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Yoga For Stress Relief and Relaxation · Talking FACS

• 0:01
  Welcome to Talking Facts and thank you for tuning in to cancer Conversations On Talking Facts,
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  a podcast collaboration between the University of Kentucky,
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  Mary Cancer Center and the UK College of Agriculture,
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  Food and Environments Cooper Extension Service.
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  We will share with you the latest developments in cancer prevention diagnosis,
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  treatment and research from the experts at Mary Cancer Center.
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  Kentucky's only National Cancer Institute designated Cancer Center.
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  Talking Facts is hosted by the UK Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Program.
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  Our educators share research knowledge with individuals,
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  families and communities to improve quality of life.
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  Hello and welcome to Cancer Conversations On Talking Facts.
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  This is your host,
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  Doctor Jennifer Hunter,
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  assistant Director for Family Consumer Sciences Extension at the University of Kentucky.
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  Today I am pleased to be joined by Carrie Seider and Dindi Yokel that are mind body movement coordinators for integrative medicine and health with the University of Kentucky Health Care.
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  Welcome,
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  Carrie and Dindi.
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  Thank you.
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  Thank you.
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  So today's topic is focused on yoga for stress relief and relaxation.
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  And so I wanted to start by asking how does the practice of yoga provide relief from stress and really inspire relaxation?
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  Great.
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  So yoga is a Sanskrit word that means to unify.
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  And what we are unifying is the breath movement and the mind.
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  And by bringing that all back into harmony,
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  the body then slows down naturally,
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  the breath slows down.
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  The Oxytocin slows down production.
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  And so it puts the body and the nervous system into a state of rest and digest.
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  Great.
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  So Terry,
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  let me ask you that.
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  I know often when I see yoga classes advertised that they'll be listed for different levels.
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  So beginner,
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  intermediate and advanced,
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  could you talk a little bit about,
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  about what it means to be at each of those levels?
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  Yes,
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  actually anybody can join any class.
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  You don't have to be in any particular stage and you just have to be willing to be involved and participate the flexibility.
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  A lot of people feel like they have to do all the crazy pretzel type moves and that's not true.
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  It's as much about your mind being flexible as your body.
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  So really,
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  I wouldn't say that in,
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  in my view anyway,
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  that one specific group is one specific class because you can always do modifications and and help them along if there's an area where they're maybe struggling a little bit.
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  Excellent.
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  So,
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  and this is a question for either or both of you.
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  But um when I think about yoga,
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  I think about flexibility and the,
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  you know,
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  in my mind,
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  at least the importance of flexibility to truly be able to practice yoga effectively.
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  Is that a myth or is there any reality to that?
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  I feel like that's more,
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  yeah,
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  it's more of an excuse than anything.
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  Definitely.
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  Because like I said before,
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  the,
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  the minds,
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  the mind and body movement together,
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  the flexibility,
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  you have to be flexible in your mind and in your body as well.
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  The hardest thing at the end of my class for most people is the just laying there,
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  you know,
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  in that final pose and being,
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  still being quiet and trying to erase everything out of their mind.
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  That's the hardest thing out of everything.
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  Even if you're doing some crazy pose,
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  that's the most difficult thing for people because they just can't,
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  once they're laying there,
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  it's like,
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  oh,
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  I've got dinner to cook.
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  I better run the store.
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  It's really hard to let all that go.
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  So it's a lot about your mind for sure.
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  And I think what's interesting is that the more you practice,
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  the more flexible you become Carrie and I share a student and when she first came to us,
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  she had never practiced yoga and she was very physically rigid.
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  But now,
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  I don't know if you've noticed last week before she went on holiday when she's first started,
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  her knees would be almost like up in the air when she,
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  and now she has been able to relax so much.
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  And it's really more about the relaxation that her knees are almost all the way down to the mat.
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  So it's by coming a couple of times a week religiously,
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  almost that the flexibility does come and breath work is very important in that too.
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  A lot of people,
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  if they find themselves kind of stuck,
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  they wanna hold their breath and try to push through it and you can't do that.
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  You know,
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  it's,
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  you have to put all that together.
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  Like you said,
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  the unity,
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  it all goes together.
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  So obviously,
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  we always recommend before anyone starts any type of new physical activity or program that they certainly check with their,
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  their physician.
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  But,
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  um,
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  just in general,
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  are there basic physical,
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  um,
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  requirements for an individual to be able to practice yoga?
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  I think it's a willingness because we have some,
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  uh,
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  students who have maybe COPD or asthma.
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  And so it's just being able to help them find the breath.
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  So it's not really a limitation.
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  And,
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  you know,
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  I have people come in wheelchairs.
