Five Great Reasons to Take the Morning Yoga Cruise June with the Seaport Association

The 5000-year-old ancient tradition of yoga, originating in India, continues to gain popularity in the U.S.  A study conducted by the Yoga Alliance and Yoga Journal found that the number of people doing yoga is up from 20.4 million in 2012 to 36.7 million in 2016 and that 34% or roughly 80 million Americans say that they are somewhat or very likely to practice yoga in the next twelve months.  With this in mind, the Seaport Association of Norwalk has put together the Morning Yoga Cruise to Sheffield Island on June 30 from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

This relaxing excursion begins with an early morning ferry ride to Sheffield Island.  Early morning is one of the most beautiful times of day to be on the water.  Once on the island, there will be a one-hour session with Yoga Instructor, Amanda Boe who has received her YTT certification from the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. Boe has also been a student of many yoga teachers from around the globe. "I believe that yoga is a great equalizer, and teaching yoga offers balance in a hectic world."  

Five Reasons to take the Morning Yoga Cruise

1. Get Ready to Unplug.  Turn off your cell phone and get ready to engage your senses to the sounds of the sea.  Practicing yoga on the very private Sheffield Island with no more than 49 other participants is exhilarating.  Here, you will experience the kind of quiet that allows you to listen and become one with the sounds of the island leaving the work a day world far behind.  This is the kind of quiet that expands your senses and allows you to unwind as you breathe deeply, smell the fresh salt air, and listen to the mysteries of the wind.

2. Gain a Sense of Inner Calm. Yoga helps quiet the mind and teaches us how to step back from our churning thoughts and anxieties.  Many people practice yoga to "de-stress," which in turn, reduces its physical effects on the body. Yoga encourages relaxation, which helps lower the level of stress hormones like cortisol.  It is also known that when we are less stressed we sleep better; several studies have shown that yoga improves sleep quality. Lowering stress also lowers blood pressure and slows the heart rate, improves digestion, and boosts the immune system.

3. Improve your Flexibility and General Fitness.   Yoga is a full body workout that improves flexibility, and more importantly, mobility.  Flexibility is what makes it easier to complete everyday movements like kneeling, bending or reaching; certain yoga holds build functional strength where you really need it.  Yoga also increases your mobility by making it easier to accomplish these things. As an added bonus, yoga is exercise and you will burn calories doing it!

4. Learn to Breathe.  Think of breathing as an endless feedback loop.  One of the central purposes of yoga is to bring awareness to the way emotions affect breathing.  When practicing yoga you will learn to breathe differently and how to use this knowledge in everyday situations.  To "take a deep breath" is much more than just a saying, taking a deep breath is sometimes the only thing between you and saying something you will regret.  Among the many health benefits to the heart, brain and immune system, deep breathing keeps the body in its naturally slightly alkalinized state.

5. Connect with yourself.   Yoga is about becoming attuned to our individual self.  The word yoga means "union" and refers to the union of mind, body, and spirit. The beauty of the Sunrise Yoga Cruise is that this time away allows participants to set aside a few hours to rejuvenate and connect or reconnect with their inner thoughts.  The natural beauty of Sheffield Island, the sound of the waves, the chatter of birds, and the sea breeze provide a perfect backdrop to give yourself an hour or so just let yourself go or to sort everything out.

About the Morning Yoga Cruise

The Morning Cruise and YogaSession is for adults only. It is open to all skill levels and to anyone looking to enjoy a serene ferry ride to Sheffield Island followed by an hour of yoga.  Fresh fruit and water will be provided.

The boat leaves from the Sheffield Island Lighthouse Dock located at the corner of North Water Street and Washington Street in historic South Norwalk. Parking is available adjacent to the dock and the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium Garage. 

Tickets are $40 ($42.39 with service fee) and may be purchased online by clicking here.

BBQ and Boating to Sheffield Island – June 30

 BBQ is trending in pop culture - on TV shows, at festivals and fairs and even on road trip itineraries. BBQ has become a quintessential American treat, especially around the 4th of July. Some dare to say that BBQ almost rivals apple pie in popularity! With this thought in mind, the Seaport Association in Norwalk has cooked up a special BBQ Cruise on June 30. The boat departs the dock at 5 p.m. and returns at 9 p.m. The capacity is limited to 49 lucky people (the Coast Guard sets the limit). This event does require advance reservations so get your tickets early!

