big talk from small libraries: yoga @ the library

YOGA AT THE LIBRARYA journey

Welcome to

Yoga at the Library

Chadron Public Library is a small library.

Like many other librarieswe have book sales twice a year,we are part of the BTOP grant (and we love it!).

Book Sale BTOP Grant

Our community:is located in North West Nebraska,population is 5,500 more or less CPL is a Carnegie Library established in1913,currently we are working toward the Renovation and Expansion of our building.

About Yoga

Yoga-noun- is a Hindi word derived from

Sanskrit. It means: union.

Union of mind, body and spirit.

Union of the individual with the universal.

More about Yoga Yoga is an ancient philosophy of life. It is circa 2,500-3,000 years old. In the last millennium bce, Patanjali

wrote the first known text about yoga: the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. It was a compendium of ascetic practices and thoughts.

In 900 ce, several scholars compiled the first written records regarding the physical aspects of Yoga. Called Hata Yoga, this is the portion of yoga that has penetrated most successfully Western culture.

A smidge of Yoga history in the West

Yoga was first introduced to Europe

and the US at the end of 1800s by Swami Vivekananda. In the 1960s and 1980s knew two revivals. Since 2001 the numbers of those interested in yoga has grown considerably.

How Yoga at the Library came to be:In the Spring of 2004 CPL begun promoting a new Summer Reading Program for adults.

The idea was to increment the numbers of the kids participating in the Summer Reading Program by offering interesting opportunities for the adults to be at the library. Yoga was not as popular as now, but through the years, several individuals from Chadron had visited India and brought yoga home. Students from India, Pakistan and Nepal had lived in the community while attending Chadron State College. There was a certain interest already there.

About Yoga at the Library

Where: in the Children’s room of CPL

When: every Thursday evening at 5 p.m.

(patrons picked the time)

Equipment: mats, bricks, straps

Preparations: carpet and floor cleaning moving of furniture

Children’s Room

s

Yoga Room

A yoga session consists of

10 minutes breathing and centering exercises

10 minutes stretching10 minutes warm up30 minutes asanas 5 minutes dead man pose10 minutes meditation

Total 75 minutes

Equipment:6 maths9 bricks6 strapscandel holdertea candles

The gifts of yoga through the years: Patrons that would not have come under

other circumstances have discovered CPL People from different cultures and nations

have met during the program People have formed friendships Some patrons have become volunteers

and helped with other programs CPL was mentioned in a national journal People of neighboring communities have

started to use our library Community people have become more

aware of the programs offered at CPL

Namaste