As students settle into the spring semester, the Western Connecticut State University Institute for Holistic Health Studies (IHHS) invites anyone looking for relaxation to join in a series of Chair Yoga and Mudra Meditation sessions from February through May.
Mudra Meditation will be at 7 p.m. beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 11, in Room 103 of Warner Hall on the WCSU Midtown campus, 181 White St. in Danbury. Chair Yoga will be at 1 p.m. beginning Tuesday, March 3, in Room 212–214 of the Campus Center on the university’s Westside campus, 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury. Both classes are free and open to the public.
Mudra Meditation, led by Jesse Rovero, is a class in two parts. According to the IHHS events website, the first half of the session will have participants focus on mindful meditation and will teach students “the best ways to use thought and words to create a successful meditation practice.” The second half of the class consists of Mudras, or “simple finger and hand positions to help create a meditative state.” Mudra meditation, done from the comfort of a chair, aims to leave attendees feeling peaceful, happy, focused and relaxed.
IHHS Director Christel Autuori, a Registered Yoga Teacher, Certified AcuYoga Instructor and Certified Health and Wellness Coach, will lead Chair Yoga. Autuori will teach easy-to-use breathing techniques and stretches to do at a desk and in an office to relieve stress and tension held in the body during the workday. Attendees will leave the class relaxed, refreshed and ready to continue the day.
The IHHS is housed within the Department of Health Promotion and Exercise Sciences (HPX). The HPX department at WCSU offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Health Education (Certification Pre-K – 12) and Health Promotion Studies. Within the Health Promotion Studies program, students may choose one of four options/concentrations: Wellness Management, Community Health, Allied Health Professions and Holistic and Integrative Health. The students in these degree programs are prepared for entry-level, certified health education specialist (CHES) positions.
The focus of studying health promotion and exercise sciences is to educate students about the importance of a physically active lifestyle, wellness, fitness, health protection and preventative services in schools and the larger global community.
For more information about WCSU HPX programs, contact department Co-chair Dr. Robyn Housemann at housemannr@wcsu.edu. For information about the Chair Yoga or Mudra Meditation programs, or about the IHHS, contact Autuori at autuoric@wcsu.edu.