Connections between yoga and literature will be made clear in Patricia Braun’s seminar, called Literature and Laughter Yoga: Breath In – Laugh Out, which allows Eastern students and faculty to participate.

This interactive seminar is hosted by East Central/EIU Reading Council and will take place from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday in Buzzard Hall Room 1103.

According to the flyer, the seminar will show how different breathing techniques can relate to parts of stories, and how to incorporate these methods into the classroom.

There will be a business meeting right before at 5:45 p.m. to introduce the members of Illinois Reading Council and give more background on what the council does.

Denise Reid, East Central Student Reading Council adviser, said the council provides a professional organization for Eastern students majoring in areas concerning literacy and education. Members of the council can attend IRC conferences and work in the community to help promote literacy.

Braun is the treasurer of the IRC, a member of the IRC Speaker’s Bureau and was presented with the IRC Hall of Fame Award.

Reid said she is looking forward to seeing how Braun goes about hosting the seminar.

“She’s fun, dynamic and interesting, so it should be a good meeting,” Reid said.

Reid said while most attendees will be Eastern students majoring in early/middle childhood education, anyone who is interested is able to come.

Local teachers are also encouraged to attend the seminar, and those who do will receive one hour of Continuing Professional Development.

Kelli Slagel, a junior elementary education major, said she is planning to attend the seminar and is eager to learn about the incorporation of yoga into the school day.

“It’s a unique approach to the classroom and what you would imagine an ordinary classroom to be,” Slagel said.

Slagel said she is always looking for ways to improve her future classroom and teach her students in a variety of ways.

“Since yoga releases positive endorphins, this could be a good way to appeal to students who aren’t normally interested in literature,” Slagel said. “It’s a great way to expand the areas that your classroom touches.”

Reid said while the meeting is a seminar, she does not imagine attendees will be sitting for much of the meeting.

“I assume (Braun) will have us up and moving around, so it will be informative in that teachers will get ideas that they can incorporate into their classroom,” Reid said.

Slagel said she is hopeful that the audience will get to participate in a yoga lesson.

“I hope everyone, including the local teachers, will get as much as they can out of the seminar,” Slagel said. “I think this could definitely improve everyone’s classroom teaching style in some way.”

Slagel said she is glad the seminar is about literature because she believes it is a subject that feeds into and helps all other subject areas.

The seminar will also provide a Certificate for Proof of Professional Development for students interested.

Travis Moody can be reached at 581-2812 or at tlmoody@eiu.edu.