Cronkite hosts virtual yoga classes for students

Two Sun Devils offered stress relief and wellness opportunities during the spring semester as ASU’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communications started daily virtual yoga sessions to help students stay active and mindful through the transition to online classes.

Cronkite students and certified yoga instructors Haillie Parker and Chloe Jones were overjoyed when Cronkite Senior Associate Dean Rebecca Blatt reached out to them about starting a virtual yoga class for students.

Haillie Parker and Chloe Jones

 The Sun Devils had previously taught yoga classes at Core Power, however, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the studio was forced to close.

When Cronkite suggested virtual yoga, the students jumped at the opportunity.

They began teaching the classes through Zoom every day, Monday through Friday at varying times. They designed the schedule so that each day’s class would be at a different time and focus on a different skill. Each week the skills would rotate days.

According to Parker and Jones, this would allow students to participate in at least one class a week and still learn something different.

If a student was only able to participate on Mondays, every Monday would be a new skill. If a student could only attend from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. every morning, they would be able to join in at least one day of class because class times varied.

In one week class participants could learn yoga, sculpt, balancing, yin, meditation or vinyasa flow.

Jones, who is pursuing a master’s of investigative journalism, explained that students don’t have to feel that they need to be good at yoga to participate.

“A lot of people worry about judgment when they do group fitness classes,” Jones said.

The virtual class can take that worry away, said Jones. Students have the option to participate in the class without turning on their video or sound.

“You don't have to leave your house, you can turn your video and your mute off, so nobody even sees you or hears you. There’s like a comfort aspect of being in your home,” said Parker, a master’s of mass communication student.

“You’ve got nothing to lose!” Parker said.

More information on Cronkite’s community classes can be found on the Cronkite website. Virtual, student-led group fitness classes are also ongoing through the Sun Devil Fitness Complex.