As the calendar turns to December, you may be looking forward to gatherings with friends and family members in the weeks ahead.  Maintaining social connections is so essential to our health that the Surgeon General has declared loneliness and isolation to be an epidemic in the U.S.  The Surgeon General’s advisory report not only warns about the substantial harm caused by loneliness and isolation but also advocates for the benefits of social connection, both to personal well being and to communities.

You may also have read about the importance of social connection in Daniel Levitin’s Successful Aging (our fall book club book) or heard about the power of strong social networks on today’s episode of Science Friday.  This month, we invite you to connect or reconnect with our yoga community:  join us for a special event or a special or regular class before the year concludes and give yourself the gift of additional social connection.

December special events:

• Holiday Open House: Sun., Dec. 10, 5:30 p.m.  After Angie’s Basics class on Sunday afternoon, we will host a free and casual open house at the studio.  Stick around after class or stop by just to see folks and to assemble your own personalized trail mix from our trail mix bar!
• Sound Bath with Beshka: Sat., Dec. 30, 11 a.m.  Looking for an opportunity to treat yourself at the end of the year?  Join Beshka for her December sound bath!  To ensure everyone has space to be comfortable, we require pre-registration, and we offer this special event for $25.  If you’re ready to register, complete this brief form; to see registration updates and ask questions, RSVP to its Facebook event.
• Yoga Social:  Muffins and Mimosas:  Sun., Dec. 31, 10:30 a.m.  After Heather’s New Year’s Eve class, we will host a free yoga social to bid farewell to the year.  Bring a few of your favorite muffins and join us to toast the conclusion of 2023.

December special classes:

• Guest teacher Maria French: Sat., Dec. 9, 9 a.m.  Join us in welcoming Maria as a guest teacher for the Saturday-morning Basics class!  Maria has been practicing yoga since 2012 and completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training at Be Happy Yoga in July 2021. Currently enrolled in the 300-hour yoga teacher training program at Sanctuary in Nashville, Maria especially enjoys sharing with her students the benefits of yoga, both physical and mental, to help relieve stress and feel more at ease.  
• Restorative Yoga with Angie: Wed., Dec. 13, 5:30 p.m.  Whether you are already a fan of restorative yoga or wondering if this style of practice can help you relax both body and mind, join Angie for this chance to slow down and rest.
• Yoga Nidra with Shigeko:  Sun., Dec. 17, 5:30 p.m.  If you enjoy guided relaxation during savasana, you may particularly appreciate yoga nidra.  In this session, Shigeko will use her iRest training to guide folks through an accessible process of releasing stress.
• Bonus Gentle Yoga with Carmen: Fri., Dec. 22, 1:30 p.m.  We know the holiday season can be busy, so Carmen is offering a bonus Gentle class, providing five opportunities for those who prefer Gentle classes to practice during the week prior to Christmas.
• New Year’s Eve class with Heather:  Sun., Dec. 31, 9 a.m.  To conclude 2023 with yoga, join Heather on NYE for a special morning class.
• New Year’s Day class with Carmen:  Mon., Jan. 1, 10 a.m.  Join Carmen to ring in 2024 together at the studio on NYD.

For a complete copy of the December schedule, please see the attached file or our online calendar.  We hope to connect with you this month!

P.S.  For those of you who like to plan ahead, please save the date for our next book club meeting: Sun., Jan. 21, 2024.  We will be discussing Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead, which is available in several formats (including audio, print, large print, and electronic) from our friends at the Warren County Public Library.