For a donation of 15 dollars per class, Trinity students can learn yoga, de-stress and find ways to stay active. Black Swan welcomes beginners and pros alike to engage in a community-driven experience, according to their website.
At Black Swan Yoga studio, a donation-based yoga studio with two locations around the San Antonio area, those who are interested can join for various class sizes and themed flow sessions at any level of practice. In terms of affordability, the yoga studio’s donation drop-in option allows those who are interested to pay what they can per class. Lucy Hasenmeyer, sophomore biology major, said that she wanted to solidify her busy schedule before committing to an expensive full membership other studios provided in comparison to Black Swan.
“I chose to go to Black Swan Yoga because it is a donation-based yoga studio,” Hasenmeyer said. “Now I’ve really come to appreciate the access they give us by making it donation-based as well as how amazing each of the instructors are.”
According to her, staying active and engaging in yoga classes also helped Hasenmeyer study efficiently during a time she felt stressed. Yoga has in turn has become a tool to help Hasenmeyer reset and clear her head.
“One time I was super stressed out before an exam and couldn’t focus at all. I tried doing a quick yoga class at Black Swan Yoga, and it completely changed my mood. I felt less anxious and more grounded, and I was able to study way more effectively after that,” Hasenmeyer said.
Noelia Berbers, sophomore finance and marketing double-major, said that health and wellness has always been important to her. Outside of soccer, Berbers chose to visit Black Swan during preseason with the soccer team, and she said she immediately loved her experience. According to her, the atmosphere was calming, and she left the class feeling refreshed.
“There’s never really a moment where I am not doing something. Being on the women’s soccer team, I was looking for a way to stay active outside of soccer,” Berbers said.
Being able to slow down as a college student was one of the reasons Kat McKinney*, sophomore political science and global Latinx studies double-major, said she initially started practicing yoga in her dorm until a friend encouraged her to take a class at Black Swan. She said that the classes have also helped her to stay organized.
“I found that continuing to go during finals week last year, keeping consistent, helps me manage my stress. And I also find just staying active for me, especially yoga, helps me manage chronic pain,” McKinney said.
Yoga, as a form of health and wellness, Hasnemeyer said, allows her to continuously feel good and be able to do the things she enjoys. While reflecting on how yoga has helped her, she found she was less anxious and more grounded after her sessions.
“I started it just to stretch and stay active after I stopped playing sports, but I ended up really liking the way it clears my head and makes me feel calmer. Now it’s something I come back to whenever I need to reset,” McKinney said.
Along with McKinney, Hasenmeyer said she highly recommends students who attend a class or two at Black Swan as a tool to stay grounded, de-stress and stay active.
*Kat McKinney is an arts reporter for the Trinitonian.
