
To avoid getting whipped into a holiday frenzy, take a moment for yoga. Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines stretching exercises, controlled breathing and relaxation.
According to transplant new patient coordinator and yoga teacher Jason Gorenstein, yoga can provide many benefits to students, including increasing flexibility and endurance, relieving physical and psychological pain, as well as improving mental focus and clarity. “I have had clients who have told me they have reduced stressed throughout the day, relieved themselves of anxiety and improved their focus at work,” says Gorenstein.

Yoga classes can vary from gentle and accommodating, to strenuous and challenging. Gorenstein notes that he has found that yoga can be a very accessible form of exercise. “I have found it easy for people to integrate themselves to yoga especially for those new to exercise,” he says. “I encourage everyone to come out and try it out.”
One USC employee who recently made the decision to try yoga is Gary Gorman, a building painter at Keck Medical Center. Gorman appreciates the physical benefits, as well as the relaxation and peace-of-mind he has gained through his yoga practice.

“The benefits have been wonderful,” he says. “Because of the work I do as a painter for USC, yoga has helped me a great deal with my flexibility. Some of the positions I get it to while painting can be painful, but with yoga I’m experiencing much less pain than before. My balance is also much better when using ladders and I find dealing with people is a lot less stressful.”
Keck Medical Center currently offers free yoga classes every Wednesday, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., in Keck Hospital’s Cardinal Room. Weekly updates can be found in your department’s Daily Huddle. ■
WINTER 2014 VOL 1 • ISSUE 4
KECK FORWARD
YOGA FOR YOU
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