A new yoga and book meditation opportunity at Lone Star College-CyFair provides an hour to practice self-care and enjoy the library.
At LSC-CyFair’s new Breathe and Read Book Club, Dr. Jennifer Wyatt Bourgeois leads attendees, no matter the level of yoga experience, in a gentle yoga session followed with an interactive conversation about the suggested reading of Nedra Glover Tawwaab’s “Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself.”
“Incorporating a few minutes of yoga at the beginning allows individuals a moment to exhale and become grounded prior to discussing the literature,” said Dr. Bourgeois, who teaches criminal justice at LSC-CyFair and is a certified yoga instructor. “My hope is that participants will take away the importance of self-care. The last two years have been challenging, and although we are getting back to our everyday lives, I hope that we find moments throughout the day to pause, rest and recharge.”
Librarian Rachel Evans, who attended the inaugural February meeting, said the yoga was relaxing and she felt better both mentally and physically.
“It had been years since I did any yoga, and I found this to be an easy way to ease back into it,” she said. “I also liked that it wasn’t a requirement to have read the book in advance since I had only finished part of it. I still felt like I could have enjoyed the discussion, even if I hadn’t started the book.”
Associate Professor of Speech Shelby Villarreal said she felt refreshed after a productive one-hour session that included mindfulness, discussion and connection with others outside of regular meetings.
“Setting aside focused time to clear our minds and do something productive for our overall health was what drew me in,” she said. “It was really neat to share about how that book related to each of us who attended.”
Breathe and Read is an extension of Pages & Poses, a virtual/pop-yoga studio that Dr. Bourgeois recently founded. Combining her personal de-stressing activities of reading and yoga, she created this initiative with “the intention to amplify Black voices in literature through conversation while integrating movement and breath.” Through this initiative, she also provides donation-based classes in the community with funds earmarked to purchase yoga mats and make yoga accessible to individuals involved in the criminal justice system.
Be sure to schedule some self-care now. Mark March 29 (Tawwab’s book) and April 19 (with suggested reading “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett) on the calendar to attend a relaxing yoga session and continued book discussion with Dr. Bourgeois from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. in the library, room 131.
Go to cflib.info/yoga for information or email Jennifer.W.Bourgeois@LoneStar.edu or Rachel.Evans@LoneStar.edu.