valley It s witchcraft Nikki Sleath publishes You Might Be A Witch just in time for Halloween See story on page 35

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1 valley LIFE FOCUSING ON FACES, 4 POLLINATOR GARDEN, 21 LIVING SPACES, 47 October 2017 TurleyCT.com A product of TurleyCT Community Publications VOLUME 4, EDITION 1 It s witchcraft Nikki Sleath publishes You Might Be A Witch just in time for Halloween See story on page 35 ALL

2 24- Shimmy and swing Local women find unique ways to work up a sweat by Olivia Piper Staff Writer Photos by Olivia Piper On Saturday mornings in Collinsville, those listening closely may be able to hear the jingle of coin-skirts, the beat of drums and the laughter of local women radiating from The Yoga Center of Collinsville where Kalia Kellogg teaches belly dancing classes each week. Kellogg has been conducting classes in this location for years, and has amassed a dedicated group of students who come to class each week in order to build confidence, de-stress and work up a sweat. Kellogg works hard to ensure that every woman who enters her class leaves feeling empowered, by emphasizing the mental component of belly dancing, which to her, means celebrating each woman who walks through the door. Women, especially, have absorbed terrible messages about their bodies. We have learned to criticize and compare our bodies, but rarely do we remember to appreciate and enjoy them, she said. This movement celebrates femininity and the female form, and I see women discovering their freedom and sensuality and finding deep self-acceptance. I ve seen women transform their lives after they ve gained confidence through dance. It s more transformative mentally, spiritually, and emotionally than it is physically! Honestly, once you ve seen your belly ripple while doing a shimmy and Kalia Kellogg teaches classes at The Yoga Center of Collinsville Right time. Right place. When the time is right for a personalized mortgage solution, we are ready when you are. Personalized Mortgage Solutions No closing cost loans Fast turnaround time Competitive rates Second home financing Expert advisors who know, live and work locally It s not too late to take advantage of historically low rates when you re inance through Simsbury Bank Home Loans. Our expert advisors are local, knowledgeable, and committed to inding you the best solution to it your current situation. Read our publications online. It s easier than ever to navigate through the pages of our publications. You can download individual pages as PDFs. Make us your homepage for local news, events, and much more! SimsburyBank.com/HomeLoans NMLS # VALLEY LIFE October 2017 The West Hartford PRESS The Valley PRESS Valley LIFE West Hartford LIFE Rocky Hill LIFE Wethersfield LIFE Glastonbury LIFE Newington LIFE

