“Harry Potter” Characters Who Should Practice Yoga
Even wizards get stressed sometimes. Yoga is a healthy alternative to calm the minds of stressed out students, overworked Death Eaters, and tired Hogwarts professors. There are several characters in the “Harry Potter” series who could use a new yoga practice in their daily lives.
Newt
While Newt is at his most relaxed when he’s around magical creatures, a yoga practice would be useful for him. When Newt is around other people, he’s withdrawn and uncomfortable. If Newt incorporated a yoga routine into his daily life, he would feel more secure and less self-conscious. Specifically, a meditation practice would work for him. Meditation calms the mind, teaches patience, and focuses your inner thoughts. Whenever Newt is overwhelmed in a crowded room, he could practice his three-part breath technique. Lion’s breath would be a fun exercise for him to practice with his magical creature friends!
Professor Quirrell
Maybe if Quirrell had focused on self-reflection, then he wouldn’t have gone over to the dark side. Quirrell’s soul was easily corrupted by Voldemort’s manipulation. If Quirrell had been aware of his own weakness for power, then he might have made a different choice. We’re not saying that practicing yoga is a preventive technique against Voldemort, but it would help. We’re recommending a yin yoga practice for Quirrell where he would hold his poses for long periods of time. This would teach him self-restraint and to face his weaknesses, such as a thirst for power. If Quirrell hadn’t accepted Voldemort’s words so quickly, then he might have taken the time to consider whether power was really worth abandoning his soul.
Neville
There’s no doubt about it, Neville is one of the most anxious students at Hogwarts. From his self-doubt to his nerdy nature, Neville could use a yoga practice that gives him confidence. Neville would practice yoga with all his plants around him and focus on poses such as tree and mountain. These are grounding poses that focus on alignment and balance. If he learned these two skills, Neville would feel more at ease at school. Hopefully Neville brings his Remembrall to his sessions so that he remembers the poses!
Cho
Following Cedric’s death, Cho was an emotional wreck. Believe it or not, yoga can help with this. Yoga for grief involves guided classes that help you understand and process your emotions. Working through your pain is what yoga for grief is all about. Cho definitely needed some sort of outlet after her boyfriend was murdered. There aren’t any counselors or resources at Hogwarts, so a yoga class would be perfect for Cho to help her heal.
Professor McGonagall
It’s exhausting having to run around after annoying teenage wizards. As a dedicated professor, McGonagall doesn’t have a lot of free time to take care of herself. However, a hatha yoga class would be the perfect exercise to use to de-stress. With her cleverness, McGonagall would memorize the poses quickly and enjoy the class. Some poses that we recommend specifically for McGonagall would be those in the warrior sequence. If she felt like changing up her routine, practicing cat-cow poses in her Animagus form would be fun!
Hermione
Poor Hermione takes on more than she can handle. She’s capable to be sure, but when she’s overworked, it takes its toll. Speaking as a student myself, it’s helpful to have a yoga practice to aid you in your studies. Studying and practicing yoga before an exam helps in more ways than one. You enter the classroom feeling confident and calm. Yoga takes the stress away from studying. For Hermione, we’d recommend a vigorous vinyasa practice. This would be a challenging practice, but Hermione is the type of person who would embrace the challenge. The constant movement distracts your thoughts from wandering, so if Hermione were practicing this type of yoga, she’d have no time to stress over homework.
