Some experiences change your perspective and shed a new light on all you’ve learned before. For life sciences student Rebecca Qu that experience was spending a year working with Toronto’s Blu Matter Project, an organization that provides access to regular yoga practice for people living with depressive disorders.
Qu’s job at Blu Matter has been, in part, gathering evidence about the benefits of a regular yoga practice. “I’ve been collecting scientific literature that shows a link between practicing yoga and an improvement in mental health among people with depressive disorders. I then analyze and present the information in a way that someone without a scientific background would understand,” says Qu.
The opportunity was made available through New College’s community-engaged learning seminar which places students with partner organizations across Toronto to engage in community service or social advocacy. Students learn to challenge themselves and engage with a range of social justice issues through reflection and writing exercises that make connections between classroom discussions and on-the-job experiences.
“A huge hurdle for me to overcome was learning to write reflectively,” says Qu. “Life sciences students are often taught that scientific evidence is the only legitimate source of knowledge. To validate my personal experiences in academic writing as a method of learning was an entirely new thing for me.”
It was the chance to work with Blu Matter that attracted Qu to the course in the first place, who had recently begun practicing yoga herself.
”Life as a student is tough sometimes and I began to appreciate the support yoga provides,” she says. “When I was looking for some hands-on experience going into my final year, it seemed like the perfect combination.”
Qu quickly began to make important connections between yoga and mental health.
“Though I always knew that exercise is good for you, I soon learned about such things as how some poses are more challenging for those with depressive disorders,” she says. “Standing with your arms stretched behind you and your chest thrust forward, for example, can make some people feel exposed and vulnerable. Yoga helps to retrain the brain and employ better responses to stress. We are just starting to understand the role yoga plays in improving mental illnesses from a physiological perspective.”
Qu credits her familiarity with science-based academic literature for her ability to distill research findings into concepts that promote a lifestyle that includes yoga. Some of her contributions to Blu Matter’s blog include posts on topics such as what happens in the brain during yoga, the impact of meditation, and how diet affects one’s ability to cope with stress, anxiety and depression.
“I’ve been exposed to many organizations that do great work in public health while tackling social justice issues at the same time,” she says. “I still want to pursue a career in healthcare, but I’ve realized that just because I’ve studied life sciences doesn’t mean I have to make a career as a doctor or in a lab. I’m more open-minded about my options now.”