Lunctime Yoga

Hi! I’m Cosette, an MS1 and a lover of yoga!

Cosette DeChant, MS1

I’ve been practicing yoga since high school and it has had such a positive impact on my life, both physically and mentally, that I wanted to find a way to share it with other people, so I participated in a teacher-training program during my gap year. I’ve been teaching classes at the gym since moving here to Durham, and when I saw the empty space on the sixth floor of TSCHE, my first thought was, “what an awesome space for yoga!” A few of my classmates and I were interested in doing some moving and stretching in the middle of a long day of class, so I emailed the administrators to ask if we could use the space. Not only did they say yes, but they also asked if they could extend the invitation to the entire staff, and even offered to buy yoga mats for the building. Our first “lunchtime yoga” session was such a success that we made it a weekly event for the rest of the semester.

Child's Pose on the 6th Floor of TSCHE

The idea behind doing this was that we could all benefit from yoga in some way. We spend so much of our time each day sitting, whether in class, at the office, or in the car. This can really take a toll on our bodies, including tight hip flexors and tightness across the front of the chest and shoulders from slumping forward over a computer or steering wheel. Yoga offers an opportunity to reverse some of that by stretching and moving in ways we don’t normally get to in the course of our daily activities.  Additionally, yoga is a great compliment to any other type of physical activity that people do, whether it’s running, climbing, or spending all day on your feet in the OR. For me, it has been particularly interesting as we’ve gone through our anatomy course – we live in a body made up of muscles that move bones, and yoga is a chance to USE those muscles we’ve been learning about! And finally, yoga provides a much-needed mental break – a chance to set aside whatever stresses, anxieties, expectations or responsibilities we have, even if it’s just for an hour.

Check out those Warrior IIs!

We’re continuing with our lunchtime yoga sessions next semester, and we would love to have you join us! Yoga is open to anyone of any level of experience. We have class every Wednesday at noon on the 6^th floor of TSCHE, and mats are available to borrow. Come take a break in the middle of your day to breathe, stretch and move with us!

Mountain Bound

One of the many great things about fall in NC is getting to see the mountain foliage! Now that I’m in MS3, there is more time to explore the area! Last year, we traveled to Asheville, a mere 3 hours from Durham! 

Heather Burrell, MS3

A few weeks ago, my fiancé and I traveled to Charlottesville, VA to go wine tasting and camping in Shenandoah National Park. Charlottesville is a scenic 3-4 hours from Durham. We stopped at several different wineries along the way (Democracy, Loving Cup, Jefferson, Pippin Hill), enjoying the delicious Virginia wine and beautiful mountain views! We continued on to Shenandoah National Park where we set up camp despite chilly 40 degree weather! We went on a hike around the park and got sweeping views of the valley then returned back to camp to cook over the campfire! As we were cooking, we began to realize that we were going to need a lot more firewood to cook dinner and to stay warm throughout the crisp autumn night! After dinner, we had to make s’mores, and they tasted even better sitting by the fire! We stayed warm and enjoyed wine from our visits to the vineyards earlier that day! The next day, we woke up and cooked breakfast over the fire (eggs, sausage, and potatoes!) and went on a mid-morning hike. After packing away the tent, we left the park and drove back to Charlottesville to go apple picking at Carter Mountain Orchards. After all that hard work picking apples, a visit to the orchard wasn’t complete without apple cider donuts!