To see a slideshow on acupuncture, click here.Classes, homework and tests are a few of the typical day-to-day activities plaguing the minds of college students and creating high stress levels. But when Tylenol does not suffice and energy drinks fail, students try new techniques to cope with stress. Some are incorporating Eastern world meditations, exercise and treatments to relieve stress and ease pains.Some students develop unhealthy habits like consuming large amounts of alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and fatty foods to cope with stress, said Amy Granger, wellness education coordinator at the Student Health Center.  But some students are taking healthier steps to relieve stress with Eastern relaxation remedies like yoga, meditative exercise and acupuncture, a therapeutic pain relief using needles.According to the spring 2008 American College Health Association National College Health Assessment, 94 percent of college-age students felt overwhelmed to the point it caused a disturbance in the last 12 months. Sixteen percent of students said they felt overwhelmed three to four times a school year.”Stress is one of the common complaints our students have,” Granger said.People carry stress in different ways, but many people carry stress in a physical form, she said. This can lead to body aches, nausea or other physical ailments.Kenneth Chow, a local acupuncturist on Florida Boulevard, has performed acupuncture on students to reduce test-taking anxiety. He also uses acupuncture to help people with ailments from headaches and arthritis to infertility and digestive problems.During acupuncture, needles of varying lengths and widths are pricked into the skin at designated acupuncture points. There are more than 360 points on the body, all of which cause different effects. Needles inserted into the hands are penetrated 1 to 2 centimeters, while needles inserted in the back can go as deep as 2 to 3 inches, Chow said.Chow said Western medications are good for emergencies, but do not fix the problem. They only reduce side effects. But Chinese doctors look for the root of the problem.Everyone is surrounded by a field of energy, according to traditional Chinese medicine. When energy — or qi — is blocked, a lack of ease occurs in the body. A bad diet, sleep deprivation, excessive emotions, injuries and environmental toxins all contribute to disturbances in energy, Chow said.Chinese diagnostic work finds the source of the disturbance. Factors, including the position of the headache and the type of pain, are both used to determine which acupuncture points should be stimulated, Chow said.”The process is individualized,” Chow said. “Different symptoms call for different treatment.”The needles unblock qi and return the body to homeostasis when the correct points are located. The needles stimulate the brain to release and restore neurotransmitters. These send out natural anti-inflammatory endorphins which result in a reduction in pain signals, he said. The only side effect of acupuncture is slight bruising.Chow has experienced a steady increase in clientele since he first began practicing acupuncture in 2000, he said.Acupuncture typically costs $85 to $95 per session. Chow recommends eight to 12 biweekly sessions for chronic pain.Brad Penny, photography sophomore, experienced acupuncture and cupping Wednesday. Cupping is an Eastern procedure where hot cups are applied to the back to create a suctioning effect.”It was awesome,” Penny said. “After the session I felt very relaxed and collected.”Yoga is another relaxation and exercise practice originating from the Eastern world that students have incorporated into their lives. “After yoga you always feel refreshed, energized and relaxed,” said Emily Beasley Phillips, University yoga instructor.This meditative exercise, derived from India, is performed to relieve stress, build strength and increase flexibility. Yoga is composed of a series of poses, asanas, which target different parts of the body. Some poses are restorative, while others are used for meditation or strengthening, Phillips said.Yoga’s emphasis on meditation prompts participants to release of their thoughts and concentrate on breathing — not the stress and obligations of day-to-day life, she said.Taking time out of their day to practice yoga, gives students a chance to escape from the world, Phillips said.”Yoga keeps me spiritually and physically well, while helping me deal with stress,” Penny said.The University Recreational Complex offers multiple yoga classes for students. The Group X classes include gentle yoga, power yoga and piyo — a pilates and yoga combination. The UREC also offers a specialty yoga class for athletes and a specialty yoga-free relaxation class. Each class permits 40 students.”These are some of our most popular classes,” said Amy Kokemor, UREC Interim Coordinator of Healthy Lifestyles. “They always fill up.”Power yoga and yoga for athletes concentrates on muscular strength and endurance, while gentle yoga and yoga-free relaxation are calming and concentrate on flexibility, balance and posture, she said.All types of yoga help students deal with the daily stresses of life by the incorporation of controlled breathing, Kokemor said. This increases the flow of oxygen and blood to the brain.The University also offers elective yoga for class credit.—-Contact Lindsey Nunez at [email protected]