Student Experience

Strength in Stillness: How This Student Shares Her Passion for Yoga

“Failure is just an event. It is not a characteristic. People can’t be failures. You are not a failure and can never be one.”

This mantra is one of many second-year student Sona Durairaj repeats at the end of the yoga classes she teaches with University of Virginia Recreation. To her, these words are more than a closing statement; they are a reminder that external forces do not determine a person’s self-worth.

“I end some of my classes with this mantra because I think it’s important to remind my students that their worth isn’t tied to their accomplishments or mistakes,” she said. “I heard it from a mentor, and it’s stuck with me ever since.”

Durairaj, a kinesiology major, knows the feeling of failure firsthand. Growing up as a competitive ice skater in Atlanta, her dreams came to a sudden halt in high school when a foot injury ended her skating career.

“I used to feel like a failure when I had to give up ice skating,” she reflects. “Yoga gave me a way to stay active and calm my mind, and it showed me that there’s always another path forward.”

Portrait of Sona Durairaj in the act of ice skating.

After a foot injury ended her competitive figure skating career, Durairaj turned to yoga to heal and stay active without worsening her injury. Today, she shares the benefits of yoga with fellow students and community members through UVA Recreation. (Contributed photo)

Even as a student, Durairaj knows how easy it is to feel like a failure. “I think it’s really easy to blur the lines between schoolwork and you as a person,” Durairaj said. That’s why she embraces this mantra, reminding her fellow students that failure is an event, not a reflection of their worth.

Durairaj started practicing yoga at age 16 as an outlet to calm her mind and fill the time she was no longer spending skating.

“Yoga wasn’t something that came to me naturally at first,” she said. “I had to work at it, but once I started to feel more connected to my breath and movement, I was hooked.”

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Over time, yoga became more than just a practice; it became a way of life. During her senior year of high school, she earned her yoga teaching certificate from a studio in Atlanta.

“It took a few months of intense training, but it was so worth it. I wanted to deepen my understanding of yoga and be able to share it with others,” she said.

When she discovered the opportunity to teach classes with UVA Recreation last year, she jumped at the chance.

Now in her second semester teaching “vinyasa flow” – a yoga practice that smoothly transitions between poses while focusing on breathing – at the Aquatic & Fitness Center, Durairaj describes the experience as both challenging and deeply rewarding.

“It can be a little nerve-wracking to teach my fellow students, but I love seeing familiar faces every week and knowing that we’re all there to support each other,” she said.

For those looking to incorporate yoga into their daily routine, Sona suggests starting the day with simple poses like “downward dog” and “low crescent lunge.”

“It wakes up your body and gets your blood flowing,” she said.

Portrait of Sona Durairaj in a yoga posture.

Every Sunday at 6:30 p.m., Durairaj leads her class in one of the Aquatic & Fitness Center’s Multi-Purpose Rooms, providing an opportunity to reset before the week ahead. (Photo by Renee Grutzik, University Communications)

But even if yoga isn’t for you, she believes in the power of mindful breathing. “Just taking a moment to breathe deeply and ground yourself can make a huge difference,” she advised.

As she looks to the future, Durairaj said she plans to continue teaching yoga beyond her time at UVA.

“I want to keep teaching yoga wherever I end up after graduation,” she said. “It’s something that brings me joy, and I hope to continue sharing that with others.”

UVA Recreation hosts a range of group fitness classes each week, catering to students and community members. Classes range from dance fitness and resistance training to high-intensity cardio sessions and mind-body practices like Durairaj’s yoga class.

UVA Rec offers single-class passes for $7 and unlimited monthly access for $25. Financial assistance is also available through the Cavalier Fund, ensuring cost isn’t a barrier for students.

Durairaj’s class is held on Sundays from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Aquatic & Fitness Center’s Multi-Purpose Room 4.

As a kinesiology student in the School of Education and Human Development, Durairaj is excited to blend her passion for teaching yoga with her academic pursuits. “I’m excited to explore how mindfulness and wellness intersect with my studies, especially in a university setting,” she said.