09 May Stretching Toward Success: Pre-Finals Yoga Unites and Uplifts
- ASI’s Rest for the Revolution event provided students with mental and physical clarity before a packed finals season.
- With features including free wellness goodies and guided yoga movements, the event aimed at promoting campus resources.
- The event was made possible through a collaboration of ASI student government and the Student Recreation Center.
Associated Students Inc. (ASI)’s student government kicked off its first-ever ‘Rest for the Revolution’ event on May 6, an empowering yoga session designed to help students unwind, recharge and reconnect outside the classroom before finals week.
Set against the backdrop of the Student Recreation Center (SRC) pool deck, the event drew a diverse crowd from across campus where attendees enjoyed free wellness resources, a guided yoga session and curated wellness bags.
“In hosting the event at the SRC, we wanted to bring awareness to the fact that all students have a membership, spark curiosity in wellness and engage with these available resources,” said Andrea Ramirez Rivera, ASI’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer.
While hosted at the SRC, the event is part of a larger initiative by student leaders to promote mental health, community and self-care during exam season.
Finals Wind-Down at the SRC
Students engage in a guided yoga led by Rachel, one the SRC’s yoga instructors. Credit: ASI Marketing, Communications & Design
‘Rest for the Revolution’ is part of a broader lineup of ASI’s finals programming designed to help students decompress. By bringing the event to the SRC, organizers hoped to spark student interest in wellness and raise awareness about Titan Rec’s free classes and resources for all CSUF students.
Other initiatives throughout the week like “Late Night Study” and the Pantry’s “Snack & Go: Finals Edition” helped students unwind, find community and stay energized.
For students on campus, wellness encompasses more than just the physical.
“It was important for me to be here today as I wanted to learn more, not just about yoga but its practices and benefits towards stress relief,” said Lesly Sierra, a second-year CSUF student.
True to its name, ‘Rest for Revolution,’ delivered a calming yoga session and a mental and physical reset.
Powered by Community, Fueled by Rest
Participants enjoy complimentary wellness items, courtesy of the Social Justice and Equity Commission. / Credit: ASI Marketing, Communications & Design
Welcoming students of all backgrounds and fitness levels, the event embraced yoga’s inclusive practice, promoting forms of balance, strength and stronger mental well-being.
“I hope students take some time to be in community, to unwind and realize they don’t have to push through stress alone,” Ramirez Rivera said. “Whether it’s through guided yoga or just being in a space that centers wellness, my hope is that people leave feeling a little more grounded, supported and ready to take on finals with a bit more balance.”
The event further showcased ASI’s mission to provide wellness-centered, meaningful experiences.
“The social justice and equity commission decided to partner with the SRC because they already have yoga instructors and offer free yoga classes,” Ramirez Rivera expressed. “Overall, we wanted to tap into what resources are available for students, so even after we’re done with our event, students can still access these resources.”
Created by Ramirez Rivera and the Social Justice and Equity Commission, the event also aligned with ASI’s Student Wellness Initiative (ASWI), bringing its goals to life.
“My commissioner Analia Banuelos and I realized that while we were putting in a lot of hard work planning events and addressing a wide range of social justice issues, we weren’t really engaging in self-care ourselves,” Ramirez Rivera emphasized. “I titled the event Rest for the Revolution because being agents of change requires sustainability, and that starts with rest.”
In recognizing the power of rest, the event reminded others that healing and justice go hand in hand.
Wellness That Lasts
Students concentrate deeply on perfecting their yoga poses. / Credit: ASI Marketing, Communications & Design
The event also served to highlight ASWI, a student-led initiative with the goal of reshaping campus spaces to serve students across dimensions of emotional, spiritual, social and environmental wellness.
“The ASWI is really trying to bring awareness to what resources we have on campus while also expanding them,” Ramirez Rivera shared. “I want students to see what their student fees are being poured into.”
Whether through meditation or movement, students experienced moments of rest during end of semester pressure.
“I had hoped to get some peace in attending this event to reduce my stress levels this final season,” expressed Sierra. “I brought some friends along in the hopes of making some last few memories before the semester ends.”
Events like these remind students that their well-being is key to their college success.
“I personally didn’t know that ASI’s student government was hosting this event,” shared Catherine Hernandez, a CSUF second-year student. “I saw the post on Instagram, and after hearing more about it, became curious to learn what they do because events like this help me in my life.”
Ultimately, ‘Rest for the Revolution’ was a preview for what’s ahead in fall 2025, with more wellness events, SRC classes and expanded spaces.