Our flexible attendance schedule allows you to attend any class, any time, using a “class card." No advance registration unless otherwise noted. Prices are based on the length of the class and the quantity of classes you purchase. To purchase a class card, call (203) 863-3630.

$170 for (10) 1-hour classes
$320 for (20) 1-hour classes
$190 for (10) 1½-hour classes
$360 for (20) 1½-hour classes
10-class cards expire 3 months from purchase.
20-class cards expire 6 months from purchase.

Attendance is based on a “first come" basis and instructors will mark your card. Attend as many classes as you like each week or even skip a week. When you have used up your card, simply purchase another.

Our “drop in” option remains at $20 for 1-hour classes and 1½- hour classes unless otherwise noted. Drop-ins are always welcome, pending space availability.

To register in advance for any class, call (203) 863-3630.

Gift certificates for classes, massage and acupuncture treatment are available. Call (203) 863-3615 for information.

Please note: All classes are held in the Center for Integrative Medicine’s yoga/meditation room, unless otherwise noted.

Class Schedules

Summer 2010 (PDF)

Class Descriptions

Achieving Radiant Health

Learn to balance the pursuit of happiness with the demands of stress as you reinforce your zeal for life. This half-day experience is ideal for individuals under great stress, people who have chronic disease challenges, and for anyone who would like to optimize their wellness.

Cancer Wellness: A Mind/Body Approach to Living with Cancer

This 6-week session consists of learning simple meditation techniques for relaxation, creative visualization, positive attitudes, goal setting, managing pain, exercise, regaining hope and building an emotional support system. It is offered throughout the year and patients can continue beyond their initial six-week experience. Next session starts Tuesday, August 10, from 7-9pm at the Center for Integrative Medicine. Advance registration is required. For more information or to register, call 203-863-3630. This program is FREE to all cancer patients and their families.

Corporate Stress Management Programs

Help your executives and staff to become hardier, more resilient and flexible in managing job stress. Those with stress-related physical symptoms will be better able to manage their conditions. One-hour “lunch and learn” presentations and half-day workshops can be tailored to your needs. Improve employee health, productivity, reliability and satisfaction, and cut costs for health insurance. Call (203) 863-3615.

NEW! Healing Touch: A Workshop for Empowering Children

This parent/child (6-9 years old) workshop emphasizes the belief that all children are capable of learning and using healing energy to elicit an internal sense of peace and calm. The participants will come away with simple tools to use in their daily life.  Saturday, October 16 from 10am-12noon. Held in the Center for Integrative Medicine yoga room. To register or for more information, call 203-863-3630. Fee: $35.

Infant Massage with Jan Scaglia

This series of three one-hour classes for babies and parents offers a holistic, natural way to promote infant health and deepen bonding. Learn nurturing touch, massage and reflexology while interpreting and responding to your infant's body language. Baby must be at least six weeks of age.

Meditation Classes

Foundations of Meditation with Janaki Pierson
This course provides thorough training in the theory and practice of correct meditation.  Learn about meditation’s mind/body benefits, and its applications for dealing with stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, insomnia, headaches and addictive behavior.  Gentle, relaxing yoga movements and tools for establishing daily meditation practice are included.  Held Tuesdays, 5:30-7pm.  Next session begins Tuesday, September 14. To register for an 8-week session, call 203-863-3630.  Fee:  $160.

Mindfulness Meditation/Stress Management Group
An experienced group leader teaches “Mindfulness” and the “Relaxation Response” in these weekly sessions. Mondays, 7-8pm in the hospital chapel, or Thursdays, 10:45-11:45am in Community Room, First Floor, 55 Holly Hill Lane, Greenwich. To register or for more information, call 203-863-3630. FREE

Music and Meditation
Music therapist Dr. Amy Zabin leads a journey into deep relaxation using crystal singing bowls, flutes, guitars and guided imagery. Held Tuesdays, 12:30-1pm in the hospital chapel. FREE.

Mind Over Menopause
Learn ways to cope with perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes, headaches, insomnia, and changes in mood and sexuality. Elicit the relaxation response and regain a sense of control and well-being through diaphragmatic breathing, imagery, mindfulness and other self-care techniques. Mind-body interventions can help to lower blood pressure, improve sleep, and decrease depression, anxiety, and anger. Five sessions, Tuesdays or Thursdays, 7-9pm. To register or for more information, call 203-863-3630.

