Library Wellness Series Highlights Yoga

By Nancy K. Crevier

The second of six programs in the Enhancing Wellness series continues Tuesday night, September 19, from 7 pm to 9 pm at the C.H. Booth Library on Main Street in Newtown with a look at the benefits of yoga and the role breath plays in health.

Lynda Weber, owner of Yoga Dimensions on South Main Street and Kathleen “Kat” Way Barton, co-director of Graceful Planet in Sandy Hook, will present an overview of the various types of yoga and lead participants in gentle exercises.

“Yoga is breathing, movement, and intention, which is the integration of body, mind, and spirit, bringing everything together to make life more clear,” explained Ms Weber. She looks forward to the presentation as a means of communicating to others what yoga is all about.

Ms Weber has practiced yoga for ten years, training with numerous yoga instructors in different places. She moved to Newtown from Darien four years ago, not planning to open a yoga studio. When the South Main Street location became available two and a half years ago, though, she felt it was a good time to open the space, and Yoga Dimensions was born.

On September 19, Ms Weber will discuss what it is like to practice yoga in a studio — “Not everyone who does yoga has had the chance to practice in a studio designed for yoga,” she said — and yoga student Betsy McBrayer will join her to talk about the benefits of yoga. Comfortable clothing that allows movement is desirable for this workshop, as Yoga Dimensions instructor Lisa Norte will be on hand to lead gentle exercises to familiarize participants with the art of yoga.

“I’m happy to be a part of the wellness series,” said Ms Weber. “It’s really exciting. You cannot have too many wellness opportunities in town. In my view, yoga is a huge component of wellness. I think people [who come to the series] will be surprised what yoga is all about. Newtown is lucky to have two yoga studios. I wish there could be one in every town.”

Kat Way Barton, co-creator of Graceful Planet on Route 25 in Sandy Hook since 2002, is looking forward to the Enhancing Wellness series. “There seems to be a whole lot of interest [in the program],” she said. “It seems like Newtown is really in tune with wellness.”

As a former sales person for Mattel Industries, Ms Barton began practicing yoga more than 15 years ago to alleviate the stress of that lifestyle. She was certified by Yoga Alliance five years ago when she decided to leave the corporate world and embrace the practice of yoga fulltime, in order to share it with others. This past summer she completed a Yoga Ed course that certifies her to teach yoga to grades K through eight in schools.

The point of Ms Barton’s instruction on September 19, she said, will be to teach the men and women who attend, “How to take yoga off of the mat and into your life. We’re all kinesthetic,” said Ms Barton. “We’re designed to move, not sit in a chair and stare at a computer.” Participants will want to wear comfortable clothing to facilitate the easy stretches and exercises Ms Barton will lead that evening. “Brain Gym” exercises are quick things to do to reconcentrate when a person is feeling overwhelmed, said Ms Barton, and some of these principles will be offered Tuesday evening, as well.

The simple practices of conscious breathing, chair yoga, relaxation, and visualization are all easy to follow and practices that can be adapted to everyday use, she said. “I think of yoga as a sort of ‘time-in’ as opposed to ‘time-out,’” Ms Barton explained. “It’s about checking in on how you’re feeling and learning to control stress.”

The Enhancing Wellness series runs every Tuesday evening through October 17, from 7 to 9 pm. Centering and creativity, relieving stress, botanical medicine, and nutrition will be addressed on subsequent evenings. To register, call the C.H. Booth Library at 426-4533.