Yoga Dimensions—

Newtown Now Has A Place Just For Yoga

By Kaaren Valenta

Lynda Weber had been studying, practicing, and teaching yoga for years before she moved to Newtown from Darien in 2002. The first thing she noticed about her new hometown was that there was not a yoga studio.

“There is yoga here, taught in gyms and other places, but not a studio dedicated solely to yoga,” she said. “The environment where yoga is practiced is very important. It should be free from distractions like loud music and clanking exercise equipment.”

So this spring Ms Weber opened Yoga Dimensions in the South Main Commons shopping center at 87 South Main Street.

“I always intended to open a studio somewhere and when I moved here to Newtown, I knew this was the place,” she said. “Newtown is wide open for yoga.”

The studio was created with the perfect yoga experience in mind. The materials used include sandstone from India, cedar, and antiques and fabrics from a local Indian importer, Adivassi. The lighting is adjustable; the studio is kept warm and inviting. Water and loaner mats are available at no cost.

“This place formerly was a karate studio, so it was lined with mirrors,” Ms Weber said. “Mirrors are very distracting. We covered the mirrors with Indian fabrics to make it a serene and welcoming environment. “

In this studio are classes for all ages, from 5-year-olds to retirees. “Yoga is very adaptable,” Ms Weber said. “Our teachers are trained to teach all levels.”

Ms Weber assembled a staff of instructors that includes Cai McPhee, Bernadette Birney, Ned Grant, Wendy Boller, Chris Smith, Donna Jackson, and Stina Reed. Yoga Dimensions offers a variety of styles of yoga include Anusara-style vinyasa, hatha, kundalini, and astanga.

Cai McPhee recently received Hatha 1 certification from the Integral Yoga Institute in New York City. For more than ten years she has been studying, practicing, and teaching such yoga styles as iyengar, power, ashtanga, bikram, and kundalini. A Newtown resident who is an advanced practice registered nurse and a certified reflexologist, Ms McPhee holds a master’s degree as a clinical nurse specialist in holistic nursing. As a health care professional, she is accustomed to adapting yoga instruction for those with physical challenges.

Bernadette Birney is an affiliated anusara and vinyasa yoga teacher. Her past work as a massage therapist and a doula has sparked a passionate interest in anatomy, alignment, and therapeutics.

Ned Grant began practicing basic asana as a child and over the years has increased the scope and intensity of his practice through the sivandana and ashtanga disciplines. He was trained in interdisciplinary yoga by Don and Amba Stapleton of the Nosara Institute, in vinyasa flow yoga by Shiva Rea, and in June completed yoga teacher training with Rodney Yee.

Wendy Boller is an affiliated anusara instructor. She is registered with the Yoga Alliance and holds a certification from the International Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center. She has been practicing and studying yoga for the past ten years, and says she teaches “to share the physical and subtle possibilities of practice, to carry on the legacy of teaching, opening others both to practice and perhaps deciding to continue the cycle and teach.”

Chris Smith has ten years of teaching experience — more than 1,000 classes, ranging from beginner to experienced. Besides being certified in kundalini yoga, she is a certified Breathwalk instructor and has taken place in 54 white tantric courses. By day, she is director of insurance for the Turner Construction Company.

Donna Jackson has been practicing yoga for 12 years. Her passion for yoga led her to practice many types of yoga including anusara, jivamulki, vinyasa, and ashtanga. Her desire to learn more about the human body and its innate ability to heal itself led her to obtain a master’s degree in physical therapy from Columbia University in 1998. She also is a certified hatha yoga teacher.

Stina Reed teaches polarity therapy and kundalini yoga. Polarity therapy is a process for clarifying and manifesting life goals and dreams, and is based on the work of Dr Rudolph Stone, a naturopath, osteopath, and chiropractor who was a healer in the early 1900s. Ms Reed received her certification in kundalini yoga in 1997 from Ravi Singh Teacher Training and became certified in polarity wellness through the Open Center in New York City in 2004. She also has a bachelor’s degree in English.

Yoga Dimensions is open six days a week with classes in hatha yoga, kundalini, mixed level ashtanga, and vinyasa flow. The first class is free. Students can attend by the class, $19; buy a ten-class card for $150, or attend an unlimited number of classes per month for $180 and get reflexology, too. Teachers and students receive a 20 percent discount.

The studio also has a boutique that sells books, blankets, mats, rugs, jewelry, and Lynda’s essential oil products.

For more information about Yoga Dimension call 364-9500.