3 25-just for w learned how fun and beautiful that it, you never go back. That is exactly how Gia Khalsa, who teaches a belly dancing class at Vinnie s: Jump & Jive every Sunday evening in Middletown, feels about the activity.. Khalsa began training in bellydance 21 years ago in 1996, when she first encountered the dance at a friend s party. Ever since she has been filled with a passion for the art form, and has made it her mission to teach other women about its physical and mental benefits. Physically, belly dance increases circulation, stretches and strengthens the muscles, make you breathe deeper and sweat. Also balance and coordination. All of which are very healthy. It helps the mind in that you connect the mind and the body. This makes you more aware of both, and the coordination between them, she said. Khalsa also praises belly dancing for its ability to connect women with an inner-energy, which is important in helping to encourage relaxation, self-confidence and general happiness, while simultaneously promoting physical health. In my thinking it is a spiritual art form. It is mostly a dance of women. Is it a dance that connects you to the earth, your self, your audience, and other dancers. It can be fun and it can be a work out, she said. Though belly dancing is great for working up a sweat, both Khalsa and Kellog work hard to ensure that their classes are adaptable for every age group as well as for those dealing with injuries. Their classes are open to all and Kellogg enforces that In my thinking it is a spiritual art form. It is mostly a dance of women. Is it a dance that connects you to the earth, your self, your audience, and other dancers. It can be fun and it can be a work out. Gia Khalsa bellydance is a great form of exercise for those who may need to make adaptations to their practice due to injury or age. I have students who suffer from vertigo, have had knee and hip surgery, brain injuries, etc., and if they feel up to it they come to class and just modify any movement that bothers them, she said. They do have to take personal responsibility for knowing their limits, but I never force anyone to do all movements. I trust where they are and what they know they need, she says, while also reiterating that belly dance is perfect for those who prefer or require a practice that is low-impact, because it is such a grounded dance form, there is very little impact and that is great news for the joints and for avoiding injury. Those looking for a form of exercise that roots them to the earth may find their perfect match in belly dancing. However, for those who wish to take to the skies, Jayne Dean, an aerial yoga and acro aerial instructor in Hartford, may have just the right fit. Aerial yoga is basically taking our yoga poses and using a soft fabric hammock from the aerial arts to support the body, partially or fully, in the yoga poses. The acro aerial came out of my seeing a need for people who wanted to explore the more aerial side of aerial yoga, and basically it is more of a fitness work out than the aerial yoga is, Dean said. Dean, a practicing psychotherapist, who teaches Aerial Yoga and Acro Aerial classes at her studio, The LivingWell Centre at The 224 EcoSpace in Hartford, has been TRY TODAY 100 * CANTON 110 Albany Turnpike STE 205 Canton, CT (860) M-F 9a - 10p S 9a - 7p 10a - 6p Get Fit and Blissed Today With Yoga, Barre, Belly Dance & Meditation Our combination of gentle, mixed and vigorous classes will help you reduce stress, gain strength and flexibility, improve balance and bone density and have fun! You ll enjoy a welcoming community setting in a gorgeous studio located in one of the most picturesque destinations in Connecticut. Register for our unlimited group class special today and sample everything from our schedule of 35 classes and 14 teachers each week. $50NEW STUDENT INTRO Unlimited Classes for 30 days Sign Up Today YogaCenterCollinsville.com/new I love that when I walk into YCC, there is instantly a feeling of peace. I was comfortable from the very first moment and left feeling very happy and content. Abigail 10 Front Street Collinsville (Canton) In the historic village across from LaSalle Market October 2017 VALLEY LIFE 25

4 26-just for wom Students take a class in Acro Aerial and Aerial Yoga at The LivingWell Centre flying on her own for years. Originally a student of both traditional yoga and circus trapeze, Dean found that her passions worked best for her, and for her many students, when combined harmoniously into one activity, and thus Aerial Yoga and Aerial Acro became a reality. Similarly to belly dancing, aerial yoga focuses on improving balance, strengthening the muscles and doing so in an extremely low-impact way. Dean said aerial yoga specifically has helped her difficult lower-back issues, which were aggravated by many other forms of exercise. For me, I was a gymnast at an intense level in high school and college, which takes a toll on your body, and about 15 years ago I started having lower back issues. I actually have some compression in my lower back, which makes many of the traditional yoga postures hard on my body. The hammock, for me, takes that compression off my back and really allows me to do more. So for my own body, aerial yoga has helped my back stay healthy and to recover from that pain that I had, she says. Dean is not alone in seeking out the health benefits of aerial yoga. Emma Yungk, one of Dean s students, found that aerial yoga helped her to regain the ability to understand the capabilities of her own body after dealing with serious health issues. I started having some real health problems, and while my regular yoga practice became harder to maintain, this was easier to modify in some ways. At one point things were really rough, I had crazy blood pressure and heart rate issues, and I See SHIMMY on page 45 Comprehensive medical care for routine eye exams, the treatment of eye disease and ocular surgery! Alan L. Stern, M.D. Corneal Surgery, Cataract & Anterior Segment Surgery Laser Vision Correction Patricia A. McDonald, M.D. Cataract & Anterior Segment Surgery, External Diseases Edward P. Fitzpatrick, M.D. Disease & Surgery of the Retina & Vitreous, Diabetic Retinopathy, Macular Degeneration Martin C. Seremet, M.D. Cataract & Anterior Segment Surgery Glaucoma Therapy & Surgery Sarit M. Patel, M.D. Oculoplastic & Reconstructive Surgery Christopher J. Russo, M.D. Cataract & Anterior Segment Surgery Tracey L. Asmus, O.D. Routine Eye Exams, Contact Lens Exams & Fittings Our 3 Convenient Locations 641 Farmington Ave., Bristol, CT One Lake Street, Building C New Britain, CT VALLEY LIFE October Meriden Ave., Suite 1G Southington, CT Want to build muscular strength and tone, as well as balance, focus and inner peace? Yoga works... Try it! 730 HOPMEADOW STREET SIMSBURY JOURNEYOFYOGA.COM INTRODUCTORY RATE For New Students $50 for 30 days Unlimited Yoga New students bring this ad in for $10 OFF your first class. Read all of our Community Publications online at TurleyCT.com The West Hartford Press The Valley Press Valley Life West Hartford Life Rocky Hill Life Wethersfield Life Glastonbury Life Newington Life