The Lighthouse on Sheffield Island has a long history and is celebrating 150 years making this BBQ Cruise, the only one of the season, very special. Like the Lighthouse, BBQ has a long history whose roots go back to Caribbean cooking. In the U.S. there are four distinct styles of BBQ including Carolina, Texas, Memphis and Kansas City. These four styles were brought north from the Caribbean by Spanish conquistadors and then moved westward and beyond by settlers. Along the way, a few European spices were mixed in, and the techniques modified here and there resulting in the four basic types of BBQ found here today.

This BBQ Cruise is the perfect way to get inspired for your July 4th BBQ! The menu for the Sheffield Island BBQ includes all the classics - pulled pork, BBQ steak, BBQ Chicken, corn on the cob, tomato salad, orzo salad, three-bean salad, watermelon and soft drinks. Feel free to BYOB and don't forget your plastic cups! An added bonus of the Sheffield Island BBQ is that guests dine as the sun sets over Long Island Sound making for memorable photo opportunities.

It is undeniable that there is a certain pleasure when the slow-cooked flavors of meat hit the smoke and the BBQ sauce or rubs - combine that with our BBQ Cruise to Sheffield Island on June 30 and you are in for a perfect night. For tickets and additional information click here.

The Seaport Association dock is located on 4 North Water Street adjacent to the Maritime Aquarium IMAX Parking Lot. Parking is available at the adjacent Maritime Garage

Newtown House and Garden Tour June 24

The Newtown Historical Society is going a different route for this year’s House & Garden Tour. Instead of having ticket holders drive to multiple locations to view homes and/or gardens, we are inviting the public to join us at the Benjamin Curtiss property in Sandy Hook owned by Lincoln and Jean Sander. You can tour the house and beautiful gardens, partake in refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, and enjoy the company of friends. The event will take place on Sunday, June 24th from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

In addition to the tour, we will formally introduce The Dan Cruson Scholarship Fund, which will award a high schooler planning to study history or a related field in college. Remarks about Cruson and this new scholarship will be made at 3:00 pm. Fundraising through this year’s tour will be in part for the scholarship, and additional contributions will also help with ongoing work for building repairs.

The House: The 1748 home and garden of Jean and Lincoln Sander date back to one of Newtown’s founding fathers, Benjamin Curtiss. He was the uncle of Matthew Curtiss, whose former home at 44 Main Street serves as headquarters for the Newtown Historical Society. Benjamin was one of three men to petition the General Assembly in October 1761 to establish the Stratford-Newtown town line, according to Ezra Levan Johnson’s History of Newtown, Conn (1917).

This home is a Connecticut classic colonial with center chimney. Its three stories and high ceilings, spacious rooms, and beautifully crafted woodwork all reflect the status of the original owner. Docents will be on hand to answer questions about the home and its contents, which include an amazing collection of 18th Century antiques.

The Garden: Jean Sander, a member of the Garden Conservancy, has spent numerous years perfecting this garden, which brings new sights every day in summer. The property now features several stone walls, including one that measures 325 feet in length. It also highlights a formal English garden adjacent to the back of the house surrounded by a huge Taxus hedge.

The main room of Jean Sander’s English garden is what she calls her “troughery,” or a room filled with troughs dating from the 18th and 19th Centuries. Many have been filled with plantings, including an antique planter coupled with a set of seven 19th Century stones out of an estate in Maine.

There is also a woodland walk, which overlooks the confluence of the Pootatuck River and Lake Zoar. At least two dozen native and ornamental trees had been planted along its length by 2015. Shrubs and a small woodland garden accent the walk, as does an oversized birdhouse commissioned by the Sanders that replicates an antique birdhouse owned by some friends. The 17th Century corn cob structure is now off a woodland pathway that runs along the northern edge of the property.

The Event: The tour will take place rain or shine. Donation for each ticket is $25.00 prior to June 24 and $30.00 the day of the event. Most of the pre-ordered tickets will be sent through the mail. Tickets ordered close to and on the day of the tour can be picked up at Lincoln Sander's house. Tickets will be on sale at the C.H. Booth Library, Queen Street Gifts & Treats, or directly from Lincoln Sanders by calling him at 203-364-1833 or click here

Goat Yoga at Flanders Nature Center's North Barn!

