‘Yoga by the Bay’ gives guests a “happy and energetic” morning

Barbara Corbellini Duarte/Contributor Writer

With a dawning sun and a nice breeze outside, some students chose to start their day in a different way.

“It’s a good idea to have yoga classes outside, we can enjoy the fresh air. I feel very happy and energetic,” said Nina Korneva, senior international relations major.

Yoga classes are available for students every week at the BBC gym; yet, the opportunity to exercise, stretch and meditate by Biscayne Bay is rare. At 10 a.m. on Nov. 9, Student Alumni Association gave students had the first opportunity of this year to participate on Yoga by the Bay classes.

The group of 14 people attending included students, non-students, and alumni of all ages. SAA was distributing beach mats for the first 10 students, which was convenient, since many of them forgot to bring a towel.

Bonnie Quiceno has been teaching yoga classes at FIU for more than a decade.

“I make a blending of different styles of Hatha Yoga, always taking into account who is in the class and what do they need for that day,” explained Quiceno.

Quiceno made constant references to the environment surrounding the students.

“Look around, you can see that all trees are moving. Take a moment to challenge yourself and do this more often. Lie on Earth, or practice it at the beach.”

Even though the class was disrupted a couple of times by the noise of landscaping machines and cars, the participants maintained their focus and followed the yogi’s instructions.

“After the class, I feel very relaxed and happy. It’s great for students, because FIU can be very demanding and stressful, and we have a chance to work on all of this through yoga,” said Maria Collazo, graduate student of global strategic communication.

Gene Yllanes, a sophomore, added, “I recommend it to everybody, it’s great for everything and everyone. It makes you focus on breathing, which is the most essential thing, and people often don’t realize it.”

Quiceno finished the class with the advice, “If you missed the moon yesterday, you have another chance to see it tonight. Namasté.”