible physically. … It allows you to connect with what’s going on in your world and with yourself.”

Anyone is welcome and encouraged to take the classes, regardless of skill level or experience.

“I don’t think you have to know anything –– I didn’t know anything when I started,” Spencer said. “It’ll definitely be for any and all people, and I will be there to help anybody who is feeling nervous because I know that I was feeling really nervous when I first started.”

Spencer believes that high school students are at an ideal age to begin practicing yoga.

“I think there’s a lot going on around [high schoolers],” she said. “I think that it’s really good to just tune in with yourself [and] find something that brings you a bit of peace to start your day. … I think it’s important to put yourself out there and try something new and maybe find something that you’re passionate about.”

For students concerned about the cost of classes, Core Centric Elite Training Center encourages them to reach out, as Spencer wants the class to be an option for everyone.