Come stretch, laugh, and cuddle with the Flanders’  goats, for a yoga class unlike any you’ve experienced before!  Goat Yoga is the latest exercise to capture the imaginations and hearts of people everywhere and this is a chance to experience it for yourself!

On Sunday, June 24^th, Jennifer Hotchkiss, an experienced yoga instructor,  will be leading this one-hour gentle yoga class which is suitable for all levels. Adorable Nigerian dwarf goats will be frolicking & cuddling with guests as they flow through the outdoor class at the picturesque Flanders farm.

Participants should keep in mind that they’ll be practicing with live animals and some degree of messiness (and a LOT of silliness) may be involved so they should dress accordingly, wearing comfortable clothes and bringing along a yoga mat or towel.

The program will begin at 10AM and be held at the Flanders North Barn which is located at 644 Flanders Road in Woodbury just beyond the intersection of Flanders and Church Hill Road. The cost is $20 for members and $25 for non-members for adults and $10 for ages 15 and under accompanied by an adult. In event of rain, the class will be held inside the barn. Proceeds will go to the farming program. Space is limited and those interested need to register online at www.flandersnaturecenter.org or call 203-263-3711, ext. 10, for more information.

                                               About Flanders

Flanders is a community organization dedicated to preserving our environment and history through land acquisition, conservation and management, and using its stewardship of land to foster better understanding and appreciation of nature, art and the wonders of the natural world. Our vision is a future in which our important forests, wet lands, agricultural lands and wildlife habitats are preserved forever, and in which we follow best practices for land stewardship, be a leading center for environmental education for all ages, partner with all levels of government and private organizations to conserve our natural heritage, and insure the financial resources needed to achieve these goals.

Flora to Feast in Norfolk June 23

On Saturday, June 23 from 11 am to 4 pm there will be a garden tour in Norfolk of five unique northwest Connecticut gardens followed by a cocktail hour, dinner and silent auction all to benefit the Norfolk Curling Club.  The Garden Tour is $30, the dinner is $30, a combo ticket is $50 and available from  www.norfolkcurlingclub.org.

Gardens featured include:

Garden at Fernwood (Norfolk) The gardens of this Arts and Crafts-style house built in 1908 have been restored based on original plans. Featured are a formal parterre and magnificent large double border below the west side of the house. Still under development is a half moon of dwarf and semi-dwarf evergreens, created to take advantage of a serendipitous gift of many specimens.

Wood Creek (Norfolk) Classic lines and materials define this 18th century farmhouse garden. Lush grass fills the mowed lawns, the rough-cut apple orchard and the meadows surrounding the property. Ferns and shrubs (notably lilacs) frame the house; the main garden area consists of two stone squares with colorful perennials and herbs. Two large groups of peonies accent a stone wall below the orchard. A new row of apple trees creates an allée leading from the main garden through a pair of granite posts and continues down the hill towards the woods and the beaver pond beyond.

Blueberry Hill (Norfolk) Deceptively simple, this garden is built around existing natural features. A sweep of lawn is defined by a stream on one side and by the house and low stone walls on the other. In the distance lies a fenced vegetable garden with raised beds and a stone barn. A strip of rough grass hosts ferns, a halesia and shrubs. Beds of flowering plants are complemented by a natural area of highbush blueberries interspersed with amelanchier, wild pear, pink azaleas and wildflowers.

The Terraces (Norfolk) Cottage and garden merge into a beautiful setting for entertaining. A small orchard of apples and peaches combine with hedged borders and endless pockets of interesting plants and specimen trees. An arched stone passageway climbs past borders of hellebores and other shade lovers leading to a colorful herb garden at the top.

Garden in the Woods (Southfield) A work in progress, this garden is planted with many interesting perennials, mostly natives. A long, curving bed of wildflowers and a variety of perennials line a stone retaining wall. At the end of the house nearer the road, are two beds planted with shrubs and perennials by Project Native. A plant-lined path provides an impressive view below of the Whiting River rushing along to Campbell Falls.