![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
LIFE sessions begin with yoga workshop lead by instructor Jill Lacher
Jill Lacher guides Noel Banerjee (12), Christina Andrus (12), Ishanya Anthapur (12), and Samantha Madala (12) through breathing exercises during fifth period lunch. Lacher and Ms. Jane Keller met each other through a Bikram yoga class, and Keller invited Lacher to come teach these sessions at the Upper School.
Beginning the series of LIFE sessions to help students relieve stress and feel more relaxed, a balance workshop was held today with yoga instructor Jill Lacher during both lunches in the Innovation Center.
The workshop is one of the first LIFE sessions that have been offered during lunch. The students on the LIFE Board aim to offer different opportunities to help the community relax, but due to workload and structures, it has been hard finding an appropriate time for students to enjoy and participate in the sessions.
“Personally, I would like to find a way to offer students a place and time during the day to just be still and unplug,” Jane Keller, Director of the LIFE Board, said. “[The students] need to know how helpful it is to daydream and reflect. A few minutes of mindful activity can do wonders to our capacity to do work.”
During the session, students learned about the mental and physical benefits of yoga, practiced breathing techniques and ended the session with bagged lunches and a short conversation with Lacher, who used to work with at-risk teenagers until she moved to the Bay Area.
According to those who attended, the techniques Lacher showed the students helped them deal with stress, even during the middle of class.
“Her breathing exercises were a lot more useful that I expected them to be,” Samantha Madala (12) said. “I usually feel really tired throughout the middle of the day, but just doing the exercises for two minutes made me feel so much better.”
Seniors found the session to be especially useful. As deadlines for college applications approached, yoga helped provide a sense of the relief for seniors still struggling with completing applications.
Ishanya Anthapur (12) had learned about meditation and yoga in World Religion classes, but decided to attend the workshop to experience it firsthand.
“She gave us a lot of cute tips that we [could] use to stay calm throughout the day,” Ishanya said. “Like trying not to slump forward, or taking a deep breath once in a while.”
The LIFE Board plans to hold two more yoga sessions with Lacher on Dec. 2 and Dec. 9 during both lunches. By then, the Board hopes that the students will learn enough techniques to help them live a balanced lifestyle.
Stacey Chao (12) is the Sports Editor for the TALON Yearbook. Having been on the staff for four years, Stacey was a reporter for her first two years and...