BEYOND the BOOKS
Front row (left to right): Jonnie Yorke ’15, Jamie Pollak ’15, Stacey Lee (instructor), Anna Muzzin (assistant instructor), Jack Baker ’15, Cameron Stafford ’14. Back row (left to right): Kevin Bradicich ’14, Henry Hobbs ’14, Liam Ferguson ’14, Hayes Murphy ’14, Drew Peisch ’14, Blake Booker ’14, Billy Berner ’14, Petey Briggs ’13, Nick Viceconte ’13, Teddy Murphy ’14, Timmy Murphy ’15, Nick Kono ’13, Sonia Jones (P ’10).
Limber, Strong, Focused & Flexible
their drishti, a Sanskrit word for controlling and
On autumn afternoons, Bruins athletes headed
means “eight limbed yoga.”
As the poses were called, Mrs. Jones, who
out for their fall sports of cross country, football,
The practice is an uninterrupted succession
wore a white T-shirt emblazoned with the
soccer or water polo. And while some were
of poses founded by Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, whose
word “Breathe,” went around the room and
hitting the fields, trails or swimming pool, others
method derives from Mysore, India.
gently adjusted the Brunswick athletes during
were going to the mat — and we don’t mean the
In its second year as an intramural sports
their practice.
directing the focus — first of the eyes and then of the attention — to a specific point.
wrestling mat.
activity, the quest for Bruins yogis is designed to
Enter Jois Yoga Shala, an Ashtanga yoga studio
help them become limber, strong, focused and
ments the boys have,” she said after class as they
in downtown Greenwich, founded by Sonia Jones
flexible, and the rewards can be plentiful.
rolled up their mats. “It is curative, nurturing,
(P ’15). In a room with high ceilings, whirring
and healing, yet still physically demanding.
fans, and sunlight streaming in, two afternoons a
Stacey Lee called the poses and told the boys
week, 23 Upper School athletes launched into the
to inhale, exhale, stand up, look forward, and
good for active young boys, because it helps with
challenging practice of Ashtanga, which literally
focus. With a fixed stare, they concentrated on
anxiety and stress. So along with the physical
56
times of Brunswick • Fall 2012
During a recent one-hour class, instructor
“Yoga is totally different from other commit-
“The practice of Ashtanga is particularly