Fitness, Health, & Self-Interests   

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 explores how where we live, policies around us, and systems shape our health and well-being. Everyday examples of health inequities and differences in outcomes across communities and groups will be explored. Each class will include a brief lecture, simple visuals, and guided discussion. Short optional readings and videos will be shared between classes. No background in health or policy is required, and the focus will be on practical understanding that connects to daily life.

Get to know Pittsburgh urban farms! Our food system is a multifaceted network of interconnected systems and relationships. In order to be able to feed ourselves well into the future, it must be sustainable. This course includes time outside meeting urban farmers. There may be opportunities to get dirty, hold a chicken, and eat fresh, organic produce right from the vine. Participants should dress ready to garden.

NOTE: Each week, class will be held at a Pittsburgh urban farm location; travel is on your own.

Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa have geographical areas with exceptional conditions for grapevine growing. Winemakers in those countries have been able to adapt many Old World, mostly French, varietals providing new interpretations, free from tradition, and exploring possibilities. 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. Members will need to purchase the wines and we will taste them during class. The selection will depend on what is good, available, and affordable at the store. Cheers!

Simple, accessible chair yoga can help restore balance to mind and body. Led by a veteran teacher and nervous system expert, each session blends gentle movement, mindful breathing, and guided relaxation to release tension and cultivate calm. No special equipment or prior yoga experience is needed, just a chair and an open mind. Members will learn practical, repeatable techniques to shift from stress to ease, supporting resilience in daily life.

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.

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! 

This course is designed to help members learn the history of social media and different types of platforms. In addition, members can create their own social media accounts and will learn how to post thoughts, pictures, reels, and live videos.

NOTE: This course will be taught at the Community Engagement Center in Homewood (622 N. Homewood Avenue, 15208).