The Landis Meeting House is the site of weddings, memorials, star parties, and, now, yoga. On a glorious Sunday afternoon, certified instructor Vanessa Chambers invited participants to spread their mats on the grass and begin “an adventure of self-exploration.”
Our class attracted both experienced yogis as well as at least one novice. Galway resident Lisa was excited to introduce her friend Donna to the practice of yoga. As Lisa explained, “It’s a new page.”
Theresa from Esperance took time from home schooling three children to savor the self-care that yoga provides.
Vanessa grew up in Rotterdam with a mother who loves plants. After connecting with Erin Breglia, Landis garden manager and a student in one of her classes, she looked more closely at the Arboretum as a potential site for offering a series of yoga practices. Living near the Adirondack Park and having an appreciation for natural places where “you can practice as if you are by yourself,” she knew Landis would be a good fit.
Vanessa was wowed by our newly-redesigned website and scanned the equally impressive calendar of events. Yet, there were no yoga classes. She noted, “Yoga is invaluable, in my opinion, not just to exercise, but to know who you are, and how you are.” And what better place than Landis?
And so she brought her “Know and Nurture” yoga classes to Landis, the “reverent space” she sought out, “a contemplative, quiet space,” perfect for yoga on the grass, and her other offering, “Recalibrate: Silent Excursions”. Where else but Landis for an opportunity for “being unplugged . . . an interaction of observation” as you take a silent hike after a centering and breathing practice including gentle stretching? The hike will hone your ability to observe your surroundings, and you will pause to sit, contemplate, and journal before sharing some quiet conversation with the others in the class. Monthly classes continue this summer through September (now held in the field above the lower parking lot).
How will you find your own reverent space? Join Vanessa for one or more of the monthly yoga classes from June through September, and treat yourself to any or all of her silent hikes held in June, July, and August. For more information or to register for yoga, visit our website here for the July class or here for the August class; information and registration for silent hikes can be found here for June 20, here for July 18, and here for August 22
Summer at Landis is restorative, a place to unplug, unwind, and discover yourself. Priceless.