Fitness, Health, & Self-Interests   

Are you looking for an exercise program designed to improve your everyday life? Work with a physical therapist to learn balance and strengthening exercises. Come join the fun and learn a program designed to improve your daily function while also decreasing your risk of falls and injury. No special equipment is necessary, and all exercises are completed sitting or standing. This program is suitable for beginners yet appropriate for those with more exercise experience as it can be adapted to fit individual needs. Participants will be given instructions on how to complete this program at home for continued benefits. Wear comfortable clothes and supportive shoes.

This course moves through traditional yoga poses (or asanas) that align each individual chakra, moving up the spine from the root chakra to the crown chakra. Chakras are energy centers located across different points on our spinal column. When energy becomes blocked in a chakra, it triggers imbalances that manifest in symptoms such as anxiety, lethargy, or poor digestion. This course is for members who like fluid, mindful practice that links alignment, movement, and breath. Participants should wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing and have a yoga mat. While still accessible to a beginning student, this class is more challenging than the Gentle Yoga classes.

Eastern Europe has geographical areas with exceptional conditions for grapevine growing and is the birthplace of a myriad of grape varietals. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, there has been heavy investment in the modernization of their wine industry. Each week we will undertake a journey of discovery by tasting and rating a wine from one of these regions while we explore its terroir. A few weeks before the course starts, the instructor will identify wines that members should purchase.

NOTE: This course will be offered twice, once in session 1 and the same course repeated in session 2. Members may only sign up for one section.

This course, appropriate for members of any level, begins by teaching the basic figures used in English country dancing and practices them in the context of beautiful historic and modern dance compositions. Members will explore the grace, elegance, and playfulness of this dance form (think of Pride & Prejudice). No partner or experience necessary. Participants will regularly switch partners in our dance sessions. Be prepared for physical, mental, and social stimulation! The focus will be on dancing and enjoying moving with the music.

This course is geared for those new to yoga, those interested in a slower and more gentle practice, or those recovering from illness or injury. It includes a combination of meditation, breath work, and flowing movement intended for all abilities. Participants will move from seated on the floor (or a chair) to standing and then will return to mats. Participants will experiment with balance, strength, flexibility, and stillness while practicing mindfulness and meditation techniques. 

NOTE: The Gentle Yoga A and B classes are companion courses. Members can just register for both or just one. 

This course is geared for those new to yoga, those interested in a slower and more gentle practice, or those recovering from illness or injury. It includes a combination of meditation, breath work, and flowing movement intended for all abilities. Participants will move from seated on the floor (or a chair) to standing and then will return to mats. Participants will experiment with balance, strength, flexibility, and stillness while practicing mindfulness and meditation techniques.

NOTE: The Gentle Yoga A and B classes are companion courses. Members can just register for both or just one.  

 

This course is an introduction to Italian history and culture through the lens of Italian cuisine and its role in literature, historical texts, visual arts, and film. Members will examine the history of food culture and its sociocultural and socioeconomic impacts from antiquity to contemporary Italy.

Soccer is the most played sport in the world with over 240 million participants around the globe. It is also the fastest growing sport in the United States. Although the history of the sport in the United States, in both an amateur and professional capacity, dates back decades, it is still not fully understood and appreciated. Many viewers do not understand the complexities, strategies, and rules of the beautiful game. With the next FIFA World Cup set to be co-hosted by the United States in 2026, this course will help members appreciate the sport before the international spotlight arrives on our shores.

This course is a follow-up to "Five Element Qigong: Principles and Practice" course from Fall 2024, but can also be taken and enjoyed without the prerequisite. Qigong describes cultivating our energy through movement, breath awareness, posture, visualization, and meditation for the purpose of enhancing our functionality and general well being. This course will explore qigong concepts along with a physical practice related to the fire element in Taoist five element theory.

This gentle form of yoga is practiced using a chair as a prop/stabilizer for support during standing poses or adapted for sitting on a chair. It is especially beneficial for people concerned with balance or coordination issues or those who have felt they are unable to participate in other yoga experiences. The class includes poses for strength training, mobility in the joints, and more relaxing poses to help steady the mind. Modifications will be offered throughout the course so that participants learn to adapt to their personal situations and comfort as well as challenge themselves. The course is appropriate for all levels.