Junior Anthony Partida and Counselor Sam Hicks begin their yoga practice at 8 a.m. in the old gym. Partida and Hicks engage in some standing poses to start off the meeting. Photo by Kelly Fulford.
By KELLY FULFORD – Staff Writer
Every Friday, Clarke Central High School’s yoga club meets led by yoga club advisor Sam Hicks and yoga club president Toshiko Conine-Nakano.
Kelly Fulford: What department do you work in?
Sam Hicks: I am a counselor here at Clarke Central.
KF: What inspired you to be the advisor for the yoga club?
SH: The club started two years ago. It was Henry Scott among some other students who wanted to start the club and my coworker Lenore Katz would come with them because she practiced yoga. We all appreciate that connection between body and mind and it’s something that’s kind of missing from our school. We don’t engage people’s bodies and their thinking. So, it’s a good fit for counseling. When Ms. Katz retired, I was happy to step in.
KF: Who is the student leader of yoga club?
SH: Toshiko Conine-Nakano, she has done a great job of organizing us. We have had a few regular members so far this year that have been coming for a long time. Like Anne Merritt used to come when her sister was here. Others kind of come and go. There’s no pressure and it’s fun. On days like this when we’re locked out of our room we just find a way to work it out. It’s a great way to start a Friday morning, kind of get the weekend started. I love going back to the office, it just feels different and good. In fact, a few weeks ago we actually scrapped yoga all together and sat in a circle and just talked about academics and kind of everyone’s planning. I wouldn’t have had that kind of counselling relationship if it weren’t for Yoga Club so, that matters too.
KF: How do you thing doing yoga in the morning affects the rest of the student’s day?
SH: I can see it from a lot of aspects. I think once your body is up and moving, I mean so much of yoga is about stretching and relaxing muscles. I think a lot of people don’t think about if their body is ready for a day. There are also other things that are happening here, there’s camaraderie, there’s leadership. I’ve watched Aneesa in particular come up on these days and kind of go with the flow. Also they have to think about how they want to lead yoga club and how they want to engage their fellow participants. I think it’s not just about body and mind but it’s about leadership and developing relationships. They’re all different grade levels, so that’s kind of fun too.
