Qigong is offered at the Gunnison Library every Third Thursday of the month. See a description of the practice and instructor below.

About Qigong:

Qigong is an ancient practice that integrates movement, stillness, and deep breathing. The purpose of qigong is to relax and release tension so that the elements that give us energy and health (breath, blood, lymph, etc) can flow freely throughout the body. Movements in qigong are slow, circular, graceful, and flowing. These movements lubricate the joints, strengthen the muscles, improve circulation, and relax the nervous system. Qigong is a moving meditation that brings awareness to our breath and expands our range of motion. Qigong creates space for health, balance, and calm which can maximize our body’s natural healing processes. Qigong is an easy practice that can be done standing, sitting, or lying down. People of all ages can practice and enjoy this gentle ancient art.

About the instructor:

Heidi Magnus has taught qigong for five years and has practiced since 2015. Heidi’s first career was as an environmental scientist and she still enjoys applying the scientific method and observation skills to all aspects of life. Heidi enjoys making connections between ancient wisdoms, like Qigong, and current research in neuroscience, psychology, and wellbeing. For the last 26 years, Heidi has owned a deli with her sister Kate and finds that qigong helps her to thrive in a busy work environment. Qigong is a vital part of her self-care and she enjoys sharing the tools she has learned for navigating life and its ever-changing challenges. Currently she studies qigong with four teachers (Dr. Roger Jahnke, Mimi Kuo Deemer, Marisa Cranfil, Anthony Korahais). The teachings of Josh Korda and Sharon Salzberg also inspire Heidi in her practice. Heidi enjoys teaching Qigong, and finds sharing the practice with others rewarding. Heidi is offering classes through Gunnison Public Library. These classes are for beginners or advanced students who want to practice in a fun and casual community atmosphere.

Join us on Thursday, July 17 at 6 pm at the Crested Butte Library for an evening with writer and Gunnison native, Judy Fairchild.

Judy will discuss her book The Old Eve Tree.

About the book:

During the summer of 1952, in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, seven-year-old Tilly Harris begins to see her world differently. This story, told through her eyes, discovers prejudice against differences, truths that have to be hidden, cruelty disguised as righteousness, and strength in standing up for what is right.

This event is free and open to all.

Join us on Sunday, July 20 at 3 pm at the Gunnison Library for the return of Caregiver Conversations! Caregiver Convos are monthly book discussions about raising children, facilitated by Louise Perry, MSW.

Read & discuss:

Hunt, Gather, Parent by Michaeleen Doucleff

About the facilitator:

Louise Perry has worked with new families for more than 13 years in the Gunnison Valley, providing support as a birth doula, birth educator, support group facilitator, and currently as a licensed social worker providing psychotherapy to new mothers in partnership with The Family Birth Center at Gunnison Valley Health. As the Caregiver Conversations facilitator, Louise hopes to provide a supportive space to engage in deeply important and lively discussions about guiding and nurturing our children in modern society.

About the book:

When Dr. Michaeleen Doucleff becomes a mother, she examines the studies behind modern parenting guidance and finds the evidence frustratingly limited and often ineffective. Curious to learn about more effective parenting approaches, she visits a Maya village in the Yucatán Peninsula. There she encounters moms and dads who parent in a totally different way than we do—and raise extraordinarily kind, generous, and helpful children without yelling, nagging, or issuing timeouts. What else, Doucleff wonders, are Western parents missing out on?

In Hunt, Gather, Parent, Doucleff sets out with her three-year-old daughter in tow to learn and practice parenting strategies from families in three of the world’s most venerable communities: Maya families in Mexico, Inuit families above the Arctic Circle, and Hadzabe families in Tanzania. She sees that these cultures don’t have the same problems with children that Western parents do. Most strikingly, parents build a relationship with young children that is vastly different from the one many Western parents develop—it’s built on cooperation instead of control, trust instead of fear, and personalized needs instead of standardized development milestones.

Maya parents are masters at raising cooperative children. Without resorting to bribes, threats, or chore charts, Maya parents rear loyal helpers by including kids in household tasks from the time they can walk. Inuit parents have developed a remarkably effective approach for teaching children emotional intelligence. When kids cry, hit, or act out, Inuit parents respond with a calm, gentle demeanor that teaches children how to settle themselves down and think before acting. Hadzabe parents are experts on raising confident, self-driven kids with a simple tool that protects children from stress and anxiety, so common now among American kids.

Not only does Doucleff live with families and observe their methods firsthand, she also applies them with her own daughter, with striking results. She learns to discipline without yelling. She talks to psychologists, neuroscientists, anthropologists, and sociologists and explains how these strategies can impact children’s mental health and development. Filled with practical takeaways that parents can implement immediately, Hunt, Gather, Parent helps us rethink the ways we relate to our children, and reveals a universal parenting paradigm adapted for American families.

More about the event:

Snacks and refreshments provided at each gathering. RVSP to ellen@gunnisoncountylibraries.org. Free copies of the month’s book selection are available to check out at the Gunnison Library. Participants are encouraged to attend even if they are unable to read the whole book. Conversations are centered around exploring ideas, learning new approaches to caregiving, and connecting with others. Free and open to all.

Join us from 10:30-11:15 am at the Gunnison Library on Saturday, July 26 for Kids Bilingual Adventure Yoga!

Free & Open to the Public

Acompáñenos de 10:30 a 11:15 h en la Biblioteca de Gunnison el sábado 26 de julio para la Aventura de Yoga Bilingüe para Niños.

Practica yoga, mindfulness, respiración, cuentos y canciones para niños en una aventura de yoga en inglés y español. Traiga su propio mat de yoga o pida prestado uno. Recomendado para niños de 4 a 10 años; todas las edades y familias son bienvenidas.

Gratis y abierto al público.

Join us from 1:30-2:15 pm at the Crested Butte Library on Sunday, July 27 for Kids Bilingual Adventure Yoga!

Acompáñenos de 1:30 p. m. a 2:15 p. m. en la Biblioteca de Crested Butte el domingo 27 de julio para la Aventura de Yoga Bilingüe para Niños.

Practica yoga, mindfulness, respiración, cuentos y canciones para niños en una aventura de yoga en inglés y español. Traiga su propio tapete de yoga o pida prestado uno. Recomendado para niños de 4 a 10 años; todas las edades y familias son bienvenidas.