Center of intention

Pose with the pros at Guilford and Clinton’s CENTER Yoga + Wellness

In 2006 I took a Bikram (hot) yoga class in on West 26th Street in Chelsea. About 30 of us in a large industrial space, the room a blistering sauna. A militant instructor barked out positions while a growing pool of sweat formed at my feet. And I was chastised for sipping water at “non-break times.” Fast-forward 16 years and 100 miles to a polar opposite scenario. CENTER Yoga + Wellness (formerly Pradipika Yoga) was founded by yoga teacher and dietitian Jennifer Dahlgren in 2012. She took a gamble and signed a lease on a small space along the shoreline to help cultivate a vibrant yoga community. Jennifer aimed to provide a place for deep healing and relaxation for all who walked through the doors, and she began to connect like-minded practitioners and teachers. In 2015, the studio was relocated to a larger facility in Clinton, CT, to support the blossoming interest. Now with a gorgeous 1,000-square-foot studio in Clinton and a brand-new location in Guilford, CENTER Yoga + Wellness offers a retail area with cozy clothes, gear and post-yoga refreshments. And hosts acclaimed teachers and authors, YogaWorks teacher trainings and specialized workshops. From its foundation to its future, CENTER Yoga + Wellness aims to be an accessible, community-driven yoga studio with an experience for everyone. New Ownership Four years after joining the staff of CENTER Yoga + Wellness as a studio manager, Petra Haynes acquired the studios, continuing Jennifer’s work to maintain a yoga family on the Connecticut Shoreline as an owner. Petra has been the backbone of the CENTER since she started working with Jennifer on nearly every facet of the business, and has been integral to its growth and success. Observed Petra, “We are the only dual-membership studios on the Shoreline that have a variety of classes and complimentary schedule for practitioners of any and all levels.” CENTER has a dedicated team of yoga teachers, who lead thoughtfullydesigned and intelligentlysequenced classes that emphasize skillful actions, safe alignment, and joyful exploration which will leave participants feeling balanced, empowered and CENTERed. Teachers from many different yoga lineages are welcomed to ensure a mix of styles. Members come from all over the Shoreline - New Haven to Old Saybrook and Essex, but also many clients come to the area for weekends and holidays, from New York City and Boston. ShoreLine’s Times’ readers have voted CENTER “Best Of Shoreline” over the past few years. A Touch Of Class What to expect at CENTER: a full schedule of heated and nonheated classes, workshops and teacher trainings, along with a curated retail selection of clothing and gear. Their goal is multifaceted - to build strength, flexibility and physical well-being as well as restore a sense of ease, balance and clarity to clients’ lives. Their Foundations and Gentle classes are great for beginners and those looking to slow down with a feel-good flow that soothes and relaxes. Their Flow and Heated Power classes will grow stamina, flexibility and mindfulness that will stoke a participant’s inner fire. They truly have classes for every body; according to Petra, “no matter who you are walking in, you can be whomever you want to be on your mat.” During this stressful time of pandemic, maintaining a yoga routine can bestow equanimity. Most CENTER students decide to cultivate regular yoga practice on recommendations from physicians, especially for the health of their spine, to recover from injuries, and as Petra can testify from her own life, to quiet one’s immune system into long-term remission. Yoga is complementary for weightlifting, running, spinning and other fitness activities that may cause tightness in muscles and connective tissue, and decrease the range of motion in joints. Safety First They also offer small group private classes; all classes are livestreamed. They follow all CDC and State guidelines...smaller class sizes, modified schedules to support social distancing and keep teachers and clients safe. At least one hour between classes has been added to carefully turn over the studios, sanitize all surfaces and disinfect the spaces. And on a daily basis, the studios are deep-cleaned. Mats are at least six feet apart. Each studio has been equipped with the highest quality H13 True HEPA Medify Air Purifier that completely filters the room atmospheres every 15 minutes. Listen to what member Larry M. had to say about CENTER Yoga + Wellness: “I was a student who went to class almost daily before COVID . When the studio closed in March, CENTER right away offered a library of online classes with many different styles and teachers. They soon also offered live online classes, which felt one step closer to being back in the studio since you could interact with the teachers. Finally we were allowed to go back to the studio with only 10 students maximum per class. If you weren’t comfortable going to the studio, you could live-stream the class. So CENTER offered several choices. They really were very helpful and understanding during this crisis. Petra was always there for any help with poses or problems you might have with the technology. They have a protocol for cleaning the studio between classes and strictly adhere to appropriate spacing for social distancing. Because of this I feel very safe at CENTER.” Looking Ahead Petra noted, “We are looking forward to bringing back some of our past guest yoga teachers, Kids Yoga series, Teen and Tween Yoga series, teacher training and all-inclusive yoga vacations. We will continue to add to our class schedules in coming weeks and months, as well as bring new events and workshops to support our community. We also offer events free to our members, including a Yoga Off-The-Mat community gathering, where we share how our practice on the mat has a profound effect on our life off the mat.”