New! Mind/Body Skills Group

Our health is influenced not only by what we eat, how we exercise and the environment in which we live, but also by our thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Research shows that mind/body approaches to stress management and chronic illness have positive effects on our physical and psychological health and our overall quality of life. Explore, learn and experience tools for self-care and stress management. This 5-week course meets in 2-hour sessions on Monday evenings in the Gathering Room at the Center. Sessions are facilitated by Christine Dunster, RN. Course fee: $500. Call (203) 863-3630 to register.

Pilates with Chikeola Karimou

Pilates is a series of exercises designed to build powerful abdominal strength, develop spinal flexibility and precisely align the body. Exercises are performed in a fluid and graceful manner, requiring coordination and concentration. Consistent practice develops “core strength”, resulting in stability and control over body movements. Held Wednesdays, 9-10am. New class begins Monday, September 13 , 10-11am. Fee:  $170 for 10 classes or Drop-in: $20

Priming for Pregnancy

This mind/body program to enhance fertility will help women gain better control over stress, negative thinking and other lifestyle behaviors that can affect their reproductive health. The five-week course, held Tuesdays or Thursdays from 7-9pm, is open to all women dealing with infertility. Offered in collaboration with the Greenwich Fertility Center.

Receptive Nest: Yoga for Fertility Workshop with Karen Safire
In our intimate setting, you will investigate restorative yoga poses that support your reproductive health, help balance your hormonal system, and aid in conception and pregnancy. We will also discuss fertility-focused adaptations to your regular yoga practice. Come alone or bring your partner to experience yoga that leaves you feeling restored, refreshed and supported. No previous yoga experience necessary. Fee: $50. A $10 materials fee for a take-home practice booklet is payable at the workshop. Next class: Saturday, June 5, 2010. 9:30am-12:15pm Call (203) 863-3630 for more information.

NEW! Prepare for Surgery, Heal Faster

An analysis of 191 research studies with 8,600 patients documents that people who prepared for surgery had less pain, fewer complications and recovered sooner. Learn mind-body techniques to feel calmer before surgery, minimize pain after surgery and reduce side effects of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. This one-hour, individual session, conducted by a fully trained and certified nurse, includes the book and its companion CD. To schedule an appointment, please call 203-863-3615. Fee: $120.00

NEW! Qi Gong

Qi Gong, developed in China, utilizes movement and breath coordination to enhance overall health. The practice of qi gong is a great tool for people suffering from any chronic medical condition or for anyone wishing to maintain optimal health. This class focuses on easy movements for people of all levels. Qi Gong promotes the circulation of qi within the human body. In its simplest form, qi, in Chinese, can mean air, breath, energy or "life force.” Gong means work, so qi gong is, therefore, the practice of "working" with one’s "life force." The emphasis is in training the coordination of the individual's body with the breath, known as the harmonization of the inner and outer energy. This harmonization allows blood and energy to flow more freely within the body. Thus, it balances hormones, increases metabolic activity, encourages lymphatic drainage, enhances digestive capability, soothes emotions and increases blood production (both red and white blood cells). The regular practice of qi gong may enhance the immune system, optimize the digestive processes, calm the mind and increase overall energy, It helps to increase focus and clarity in one’s life while decreasing stress. Instructor: Kimberlie Wilson, LAc Mac. The class meets Fridays, 1-2 PM, beginning February 5 in the Yoga Room at the Center. To register call (203) 863-3630.

Tai Chi Classes

Our Tai Chi programs are designed for people coping with cancer, infertility, menopause, premenstrual syndrome or other medical conditions.

Tai Chi (Lee Hu Bafa Beginner) with Ken Dolan
This exercise art consists of a series of changing postures performed in a relaxed manner. Practiced for health and meditation, tai chi gently improves muscle strength and cardiovascular health while reducing stress. It also develops stamina, flexibility, agility and confidence. Studies show elderly participants of tai chi fall less often and suffer 25 percent fewer injuries if they do fall. No previous experience necessary. Held Mondays, 12:45-1:45pm and New class on Thursdays, 12:00-1:00pm.

Tai Chi (Lee Hu Bafa Intermediate) with Ken Dolan
Same description as beginner's level, except you must have previous tai chi class experience. Held Mondays, 11:30am–12:30pm.

Tai Chi with Master Domingo Colon
With 38 years of tai chi experience coupled with extensive training in physical therapy, Master Colon combines the best of eastern and western traditional healing methods. This hour-long beginners class is designed for those who have difficulty standing for long periods of time. Most exercises are performed sitting in a chair. Held Thursdays, 12-1pm. Physician clearance required.

