Winter’s Retreat

A day of gentle yoga and contemplative listening

 February 11, 2012

10:00am – 4:00pm

Day Kimball Hospital ~ 320 Pomfret Street,  Putnam, CT ~  RHF Rooms 2 & 3

 Cost: $60.00

(Payment plans available, if needed)

The focus of this retreat is holistic- honoring the integration and balance of mind, body, spirit and emotions for optimal well-being. Participants will have the opportunity to explore a variety of self care and stress management techniques. This experience will allow you to approach the new year feeling refreshed, energized, and refueled to work on personal goals to optimize health. Nutritious food included.

Ellen Schaeffer, BA, E-RYT, see bio on our teachers page

Robin Thompson, RN, HNC, a certified holistic nurse, integrative health coach and stress management teacher with over 23 years advocating the integration of conventional medicine with the best holistic complementary care practices. Robin is currently Program Coordinator for Day Kimball Hospital’s Integrative Medicine and Employee Wellness Programs.

 For more information & to register contact DKH Integrative Medicine Department:

Robin Thompson  ~  (860) 928-6541 x2095  ~  rthompson@daykimball.org

Rejuvenation Yoga for optimal well-being – a gentle chair Yoga class

Forget about having to get up and down form the floor and enjoy all the benefits of Yoga in this gentle and effective class.

Much of the Yoga seen in contemporary media seems out of reach for the “average” body never mind for those of us with health or physical challenges. The truth of the matter however is that Yoga can be adapted in many ways so that it can be practiced by EVERYONE.  It is such a healthy, relaxing and healing practice that it is truly worth experiencing it for yourself.  In this class we will focus on healthy posture, joint mobility & stability, emotional & physical stress release, strength & flexibility – all geared toward optimal well-being.

• Explore healthy movement from sitting and standing positions (modifications will be offered to meet individual needs)
• Practice breathing exercises to improve respiration and support health and homeostasis in all bodily systems
• Discover relaxation techniques to help with pain management and alleviate stress

Students will be asked to complete a healthy history form at the start of the first class.

Please note: Class is currently being held in our second floor studio.  We have access to the the American Martial Arts Center on the 1st floor and will happily move the class if handicap accessibility is needed. Please try to inform us of this need 2 weeks prior to your first class and also consider a 4 week commitment so we can make arrangements with American Martial Arts and the students currently attending class. Thanks!!!!

Class are held on Monday mornings from 11:00-12:15

Join Aimee and other new friends for this warm and welcoming Children’s Yoga class.   Imagination and creativity expand as bodies and minds are s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d with yoga poses, breathing  exercises, partner poses and yoga games in a playful, friendly format that engages the *whole* child.

Children will be encouraged and supported as they develop both physical and inner strength, learn valuable techniques for relaxation and self-control, and enjoy an overall boost to their self-esteem and well-being. Together we will nurture compassion for our bodies and minds in an respectful and non-competitive atmosphere.

This class is designed for children ages 7 to 10. It is taught in 4 or 6 week sessions.

Preregistration is required and a minimum of 6 children are needed to run the class.  There are no transfers or refunds for missed classes.

Friday’s 4-5:00pm

Winter session 1/6-1/27

Spring session 4/20-5/25

4 weeks – $40

6 weeks – $60

Walk-in’s welcome once class is registered at a minimum of 6 students.  Walk-in fee $12/class. Please call if not preregistered to confirm class is in session.

Click here for information on Aimee Fontaine

The leaves have fallen, the geese are gathering and there is a cold chill in the air. Winter is arriving in New England and once again the season calls on me to slow down and spend sometime inside.

I have always experienced winter as a time of incubation. Not only do I find myself reigniting my interest in indoor activities, like  cooking, sprouting and beading, I also find myself drawn more deeply into my Yoga and meditation practice.  Essentially I am increasingly drawn inside my “self’ during these long winter days.

With the support of my teacher, students, friends and sangha (community) I continue to discover that introspection is not about hunkering in and trying to figure ‘things” out, but a process of letting go and allowing everything to simply be as it is. It is a surrendering of my fight with reality.  My desire to have things be something other then the way they are. It is an acceptance of life on life terms. A releasing of resistance to what is.

It is quite freeing, this process of acceptance. After all things are “as they are” aren’t they? When I relax into this truth, this process, I begin to really feel the perfection of it all. Nothing and no one needs to be other then the way they are. It is sense of grace, a beautiful thing!!!

We want YOU to help us fill out this calendar.  The TBA slots are open for your class or workshop. Call or email us with your ideas.

