UW Yoga Month Recap

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This October, more than 2,800 UW faculty, staff, and students joined The Whole U in celebrating Yoga Month. From practicing yoga and learning about its benefits to diving into the seven chakras and having access to over 50 free yoga classes in the greater Puget Sound region, Yoga Month 2018 was one for the books.

For the length of October, we partnered with Danny Arguetty, manager of UW Recreation’s Mindfulness Program, to learn important lessons about yoga. As we reflect back on our growth this past month, we gathered the resources we’ve built for mindful yoga practice, expanding yoga knowledge, and learning yoga poses below for you to carry forward into November and beyond.


8 Physical Benefits of Yoga

In our first week, we focused on the many physical benefits of yoga. Danny wrote a guide explaining eight physical benefits that one can gain from continued yoga practice. Ranging from improving bodily movement to taking care of your internal body systems, these physical benefits help promote a stronger, longer life.


Yoga for Mental Health

In our second week, we tuned into the ways yoga effects our brain and mental health.  Danny explored the science behind some of the mental health benefits that consistent yoga practice can provide.

Did you know: Continuous yoga practice can help regulate the parasympathetic nervous system in women to support premenstrual stress.

  • Dopamine levels can rise after one deep relaxation session.
  • Yoga has profound impacts on physical parts of our brain and body that, in turn, lead to reduced stress levels and increased relaxation levels.

Exploring the Chakras: Part One

In our third week, Danny delved into the first four of seven chakras (foundation, fluidity, empowerment, and heart). We learned in depth about each chakra, and what yoga poses can help us to explore each chakra, as well as recalibrate each area in our life.

Special thanks to yoga pose models May Lim (Department of Electrical Engineering) and Nate Panelo (Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity).


Exploring the Chakras: Part Two

During week four, we continued to examine the 7 chakras. Danny provided an in-depth description and yoga poses to access the remaining three chakras (expression, insight, and connection). Having knowledge about all seven chakras, and how to cultivate these areas in your life, can lead to a healthier, longer life.

Once again, special thanks to yoga pose models May Lim (Department of Electrical Engineering) and Nate Panelo (Office of Minority Affairs & Diversity).



Yoga Dawg Pass

Everyone who signed up for Yoga Month received a Dawg Pass with over 50 free classes offered at 7 different yoga studios spanning from Tacoma to Bothell. Studios offered a variety of classes from aerial yoga to meditation, Iyengar Yoga, hot yoga, and more.

Yoga Month gave me the opportunity to try out Aerial Yoga for the first time! It was really fun and the instructor was amazing, I’ve always wanted to try! – Julia Worden, UW Student

Special thanks to The Center for Yoga of Seattle, Inside Out Yoga, MODO Yoga, Omculture Greenlake, Shefayoga, Leela Yoga Studio, and University Y at Tacoma for offering free classes to Yoga Month participants. 



Whole U Resources for UW faculty, staff, and students

  • If you’re interested in trying out more yoga poses beyond Yoga Month, try the Whole U’s 21-Day Yoga Pose Challenge. Let loose with a new yoga pose every day and learn the benefits each one produces!
  • Throughout the year, the Whole U hosts Yoga Series and Yoga Classes. Stay up-to-date with our events page to see when series and classes are scheduled and register to join us.

Yoga Discounts

The Whole U discount network is full of yoga studios to expand your practice at a time and location that works for you. Consider visiting one of these studios this October:

  • Aditi Yoga and Massage – 10% discount
  • Balance Yoga Studio – $100/month membership (regularly $165)
  • Bikram Yoga – U District – $10 off/month
  • Breathe Yoga Studios – 20% discount
  • Classical Hata Yoga – 15% discount
  • Core Power Yoga – $109/month membership (regularly $135)
  • Edgeworks Climbing (offers yoga) – 20% discount
  • Exhale Pilates (offers yoga) – 15% discount
  • Expand Yoga – 10% discount
  • Fruition Yoga – 20-25% discount
  • Highline Athletic Club (offers yoga) – 20-25% discount
  • Jasyoga at Hec Ed – $3 discount per class
  • Levitas Studio – 25% discount
  • Tacoma Yoga – 10% discount
  • Vertical World (offers yoga) – 10% discount
  • YMCA (yoga classes) – Free enrollment
  • Zum Fitness (yoga classes) – 20-25% discount

We have loved every minute of Yoga Month. From the photos that you shared with us, to meeting new faces at events across campus, thank you for joining us this month!

A special thanks to Danny for creating such thoughtful and informative content, to the yoga studios who partnered with us in offering free classes, as well as to our sponsors AT&T, BECU, and US Bank.

We can’t wait for next year and hope to have you join us!


6 Thoughts on “UW Yoga Month Recap”

On October 25, 2018 at 9:17 AM, tashia said:

I didn’t find this until Oct 25 at 9am. that means I missed it. wish you could have a regular series

    On November 5, 2018 at 11:50 AM, Anna Tegelberg said:

    A great way to never miss out is to follow us on social media through Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, as well as in the UW Today and Insider newsletters! We often host yoga throughout the year and have a regular yoga series offered to all faculty, staff, and students multiple times a year.

On November 1, 2018 at 5:49 PM, Kristine Manuel said:

I thought it was pretty awesome! While working front desk, at Shefa yoga Roosevelt (one of the vendors that offered 3 free classes during October) I got to see all kinds of students and faculty come in. Wow, I looooved seeing students come in! The best part was observing the shifts in each and every student’s energy after taking a class. Maybe students would come in excited, curious, stressed, droned out, smiling, not smiling or anxious because it was their first time … watching them leave was really humbling. Students look at me in the eye and smile. They ask me, what my name is. They blossom. I get to meet some of their family now, and we laugh. It’s great. This has been a wonderful way to build community and share all the good healing vibes from all the hustle and bustle at school, home, etc.

    On November 5, 2018 at 11:44 AM, Anna Tegelberg said:

    Kristine, thank you for sharing and thank you to Shefa yoga for partnering with us! We are so happy that you and Shefa yoga were able to brighten the faces of our students and UW community.

On November 2, 2018 at 11:08 AM, Rachael Fairbanks said:

Thank you for sharing your community with us. We had so much fun sharing our space with students from UW. We hope that they will be able to come again to OmCulture for aerial silks, yoga, and dance. 🙂 Much love- the Omculture team

    On November 5, 2018 at 11:42 AM, Anna Tegelberg said:

    Thank you Omculture! We loved partnering with you this past month and look forward to future collaboration.

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