Intersections - Issue 2, Spring/Summer 2021

Page 14

Achieving Balance: Virtual Yoga and More NURTURING MENTAL HEALTH AT FCPL YOGA INSTRUCTOR AND FORMER LIBRARIAN, Lisa Kushner, has been teaching yoga virtually at the Paddison Memorial Branch Library since 2013. Kushner retired from the Forsyth County Public Library system in 2014 as the supervisor of technical services. She’s found the transition from librarian to yoga teacher fairly easy because both roles involve nurturing. “I don’t think you can be an exceptional librarian, or teacher, unless you care about the client,” she said. “I’ve forged relationships in both areas and know I’ve made a difference in people’s lives.”

Lisa Kushner, retired librarian, has returned to FCPL to teach yoga classes. 12 INTERSECTIONS MAGAZINE

Kushner’s classes went virtual last year and have continued in that format. (See box for the full schedule of yoga classes at FCPL.) Yoga and tai chi classes are one of the more visible ways that the library system has tried to support mental health during the pandemic. The library is also holding a Lounging With the Library discussion on mental health in May. (See facing page.) For Kushner, the library is the perfect setting to introduce people to yoga. “The response was great, and one class turned into a monthly, then a weekly class,” she said. “I still have some students who’ve been with me since the beginning. My goals are to teach people that anyone can do yoga and feel better as a result – not just in their bodies but their minds and hearts as well.” Doing yoga through a public library offers people several advantages, Kushner said. The library is open to everyone and most people feel comfortable there. Classes are free. She keeps her classes fairly gentle, Kushner said. She chooses poses that are accessible to most people and looks for ways to make every


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