North Penn’s newest club has students saying Namasté to wellness with yoga

Several+members+of+North+Penn+High+Schools+newly-created+Yoga+Club+warm+up+with+one+of+their+favorite+poses+before+their+meeting+begins.

Several members of North Penn High School’s newly-created Yoga Club warm up with one of their favorite poses before their meeting begins.

Tara Sorman, Executive Editor

Every year at North Penn High School’s Activities Fair, students are faced with the daunting task of mulling through dozens of clubs and activities, each in search of his or her niche: the group of students who share in their common interest and who might help to make a school of over three thousand just a little smaller. But what happens when a student’s passion cannot be found among North Penn’s enormous variety of extracurriculars? This was the case of senior Julia Han, who last year found herself wondering why her high school did not yet have a club for her hobby of choice: yoga.

“I actually got [the idea to start the club] from my friend; she’s the president of the Yoga Club over at Hatboro-Horsham,” said Han. “She invited me to go to her ‘Yoga Bonanza’ – they have a whole thing where they invite people from the community to come over and do yoga. So then I thought, ‘Wow, why doesn’t North Penn have a Yoga Club?’ So I thought, ‘Okay, then I’ll start one.’”

Having taken matters into her own hands, Han sought out the help of many of her teachers before receiving a yes from Mrs. Margrit Marino, an beginner yogi who was all for Han’s plan to start a new club at North Penn.

“Julia said she really wanted to have a Yoga Club and that other schools had yoga clubs, and she even found the instructor to come do it for free,” said Marino. “She really orchestrated it all; I just told her what she needed to do. She needed to get clearances, and we just together made it happen.”

But the process of founding a new club was no easy one. Han and Marino first had to submit a detailed writeup of the proposed parameters of their club to then-Activities Director Bill Bartle, who approved the plan. Then it was on to receiving clearances for an outside yoga instructor to attend the club meetings, a time-consuming and expensive process, but one that was well worth it in order to establish this fledgling club.

With the prospective Yoga Club in the works, it was time for its advisers to generate interest in this exciting club-to-be. “We did advertisements, and then Julia was on [Fitness With] Fluck and Frey,” said Marino. “They were going to do a segment on yoga for fitness, and when they heard we were starting a yoga club, they asked me to go – and I said no way! So instead Julia went, and she announced the new club. For the first meeting, we included the girls’ lacrosse team, so we had a lot of people there. It was really fun, so I’m hoping that will generate a lot of interest too. The last meeting we had forty people.”

We meet twice a month, every second and fourth Thursday of the month. The meetings are about from 2:45-3:45. And it’s free! So that’s nice.

Now in its first year, the Yoga Club meets every second and fourth Thursday of the month from 2:45 to 3:45 and is free and open to all students. Those with an interest in yoga need not have prior experience, as the club encourages membership of all those interested, regardless of level or previous practice. In fact, Marino finds this openness to newcomers to be one of the club’s best features.

“There was a boy who said he’s never done yoga but he’d like to try it; he just came by with his mat with him ready to go, so that’s really cool. I’d say a mix [of students attending]; there are lots of people who are just curious to find out what yoga’s about. And the woman who’s volunteering, she volunteers her time because she wants to bring good health and calmness to high school kids, which I think is really nice.”

Han hopes that her newfound club will continue to thrive in its opening year and continue on for years to come after she graduates. Han, who extenuates her love for her hobby by practicing with family on a weekly basis in addition to running the club, has a simple goal for the outcome of her endeavors:

“I just want to keep doing yoga!”