In the prime of standardized testing season and with AP tests and finals right around the corner, being stressed out is inevitable. However, one student, Gavin Baisa (12), decided to take anxious matters into his own hands.

“[Mrs. Amie Day, English], told me that she really wanted to start a yoga club for a long time and I thought it was a great idea, so I said that I’d start it with [Elana Arens], librarian, and her. She’s friends with Mrs. Day and they were talking and I was like, ‘hey, we should start a yoga club,’” Baisa said.

This new yoga club will be known as the Spiritual Warriors and meetings will balance between relaxing and physical yoga exercises.

“I think [the goal is] to help people with stress, because working out and relaxing is good for helping people [reduce] stress, and I just thought it would be fun to do. Exercising in general releases endorphins, so that would help and it’s just nice to be able to relax sometimes,” Baisa said.

The release of endorphins or “feel good” chemicals in the brain occurs during yoga and other benefits include muscle relaxation, a better ability to focus and the improvement of inner strength.

“We still need to find a person to actually teach us the yoga [exercises], but I’m assuming we’d all go put on our work out clothes and then go in either the library or Mrs. Day’s room and get our yoga mats and then do whatever they tell us to do,” Baisa said.

The club is open to anyone who wants to join and the only requirements are to bring a yoga mat, workout clothes and a water bottle.

“Hopefully [the first meeting will be] soon, like next week or the week after that. I think we are going to meet once a week,” Baisa said.

Additional details about the first meeting will be posted on the bulletin boards around school.