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 Sunday, June 22 at 3:30 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:

The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom by Nancy Reddy

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 Nancy Reddy had her first child, she found herself suddenly confronted with the ideal of a perfect mother―a woman who was constantly available, endlessly patient, and immediately invested in her child to the exclusion of all else. Reddy had been raised by a single working mother, considered herself a feminist, and was well on her way to a PhD. Why did doing motherhood “right” feel so wrong?

For answers, Reddy turned to the mid-20th century social scientists and psychologists whose work still forms the basis of so much of what we believe about parenting. It seems ludicrous to imagine modern moms taking advice from midcentury researchers. Yet, their bad ideas about so-called “good” motherhood have seeped so pervasively into our cultural norms. In The Good Mother Myth, Reddy debunks the flawed lab studies, sloppy research, and straightforward misogyny of researchers from Harry Harlow, who claimed to have discovered love by observing monkeys in his lab, to the famous Dr. Spock, whose bestselling parenting guide included just one (1!) illustration of a father interacting with his child.

This timely and thought-provoking book will make you laugh, cry, and want to scream (sometimes all at once). Blending history of science, cultural criticism, and memoir, The Good Mother Myth pulls back the curtain on the flawed social science behind our contemporary understanding of what makes a good mom.

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. Spanish translation available! Free and open to all.

For those who like to imbibe in books, beverages or both!

Please join us at The Eldo at 5:30 pm on Tuesday, June 24 for the next meeting of the Books-n-Bars. We will be discussing:

When We Were Real by Daryl Gregory

This group *typically* meets every 4th Thursday of the month from 5:30-7 pm at local watering holes. They read mainly contemporary fiction, with a few non-fiction titles every once in a while. Copies of books are placed on hold for book club participants and are available to check out at the library. Titles for the next month’s meeting are announced a month before. They will also be available in e-edition, audiobook, large print, etc.

Were you T-O-P of your C-L-A-S-S when it came to spelling? Do you keep a dictionary on your bedside table in case of emergencies? Do you enjoy watching other people stumble over “chrysanthemum” in front of a crowd?

Gunnison County Libraries invite you to the first annual Adult Spelling Bee on Friday, June 27 at 6 pm.

*PRIZES, MUSIC, BRAGGING RIGHTS, FUN & FRIENDLY COMPETITION*

Gunnison County community members, over the age of 18, are invited to compete as an individual, or as a representative from their workplace or organization. Individuals can register online here, or at the library. Pre-registration is required, there is no charge to register. Individuals must be 18+ to participate in the Bee (consideration will be made for teens who wish to participate). The event is free and open to the public. The Spelling Bee begins promptly at 6 p.m. Registration opens on Friday, May 23 and closes on Friday, June 13, 2025 or when full.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

BEE RULES:

This is a single elimination spelling bee. Eliminated participants are encouraged to hang around and support the other spellers still competing for bragging rights.

1. 1. No smart phones or other aids allowed.
   2. No appealing to audience members for help.
   3. Any participant caught using illegal aids or soliciting outside help in any way will be disqualified.
   4. Players may at any time ask for a word’s part of speech, language of origin, definition, and/or an example sentence. 
   5. The spelling bee is conducted in rounds. Each speller remaining in the spelling bee at the start of a round spells one word in each round.
   6. Spellers will be provided a word, and can request its definition and a sentence featuring the word. You can also ask about word origin or parts of speech.
   7. Spellers will have 60 seconds to spell their word. To confirm that you have completed the spelling of your word please use the usual spelling bee convention of “word, w-o-r-d, word.” You will not be penalized for not doing so, but it’s good form.
   8. The way a speller spells their word out loud for the first time is their final answer. You can’t change letters you’ve already said out loud. Please speak loudly and clearly so the judge can hear you correctly.
   9. Spellers will be eliminated for misspelling a word or if they do not provide a complete spelling before their time expires.
   10. If a word is misspelled it will be retired and a new word will be given to the next speller.
   11. The judges’ rulings are final.

At the Adult Spelling Bee, we strive to set minds at ease with three fun twists. Participants can use each of these options ONE TIME throughout the competition. 

1. Spellers can politely decline one word (must spell next word on list)
2. Spellers can “phone a friend” (ask an audience member) for help spelling a word
3. Spellers can use a pen and paper to write out the word, instead of relying only on visual memory