Classes are held on Monday evenings from 7:00pm to 8:30 or 9:00pm. Click on purple text to link you to  more information. Yoga class cards are not accepted for these events. Fee’s may apply, each event is priced in concordance with the teacher.

Click on the class title for more information on these exciting offerings:

We are working on reinventing how we use this time slot.  Please check back to discover what we have decided. Thanks!

The image to the right was taken at the “hands across the sand” event in Narragansett Pier on Saturday June 26, 2010. Although attendance at the event was smaller then I anticipated, I was very happy to be there.

It is easy to take a stand in the face of  human suffering as we did when the forces of nature hit Haiti. But it is harder when the suffering and the masses of those who are suffering have no voice. The oil spill in the gulf is so much more then a set back to tourism, restricted access to beaches, a punch to the fishing industry.  This crisis is an ecological disaster that has the potential to wipe out species of creatures, coral reefs, and significantly impact the infrastructure of the planet and the way we live

There are 5 species of sea turtles that live in the gulf, one of which only nests there and no where else in the world. Two others are on the endangered or threatened species lists.  The whales found in the area are believed to be at risk due to the way they eat. They are at risk of ingesting large amounts of oil.  Concerns for the 9 species of dolphins living in the area include the risk of eating contaminated fish or starvation due to lack of fish. And, we have all seen the sad images of oil laden birds.  Can you imagine being them and experiencing the hopelessness that they feel as they are held captive in a slick coat of death? It is their homes, the marshlands, barrier reefs and beaches that we see, in the media, being impacted by the spill.

What we don’t see is what is happening beneath the surface of the ocean, to the coral reefs and deep sea inhabitants. Coral reefs are living organisms and they are home to many species of fish and sea animals. These reefs will be suffocated as microbes deep in the sea continue to eat the plumes of oil and deplete the oxygen needed by the coral. As the coral die off so will the beautiful spectrum of creatures dependent on it. The reverberation to the entire food chain is unthinkable but we must think about it, we must talk about it and we must take action.

It is one thing to cry over spilled milk and another to to take steps to assure that it never happens again. This is where we can really make a difference.  A bit of simple activism can make a big impact especially if you encourage others to join you. Let your local representatives know that this event has proven that off shore drilling is not safe and should not be supported. Learn about alternative energy options and support policy that encourages research into and the use of safe, clean energy sources. Participate in or hold organized gatherings to share and learn how you can help at the local, national and global level.  Be mindful of what you buy, avoid petroleum based products, drive only when necessary, consider a hybrid the next time you purchase a car.  The greatest activism is to live as an example of what you believe is right. In the words of Mohandas Gandhi – “be the change you wish to see in the world!”

Yoga Teacher Training 2012 is now being organized and registration is still open.   

Join us for an Open House on January 14, 2012 at 11:00a.m. to learn more about

Integrative Yoga Therapy and One Yoga Center.

Register by December 1st and receive our early bird discount!

For more  details click here

This is a moving and provocative look at left and right brain functioning and how it impacts the way we perceive and interact with the world. It demonstrates our capacity to directly experience our interconnectedness with all of life. This is available to all of us, in the moment. It is not reserved for mystics and ascetics, it is our birth right.

Where do you see yourself in five years, one year, one week, or one day? This can be a difficult question to answer, but it is imperative that you hold vision for your life. Without vision, your life shifts into idle.

When you have an idea or vision for what you want to manifest in life, the wheels are set in motion. It is as if you’ve shifted out of “park” and into fast forward. All your thinking, creativity, active and passive energy begins to consciously and unconsciously direct itself toward that which you want to create.

It is really quite simple. Without a vision nothing happens. There is nowhere to direct your thoughts or energy. Without a vision, growth and movement comes to a halt.

With vision, life becomes a course of ongoing expansion, opening doors to INFINITE POSSIBILITY.

Sangha can be loosely translated as a gathering or community. In this light, we will be coming together as a community to meditate and discuss the teaching of Adayashanti. Adayashanti is one of the premier spiritual teachers of this time. His teachings are refreshingly clear and absent of dogma. He clears a path for understanding how “realization” or “awakening” unfolds through developing an attitude of acceptance and openness toward every aspect of life.

In Adaya’s words; “Spiritual awakening is a remembering. It is not becoming something that we are not. It is not about transforming ourselves. It is not about changing ourselves. It is a remembering of what we are, as if we’d know it long ago and had simply forgotten.” Participation does not require a familiarity with Adaya’s teaching. An interest in spiritual exploration is all that is needed. Please join us.

This group is on break.  Please call or email if you are interested in attending.

No fee

To view a video clip of Adayashanti go to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3WwS07wbJ0