High school can be a stressful and hectic time in life. High schoolers must deal with everything overwhelming them at once; tests in every class, fighting with a friend and dealing with parents. Being a teenager is very hard, and for most kids, stress and anxiety are both an everyday thing. Luckily, there is a solution to the madness.

According to the American Psychological Association, 31 percent of teens deal with stress every day and most believe that there is no simple way to help it. But, who would have guessed that the solution was as simple as doing yoga?

Yoga is key on how to relax and live a stress free life. It is a mind and body practice that combines stretching exercises, relaxation, and controlled breathing. Yoga not only decreases stress levels, but it also lowers blood pressure and can improve heart function.

At Antioch Community High School there is a yoga class that takes place every Monday from 3-3:45. Anyone is able to join and junior Kalie Bowes runs the classes.

“I believe for me, yoga is something I can express myself through. Some tips I would give to people that want to start taking yoga classes is that while doing yoga, breathing and relaxing is a huge part to it.” said Bowes.

In the end, by doing yoga one can benefit from: stress reduction, improved fitness, and manage of chronic conditions. It is truly amazing that ACHS has a program dedicated to yoga, because who really needs more stress and anxiety than they can handle?