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Students will acquire a comprehensive understanding of Yang-style Tai Chi, the most widely practiced and popular style of Tai Chi, commonly referred to as “meditation in motion.” The Yang postures are characterized by their relaxed, expansive, simple, precise, centrally aligned, and harmoniously combined nature, incorporating both hard and soft elements. These postures can be positioned at high, middle, or low stances, accommodating individual preferences. This flexibility renders the Yang form suitable for health preservation and enhancement, thereby augmenting strength, balance, and overall fitness. Each class commences with warm-up exercises designed to promote softness, relaxation, and looseness. We will delve into fundamental principles and concepts, fostering body awareness, balance, and meditation. 

 

Developed by Dr. Paul Lam and the Tai Chi for Health Institute, this comprehensive program, based on the Sun style of Tai Chi, provides an in-depth understanding of its distinctive characteristics. This evidence-based program serves as an effective exercise regimen promoting holistic well-being, with customizable exertion levels suitable for individuals of varying abilities, including young seniors. It incorporates unique gentle qigong practices and a higher stance, making the learning process engaging and enjoyable. Published medical studies have demonstrated that this program offers numerous health benefits, including arthritis symptom relief, reduced pain, improved balance, fall risk reduction, flexibility, strength, cardiovascular fitness, immune system support, and tranquility. Arthritis foundations and the CDC recommend these evidence-based exercises. Each class commences with gentle warm-up exercises to foster softness, relaxation, and looseness, followed by the learning of fundamental Tai Chi postures, principles, and concepts. 

This class welcomes a mix of new and experienced knitters. To accommodate new knitters, the class will offer two sessions of basic information and how to’s. Experienced knitters will be provided with patterns, or they can bring their own, in order to get started on their projects. All participants will also be introduced to Ravelry, a free knitters website. In the third session there will be a discussion on colors and how to use different stitches and yarn to create original garments. According to what is new in knitting, the trend is to use a palette of colors (the bigger the contrast, the better!) and using a combination of stitches, yarn types, and geometrical pictures in the overall design. The rest of the course will be used to troubleshoot and to discuss different techniques. 

Drawing on speeches from the past 100 years, this course focuses on how political speeches persuade, inspire, divide, and shape history. Participants will analyze famous and lesser-known speeches from campaigns, debates, concessions, policy addresses as well as from other political events. Using video clips, transcripts, guided analysis, and  discussions, we will explore how content, delivery, audience connection, timing, and historical context influence a speech’s effectiveness and lasting impact. Together, we will examine why some political speeches inspire nations, shape history, or define a political era—while others fail, backfire, or disappear entirely. 

Despite facing decades of hatred and discrimination, Transgender people have built a rich, resilient culture and artistic tradition in America. This class is for anyone at any knowledge level on trans issues who wants to learn more about that culture and history. We will start with a practical guide on trans history, terminology, theory, and navigating real-world conversations. Then, we will look at and discuss excerpts from the landmark works of Trans Art. By the end of this class, you will have a better understanding of the Trans perspective and of the ways Trans people have impacted your own life. 

Planning a trip to Japan or simply curious about the language? It’s never too late to start learning Japanese. This class is designed for absolute beginners and lifelong learners. You will learn greetings, essential vocabulary and useful phrases for travel-related conversations. Each lesson also introduces Japanese culture through customs, etiquette, and seasonal traditions.  Through fun, engaging activities, you will build confidence in speaking in a relaxed, supportive environment. By the end of the course, you will be able to communicate in simple Japanese and deepen your understanding of Japanese culture.  

The Baroque era in music ended with the death of Bach. We will learn the revolution in music which took place with the emergence of Bach's sons, Haydn, Mozart and the young firebrand Beethoven. 

Using excerpts from Jill Lepore’s new book We the People as a guide, we will explore the uncertain future of the Constitution and the equality, freedom, rights, security and order it has come to promise for all.  What happened to that promise?  What exactly is the “originalism” that has been cited in a generation of decisions by the Roberts Court?  Does the Constitution need to be amended?  What are the competing visions of the future of the Constitution?  Can any of these visions repair the fraying of the promise the Constitution has come to represent? 

