Wednesday Session 1   

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 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 physical, mental, or emotional imbalances that manifest in symptoms such as anxiety, lethargy, or poor digestion. This class 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. 

We will discuss two of Jane Austen’s most popular novels, Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. Through close attention to Austen’s impeccable style, we will learn to appreciate the breadth of her literary skills. Austen engages her readers’ sympathies with a panorama of charming, multidimensional characters as she chronicles their struggles with the customs and traditions of English life. At the same time, Austen’s wicked wit enables her to dissect those characters and the world they inhabit, as she skewers everything that her social world held sacred.

Opera composers need to eat like everybody else. Some of the most famous opera creators are gourmands, while others are clearly not foodies. Rossini was famously known for his love of food, but little is known about Mozart’s eating habits. Which opera composers mention food in their operas? How important was food to Puccini? How could you plan an elegant dinner party based on a specific opera? Discover facts about opera composers’ personal lives and tastes while listening to great operatic creations. This course will include a delicious collection of recipes inspired by opera, while enjoying music that tastes "good to the ear.”

Most media coverage of the Supreme Court concerns its decisions interpreting the Constitution on high profile matters like the right to abortion, the right to bear arms, or the constitutionality of race-based affirmative action. Far less attention goes to cases accounting for about half of the Court's docket: those requiring the interpretation of federal statutes passed by Congress. Through consideration of several cases, ranging from the amusing and seemingly trivial (is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?) to the very consequential (will Obamacare survive?), this course will explore the ways in which the Court dissects Congress's enacted words and tries to discern its ever-elusive intent.

Explore the complexities of senior living decision-making in this comprehensive course. Delve into the myriad options available, from staying in your home, to independent living or assisted care, and master the art of financial planning tailored to senior living. Understand the crucial intersection of wellness and healthcare within these communities. Uncover the emotional and social dynamics that play a pivotal role in the well-being of seniors. Equip yourself with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed decisions that prioritize the holistic needs of older individuals.

This course explores the political ramifications of how police, policing, law enforcement, and prisons are portrayed in the media. We'll consider things like the "CSI Effect", COPS, C.O.P.S. (yes, those are different), CHiPS, Batman, The Wire, The Shield, Blue Bloods, Bad Boys, Hawaii Five-O, Law and Order, The Andy Griffith Show, and even Paw Patrol. The course will examine how policing in the American context is constructed, narrativized, and shared via media sources. We'll then talk about the politics of this portrayal, and how lived experience (especially that of marginalized groups) clashes with the mass public's held notions, creating real concern for policy change.

Music has often been a source of controversy. In their goal for originality, musicians sometimes push the envelope too far and pay the price. This course will analyze some of these controversial pieces of music. Some of them were revolutionary ones that challenged established norms and created great discord. Some even created moral panics that led to cries for censorship, when they were released or decades later. These controversies happened in classical, pop music, and music for the stage and screen.

This course takes members on a virtual and chronological tour of historic places in Western Pennsylvania, from Meadowcroft Rockshelter and Historic Village in Washington County to the Quecreek Mine Rescue in Somerset County. The course is designed to encourage participants to explore these places on their own and with their families.