Finding Stillness: How FAMU Students Use Yoga to Breathe Through College Life

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Amid the constant rhythm of campus life — rushing to class, balancing work and meeting deadlines — some Florida A&M University students are finding a rare kind of peace.

In a yoga elective offered by the university, students are discovering a space to pause, breathe deeply and reconnect with themselves. For many, yoga has become more than just exercise — it’s a practice in mindfulness, mental wellness and self-care.

The course is led by Cedrita Demus, graduate student coordinator in the College of Science and Technology and an adjunct professor with the College of Education. Demus has been teaching yoga at FAMU since spring 2020, bringing both personal passion and academic purpose to her students.

“When I started teaching yoga in 2014 and came to Tallahassee in 2018, I was introduced to faculty who wanted to offer yoga,” Demus said. “I shared my credentials, helped establish the program, and began teaching beginner yoga. Since then, I’ve seen it grow and evolve.”

For D’Niya Henderson, a fourth-year public relations major from Orlando, Florida, the decision to take yoga was initially practical.

“I needed more credit hours to be considered a full-time student and get my financial aid,” Henderson said. “But I really looked forward to it, because I felt like it would help me relax more with my workload of class and work and just being a student altogether.”

As the semester progressed, Henderson noticed the class became more than just a requirement — it became a refuge.

“It gives me a chance to relax throughout my week and really try to figure out how to self-regulate,” she said.

Keelan Sims, a fourth-year information technology scholar from Pascagoula, Mississippi, also found unexpected benefits from the class. As a male student, Sims said yoga was not something he would have explored on his own.

“Honestly, I think it’s really fun,” Sims said. “It isn’t something you’d normally see a guy doing. But I feel all the same benefits that maybe a lot of women pursue yoga for — benefits that a lot of males could also use, especially because we’re often not taught to openly express our emotions.”

From the classroom to the mat — Rattlers stay centered.

He described how the class helps him decompress. “It helps clear my mind, even though it’s in the middle of the day. I do it twice a week because of the class, and it just helps me decompress throughout the week with everything that I have going on. Also, because I work out personally, it helps me get a deeper stretch in my muscles, which has actually helped when I work out.” Sims said he appreciates that FAMU offers yoga as an elective.

“I probably wouldn’t pursue yoga on my own,” he said. “But when I was looking for an elective, I thought, ‘Why not?’ I was an athlete in the past, so it felt similar to things I’ve already done. Honestly, it’s been very eye-opening, and I’ll be able to take this knowledge with me going forward.”

For Demus, teaching yoga at FAMU is about more than just the physical benefits — it’s about offering a transformative experience that students, particularly Black and Brown students, might not otherwise have.

“Every semester, I realize how immensely grateful I am to have such an impact,” Demus said. “We have between 50 to 60 students each semester. This is a practice that, for many, they wouldn’t have access to otherwise. Yoga, breathwork, mindfulness — these are things that are not always accessible to people of color, and it’s a privilege to be able to offer them this space.”

The benefits extend far beyond the classroom, she said. “I have students tell me that breathwork helps them before exams, in stressful moments, or after a long day. They say it helps them calm themselves, avoid arguments and decompress. Over the years, students have told me that yoga gave them tools they carry with them for life.”

Henderson believes yoga can play a vital role in supporting students’ mental health. “With the breathing exercises, it really helps you center yourself and figure out what emotions you’re feeling, how to feel them and how to work through them,” she said. “It helps you calm yourself down and regulate.”

By integrating mindfulness practices into their weekly routine, FAMU students like Henderson and Sims are learning that mental wellness is not an instant fix but a skill to be cultivated — strengthened with patience, practice and presence.

In a world that often moves too fast, yoga offers a moment to slow down, breathe deeply and find clarity.

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Media Contact:

Ashley Flete
Senior Communications Specialist 
ashley1.flete@famu.edu