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  It's really,
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  it's the willingness in the mind to participate.
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  It is nice to know in advance though.
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  I had a gentleman come that had had surgery,
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  he was released to come.
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  He didn't tell me that in the beginning.
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  So I like to know in advance if somebody is working with some specific physical thing,
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  so I can keep an eye on them and maybe,
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  you know,
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  help them modify some things and not concentrate in areas maybe where they,
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  if they had back surgery,
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  things like that.
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  I think that's important to know the students,
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  you know,
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  they have to open up to you though.
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  He told me at the end and,
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  like,
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  I would like to have known that in the beginning.
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  It's certainly been helpful,
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  certainly been helpful.
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  Um,
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  I do want to shift gears a little bit from talking about yoga in general to a little bit about your specific program that you offer through integrative medicine and,
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  and help.
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  Um,
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  can you tell me about the classes that y'all offer and,
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  um,
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  just when they're offered and where they are?
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  Sure,
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  um,
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  I'll,
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  I'll speak about mine.
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  Um,
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  I do Tuesday evenings,
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  515 to 615,
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  I do Thursdays 12 to 1 for lunch at lunchtime class.
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  And then I also have Thursday evening,
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  515 to 615.
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  All the classes take place in the Whitney Hendrickson building on the third floor in integrative medicine and health.
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  We have a studio there and all the supplies you just need to show up.
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  No need to sign up.
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  Um,
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  I teach Tuesday mornings at nine and Wednesdays at 515 and there's also a Zoom class on Wednesday,
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  um,
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  given by Melissa Condor.
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  And,
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  um,
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  we can make the Zoom link available.
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  But these classes are open to anyone who works at UK,
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  the community patients with clearance.
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  And so is there a cost associated with the course?
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  And is there any type of?
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  No,
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  no,
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  just show up.
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  Oh,
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  so that,
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  that,
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  that's great.
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  I mean,
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  that really reduces,
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  I think barriers to participation because I know sometimes I think,
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  well,
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  I meant to sign up and I didn't or I,
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  you know,
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  so it's,
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  it's wonderful when you can just find an open spot on your calendar and,
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  and commit to,
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  um,
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  commit to a and so dandy,
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  you mentioned a little bit about that.
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  You do not need to,
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  to bring anything with you.
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  So there's no need to bring your own yoga mat,
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  blanket blocks bolsters that you would have all,
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  all props available.
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  We have all props available.
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  Some people like to bring their own and even some people who may not have time to change,
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  participate in whatever they've been wearing for the day,
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  which is fine,
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  you know,
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  as long as,
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  as they're comfortable.
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  Yeah,
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  we couldn't make it any easier unless we picked you up and brought you with us.
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  Well,
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  I guess that's a question.
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  Is there parking available?
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  Well,
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  yes,
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  for the class after 430 that you can park in the lot behind the Whitney Hendrickson building because the guard goes home and services are over for the day.
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  Excellent,
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  good information to know before we wrap up today.
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  I do wanna ask you a little bit more about integrative medicine and health.
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  The unit that you all are in at UK,
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  that I do know that they have quite a wide variety of,
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  of offerings could you,
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  um,
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  briefly share about some of the other programs available through integrative medicine and health.
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  Yeah,
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  there's an excellent massage therapy program and,
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  um,
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  I'm not sure how many times per month,
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  but they are offering chair massage therapy for free to everyone who works at UK.
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  Um,
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  that would be a question for the front desk and integrative medicine and health.
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  And that's just,
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  uh,
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  come on in and have your beautiful 10 minutes.
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  There's acupuncture.
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  I think we have three or four uh acupuncturist.
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  Now there's art therapy,
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  music therapy.
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  So we have quite a variety.
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  I think we even now have a Reiki practitioner.
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  Oh,
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  wow.
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  So I will say that the chair massage is one of my favorites that when I see that they're gonna be in our building or closed,
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  but you do have to jump on those appointments quickly cause they,
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  they are in high demand.
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  I will share for listeners that the phone number um to integrative medicine and health is 859 3234325.
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  However,
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  in our show notes,
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  we will provide uh a link that has the phone number as well as a link to the Zoom option for the yoga classes in addition to a few other websites that y'all have provided to us,
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  but that specific highlights the department of integrative medicine and,
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  and health so that everyone can learn more about the unit and offerings,
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  Terry and Diddy.
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  Thank you.
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  So much for joining us today and sharing with our listeners about the power of the practice of yoga and,
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  and specifically using it for stress relief and relaxation.
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  Thank you.
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  Have a great day.
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  You too.
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  Thank you.
• 11:52
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