Get moving (gently) with yoga at Mentor Public Library

Enjoy a free session of chair yoga every Monday morning this month at Mentor Public Library's Main Branch.

What’s your New Year’s resolution?

To lose weight? Be healthier? Reduce your stress? Try something new?

We can get you started with all of that in a single step.

Have you heard of chair yoga? It's a relaxing, low-impact way to get moving and reduce stress.

Every Monday morning in January, Mentor Public Library is hosting a free chair-yoga session at 10 a.m. in our Main Branch. The sessions will be guided by the professionals from Awaken Yoga in Mentor. They will teach some positions and maneuvers that can be practiced from the comfort of a chair.

You can register for any or all of these sessions on our online calendar.

Yoga has been linked to everything from reduced stress and boosted immunity to weight loss and stronger muscles.

Come join us this month and see what yoga can do for you.

Jennifer Langsdale of Awaken Yoga shows everyone how to relax their shoulders. "Shoulders hold all of our shoulds," she says. "That's why it can feel like they're carrying the weight of the world."

5 ways Mentor Library can help you keep your New Year’s Resolution

Want to lose weight? Decrease stress? Mentor Library can help you with that and much more.

Depending on what think-piece article you’re reading, anywhere between 88 and 92 percent of New Year’s Resolutions don’t survive the year.

But you can shift the odds in your favor with help from your local library.

We at Mentor Public Library are ready to help you lose weight, save money, find a better job or attain whatever goal you have set for yourself in 2015.

1. Lose weight & be healthier

This is the most popular resolution, so let’s start here.

If you want to lose weight or just generally be more fit, we have books on eating better, cookbooks with healthy recipes and exercise DVDs you can borrow.

We also have a special weekly program for seniors who are trying to find a fun way to get moving.

Starting Monday, Jan. 4, Awaken Yoga is offering a free introduction to chair yoga at our Main Branch. Yoga is a great way to relieve stress, build strength and (when paired with a healthy diet) lose weight. You can register for it here.

For those looking for something a little more challenging, you can get a free intro to the health benefits of boxing on Tuesday, Jan. 26, at Title Boxing Club in Mentor. An instructor will teach the basics of boxing. Boxing gloves will be provided but comfortable clothes are a must. Be prepared for a workout.

2. Learn something new

There are hundreds of thousands of ways to learn something new. Literally every item in our collection could potentially teach you something you didn’t already know.

Beyond that, you can check out Gale Courses for hundreds of online classes. They offer classes on everything from music to technology to accounting, many of which are taught by college professors. And they’re all free with your library card.

We also have programs at our library on everything from the Civil War to local history to Auschwitz survivor Primo Levi.

3. Save money and get your finances in order

We have more than 200,000 books, movies and CDs in our collection, and that’s not even counting our digital services that let you read eBooks and stream music, movies and audiobooks anywhere and at anytime. (And that includes several books on how to best manage your money.)

Every time you borrow something from us, that’s money you saved. That can add up to a lot of savings over the span of a year.

Also, if you want to know more about your finances, you can come to a free program about understanding your credit score on Feb. 25 at our Main Branch.

4. Find a better career

On Jan. 29, we're hosting a job fair with several local employment agencies from noon to 4 p.m. at our Main Branch.

Come by and bring your resume. It could be your first step toward your new career.

5. Spend more time with your family

We offer a menagerie of story times for families, and they’re starting a new session on Jan. 5.

But there are a lot of ways to use library resources to spend more time with your family. Borrow a stack of DVDs and start a family movie night.

And, while our story times are a lot of fun, there’s no substitute for reading to your child.

So we hope to see you soon. Whatever your resolution is, I’m sure we have a book, video or program that can help. Don’t be shy. Just come up to the reference desk and ask for recommendations!

Stretch your limits with a little yoga at Mentor Library

Jessica Humphrey demonstrates some chair yoga moves during a Beginners Yoga class at Mentor Library.

You don’t need to be able to do a handstand or reach your leg behind your head to try yoga.

If you can sit in a chair and breathe, then you can start to derive the benefits of yoga. And what do those benefits include? Everything from reduced stress and boosted immunity to weight loss and stronger muscles.

Jessica Humphrey from Awaken Yoga in Mentor visited our Main Branch for a free Beginners Yoga class on Tuesday. She taught moves that reduce stress, while increasing mindfulness and flexibility—many of which people could do from their chairs.

We'll be hosting two more free yoga classes at 6 p.m. on Tuesdays, April 7 and 14, at our Main Branch. There are only a few spots open for either; so, if you want to register for them, you'll need to do so quickly.

Also, Awaken Yoga is one of our Core Card partners. So you can save money on classes there, as well. If you pay for a 5-class package with Awaken Yoga, you get the sixth class for free—just because you have a Mentor Library card.

We also have several books and DVDs about yoga that you can check out, if you'd like.

Humphrey demonstrates seated Cat & Cow poses during her class.

An Introduction to Yoga with Awaken Yoga

You don't need to be able to do a handstand or reach your leg behind your head to try yoga.

If you can sit in a chair and breathe, then you can start to derive the benefits of yoga. And what do those benefits include? Everything from reduced stress and boosted immunity to weight loss and stronger muscles.

Cathy Picozzi from Awaken Yoga in Mentor visited our Main Branch Monday to talk about the history of yoga, its current popularity, its health benefits, and she also taught some simple poses even the newest of beginners could do.

If your curiosity is piqued, you can learn more by taking a class at Awaken Yoga. It can help if your New Year's Resolution is to lose weight or reduce stress.

Also, Awaken Yoga is one of our Core Card partners. So you can save money on classes, as well. If you pay for a 5-class package with Awaken Yoga, you get the sixth class for free—just because you have a Mentor Library card.

Get a free introduction to yoga at Mentor Library

Get a free introduction to yoga on Monday, Jan. 5, at Mentor Library's Main Branch.

What's your New Year's resolution?

To lose weight? Be healthier? Reduce your stress? Try something new?

We can get you started with all of that in a single step.

Have you ever tried yoga? At 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 5, Mentor Library is hosting a free introduction to yoga at its Main Branch. You can register for it here.

The professionals from Awaken Yoga in Mentor will talk about the history of yoga, its current popularity, its health benefits, and also teach some simple poses even the newest of beginners can do. This class is for all skill levels, including those interested in "chair yoga."

One note: You'll want to wear comfortable clothing, because we will be moving around during the exercises.

Yoga has been linked to everything from reduced stress and boosted immunity to weight loss and stronger muscles.

Come join us on Jan. 5 to see what yoga can do for you.

Also, Awaken Yoga is one of our Core Card partners. So if you enjoy your introduction to yoga, it's easier to stick with it. If you pay for a 5-class package with Awaken Yoga, you get the sixth class for free—just because you have a Mentor Library card.

So jump-start your New Year's Resolution, and join us at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 5 for your introduction to yoga.