Have you ever felt stuck in old routines, habits, or ways of thinking? The good news is that lasting change often begins with small steps. In this uplifting class, we'll explore why we get stuck, how our thoughts shape our experience, and simple ways to create positive change. We'll discuss resilience, neuroplasticity, reinvention, and the power of opening ourselves to new possibilities at any age. Join us for reflection, discussion, and practical tools to help you move forward with greater hope, confidence, and curiosity. 

Vaccines and sanitation are the medical advances which have saved the most lives throughout human history, but there have been skeptics of the former since at least the 14th century. In this course we will explore how vaccines work, what the differences between vaccines are, why some vaccines work better than others, and how we test the efficacy and safety of vaccines. We will also consider how we can continue to build new and better vaccines as we move into the future. 

Artists let us see the world through their eyes, transporting us through time and space. Throughout history, art has been used to record our daily lives, share our connections with people and our environment, and to visualize what we cannot see—such as the spiritual realm. Session topics will include: Andrew Wyeth’s expressive watercolors of the people and places that surrounded him in rural Pennsylvania and Maine in the special exhibition Spectacular Freedom: Andrew Wyeth and the Modern American Watercolor; how medieval Koreans envisioned the world beyond death in the special exhibition Ten Kings of Hell: The Afterlife in Medieval Korea; as well as various examples across the museum’s exhibitions and permanent collections.  

We’ll review what has been called the first American detective story - Dashiell Hammett’s - The Maltese Falcon ‘30 which introduced Sam Spade in the ‘41 movie. This image of the “hard-boiled” private investigator is pitted against a band of criminals and his woman of the moment. Under John Huston’s direction this film (nominated for 3 Academy Awards) has been noted as the beginning of the film noir genre. 

What happens to a middle-class family in a period of social upheaval? Russian author Boris Pasternak's novel Dr. Zhivago follows the title character, a physician and poet, through the Russian Revolution and its aftermath. Painting a sweeping picture of the revolution and its human costs, this remarkable book addresses the emotional, moral, and philosophical questions of the revolutionary era. How does revolution ripen and spread in a society? How do different individuals perceive and react to revolutionary change?  How does an artist portray revolution?  How does Pasternak’s artistic vision resonate with us today? 

Biblical Scholarship opens myriad perspectives on the four Gospels in the Christian Testament. The material in this course will enable us to more fully understand the ancient Gospel texts. We will focus on the ancient Jewish, Roman and Hellenistic context of the Gospels and the Early Christian Communities from which they emerged. We will concentrate on Mark, the oldest of the Gospels. During each class session, we will read aloud from Mark for about 20 minutes. There will be lecture, question and answer, and discussion during each class. 

In this course, we  revisit Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, published in 1980, from the perspective of 2026. How does A People’s History, which brings to life voices left out of most accounts of our history, help us make sense of the last decade, in which Donald Trump has dominated our political and cultural life as a nation?  We will read and discuss selected chapters from A People’s History to place Trump’s rise in a coherent narrative arc that more traditional histories miss. We will also evaluate Zinn’s prescription for healing what ails us, activism. Required text:  A People's Hisory of the United States by Howard Zinn. 

Have you ever felt guided by a dream, a coincidence, an animal symbol, or a deep inner knowing you couldn’t quite explain? In this reflective and experiential class, we will explore the idea of spirit guides and invisible helpers through meditation, symbolism, intuition, synchronicity, and guided imagery. Together, we’ll explore how guidance may appear through nature, dreams, signs, emotions, and meaningful moments in everyday life. This class includes slides, videos, guided experiences, journaling, and group discussion designed to encourage curiosity, imagination, and deeper connection to your own inner wisdom. Whether viewed spiritually, symbolically, or intuitively, this class offers a gentle and open-minded space for exploration and reflection. 

This course covers the topic of psychological trauma and how it affects people, from some trauma-related disorders to the ways in which it helps people grow. It first covers the different types of trauma and the ways that it can manifest, including its classic definitions to contemporary understandings. Then, the course will cover some trauma-related psychological disorders and the best ways that people with trauma histories can be supported in mental health care. The course then considers how people can make meaning, find hope, and flourish after experiencing trauma. 

The Salon provides an opportunity to discuss perspectives, exchange ideas, critique concepts and share perceptions and thoughts with others in a convivial, collaborative environment. Each class session will focus on a different topic. Writings, videos, and/or audio clips on the topic will be presented in class as a springboard for dialogue and group interactions