Yoga Classes

Classes are offered to any individual who wants to use yoga to help optimize his or her wellness. The Center for Integrative Medicine’s yoga classes and massage therapy programs are coordinated by nurse clinician-educator Roberta Brown Brugo.

In addition, The Center for Integrative Medicine offers the region's only medical yoga series. Daytime classes are held in the Center with nurses and physicians on site. These classes are designed for people recovering from illness, for those looking for gentler, slower, more measured yoga classes, and for individuals seeking more individualized instruction. Participants have the opportunity to progress gradually from easy to more challenging classes. As condition improves, participants may choose to transition from Restorative to Gentle or Kundalini Yoga. Some classes may require physician clearance. Please bring written clearance to first class where indicated.

Gentle Yoga with Anne Harris
This class includes breathing practice plus yoga postures, performed on the back and facedown as well as sitting and standing. Tone, stretch, strengthen and relax your body and learn to quiet the mind to connect with your spirit. Standing postures will often flow gently from one pose to another. Classes include a brief session using the Miracle Ball Method, designed to release chronic stiffness, pain and stress. Held Tuesdays, 10:15 – 11:45am. (1½-hour class)

Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Tots with Patti Riccio
This supportive, fun-loving, and active yoga practice is for busy tots from 1 to 3 years old. Parents engage in “sing and do” yoga techniques to build their child's self image, help them move confidently in their developing bodies, and encourage their creative spirits. Held Thursdays, 1:30-2:30pm. (1-hour class). Requires pre-registration for 8-week session.

Kundalini Yoga with Raema Salmon
Kundalini yoga works the entire nervous and glandular systems with a strengthening exercise regime for fitness, mental and spiritual health. It cultivates deep relaxation with an awareness of breath, uses exercise sets with dynamic postures that teach body awareness, and is positively de-stressing. The meditation completes the experience by developing a tranquil mind, clearing and calming emotions. You set a pace that suits your flexibility and endurance. Held Thursdays, 6:00-7:30pm. (1 ½-hour class)

Parent/Child Yoga with Inger DeGroat
In a fun, light-hearted atmosphere, parents and their children (ages 7-10) will be introduced to yoga postures, breath awareness and relaxation. Boys and girls learn to appreciate their bodies, think positively about themselves and build a strong foundation for their own yoga practice. Parents get the joy of bonding with their daughters and sons and all the incredible benefits of yoga for body/mind/spirit. Held Mondays, 5:15-6:15pm. (1-hour class value for parent; 1/2-hour class value for child)

Radiant Child Yoga with Jill Lostaglio
This fun and engaging class (for children ages 5-8) explores yoga poses, cooperative games, breathing techniques and relaxation exercises in a non-competitive environment. Children develop social skills, body awareness, strength, flexibility and confidence. Held Tuesdays, 4–5pm. (1-hour class)

Restorative Yoga with Anne Harris
How would you like to deeply relax and renew yourself, find a way to heal the effects of chronic stress or deal with fatigue from insomnia, jetlag or just not enough sleep? Restorative yoga uses props to support the body, requiring as little effort on your part as possible. It offers the opportunity to move the nervous system from survival mode (tense, alert, anxious) into relaxation mode, which repairs and restores. This no-effort practice also helps with letting go, freeing the mind from wanting to be in control, resulting in deeper relaxation. The class is open to all: healthy, not so healthy, and those with limited mobility or flexibility. Held Wednesdays, 10:15 - 11:45am. (1½-hour class). May require physician clearance.

“Yoga Girl” with Inger DeGroat
Girls ages 9-12 find this class is a way to get connected, centered and healthy. Build confidence and express yourself in this fun, non-competitive yoga class. Girls will have the chance to honor their bodies and develop a cool yoga practice that will help them gain strength, flexibility and balance. Join us to connect with your awesome, unbelievable self! Held Mondays, 4–5pm. (1-hour class)

New! Yoga Sensations with Roberta Brown Brugo
Learn to become a “witness” to your body sensations in motion or stillness. Discover your authentic self by awakening prana (life force), exploring body alignment in postures, and other meditation techniques that invite a calm, centered state of being. Gain confidence and strength as you release unwanted emotions and thoughts. Designed for those with stiff joints, headaches, muscle tension, anxiety or a desire to transform discomfort into bliss. Fridays, 9:30-11am. (1½-hour class).