5 45- SWAY from page 26 basically lost confidence that I could go upside down and do stuff like this; but continuing it actually helped to re-train my body and my nervous system, which was super helpful, Yungk said. Along with the ability to provide relief from certain injuries, aerial yoga strengthens the body and encourages physical fitness by utilizing the forces of gravity. Aerial yoga uses the upper body in a different way: there s good strengthening in the upper body and in the core because you have gravity, which helps you to turn on your core muscles, find your balance and use your arms. Also it s much easier to take inversions, putting the heart over the head, which is great for spinal decompression, relaxation and stretching. A tight muscle has nowhere to go, so we soften it by using the hammock, and then we strengthen it as well, she said. Additionally, Dean said that the practice of Acro Aerial, which is more dynamic and acrobatic, provides those looking for a challenge with a great workout, the acro aerial provides more strengthening, more flexibility and improves your aerial technique while also letting you learn more flips and tricks, she said. Those who want to take advantage of the many health benefits of aerial yoga, but are looking for a more grounded, slower practice, may find a home in Yin Aerial Yoga, which is also practiced at The 224 EchoSpace. Beth Gibbs, who is a certified yoga therapist, helps those wishing to work with a lower hammock find a practice that fits their needs, while still allowing them experience the freedom of aerial yoga. My yoga training is grounded in the therapeutic aspects of yoga for the body, breath and mind and that informs the classes I teach. I have had folks in the Yin class with diabetes, back and knee issues, and I will always offer a replacement pose or exercise if the posture being taught is not accessible to the student, Gibbs says of her therapeutic, slower-moving classes. Though belly dancing and aerial yoga are entirely different practices, they share many of the same goals: increasing muscle strength and flexibility, decreasing stress and providing those who take part in these classes with the ability to shed their inhibitions, even if just for an hour each week. Khalsa echoes the opinions of Kellogg and Dean, when she exclaims that for her, she finds her greatest joy in knowing that her classes not only encourage physical health, but promote the happiness and confidence of every woman who walks through her doors. I teach for the power, freedom and joy of all women, that has always been my byline, she says. Contact Khalsa at Kellogg at kaliakellogg@yahoo.com or like her Facebook page Kalia Belly Dance (CT) for updates and information. Learn more about Acro Aerial and Yin Aerial Yoga at or Dean at jayne@ctaerialyoga.com. MY SON S BEST FRIEND DOESN T GET DINNER SOME NIGHTS. MY EIGHT-YEAR-OLD NIECE STILL CAN T READ. Together, we re FINDING THE BEST WAY to help. MY NEIGHBOR S PRESCHOOLER ISN T TALKING YET. United Way cares about what you care about and we ll take a stand for it just like you. Choosing to give is a personal choice. It s up to you where your donation will go. And we ve made it easy for you to give. Can t decide? United Way knows where the needs are within our communities. We find the best ways to bring people together to solve the issues that matter most. When you give to United Way we put your donation to use in a way that makes a difference. Together, we re finding the best way to help children get ready for school and stay on track to graduation. get people jobs and help with managing finances. connect families with health services. provide assistance during the tough times. Find your best way. Donate today. unitedwayinc.org MY GOOD FRIEND IS STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET. Read all of our Community Publications online at TurleyCT.com The West Hartford Press The Valley Press Valley Life West Hartford Life Rocky Hill Life Wethersfield Life Glastonbury Life Newington Life October 2017 VALLEY LIFE 45