As part of Wellness Week, Heritage will offer four free lunchtime mediation sessions. These drop-in, 15-20 minute sessions will offer participants the chance to slow down, deepen their breathing, and calm the mind and body. Meditation teacher Rick Mignone will offer a brief introduction to the practice of mindfulness meditation, then guide participants through a 10-minute, seated meditation session, and then close with an optional chance to reflect on the practice. No prior experience with meditation is required. Meditation sessions will be offered at 12:30 pm on the following days:

• Friday, September 9
• Sunday, September 11
• Wednesday, September 14
• Sunday, September 18

Meditation sessions are free with admission or Heritage membership will be offered at the Outdoor Stage or inside the Heald Center (located inside the Automobile Gallery), depending on the weather.

Rick Mignone is a member of our Auto Committee at Heritage and has been practicing mediation since 1977 when he used it to quit smoking. Rick taught meditation classes at the Sandwich Community School for ten years and continues to practice and teach in the community today.

All Mindful Nature Walk programs are now sold out and registration is closed. 

What is a Mindful Nature Walk?  Think: senses opened, relaxed body, breathing in nature, and an easy walking pace. Did you know that nature has many healing benefits? It can calm, inspire, and restore the mind, body, and spirit. We often do not notice the many wonders before us as we hurry through our days. Together, let’s slow down, open our senses in nature, unplug from technology, take a breath, and reconnect with ourselves.

About the Event:

Join Kripalu-certified Mindful Outdoor Guide, Denise Fronius, for a Mindful Nature Walk around the grounds of Heritage Museums & Gardens. Mindfulness practices that include breathing, centering, and gentle yoga poses will help us drop into the present moment and feel the liveliness in ourselves and on the living earth. If you have ever been curious about the practice of “Forest Bathing,” now is your chance to try it. This Mindful Nature Walk will conclude with a gratitude Tea Ceremony.

This 90-minute, guided walk will cover approximately one mile of various terrain, including paved paths (uphill and downhill), grass, shelled pathways, and wood-chipped nature trails. Bring water and wear comfortable walking shoes. Long pants are recommended for an optional sitting on the ground experience. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to the start of this Mindful Nature Walk and check-in at the ticket booth. Space is limited to 15 people per walk, and pre-registration is required.

Program Fee:  $17 Members, $27 Non-Members

Denise Fronius received a Kripalu Mindful Outdoor Leadership Certification in the spring of 2019.  She is an Appalachian Mountain Club Hiking Guide here on Cape Cod and is CPR & Wilderness First Aid Certified. Denise is a retired educator, having taught at the elementary and college levels for 12 years, before finishing her career as an elementary school principal after 17 years.

Yoga offers mental and physical health benefits for people of all ages, and nature can be a powerful antidote for stress. Why not combine both during Wellness Week and take a yoga class, taught by local Cape Cod teachers, in a beautiful garden setting at Heritage?

Yoga classes meet at the Outdoor Stage or inside the Heald Center (located inside the Automobile Gallery), depending on the weather. Dress comfortably, and bring a yoga mat, towel, and water. Program registration also includes admission to Heritage’s 100 acres of gardens and galleries after the class.

Heritage Museums & Gardens has put in place preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, a latent risk of exposure to COVID-19 is present where people gather in any public space. By purchasing or reserving a ticket to visit the museum or to attend a program, it is understood that the visitor assumes any risk associated with exposure to COVID-19. Heritage recommends that all visitors wear a mask where proper social distancing cannot be maintained.

Please note the following:  Capacity is limited for all events, advance registration is required, and this event takes place rain or shine. In the event of rain, the class will move indoors.

Yin & Flow Yoga
Tuesday, September 13
9 – 10 am

Join local yoga teacher, Julie Hennessy, for a Yin & Flow yoga class at Heritage. Yin yoga is a slower paced, more meditative style of yoga that targets the connective tissues of the body. Moderate pressure is applied through seated and supine postures that are held passively for longer periods of time (3-5 minutes). In this 60-minute class, we will flow in between the poses, exploring breath work and somatic movement within the subtle body. Postures will be offered with modifications and options for all levels.

Program Fee:  $17 Members, $27 Non-Members

Julie Hennessy completed her 200 hour teacher training with Boston Yoga School in March of 2016. She completed another 300 hour training with The Summers School of Yin Yoga in October of 2020, studying Yin Yoga, Functional Yang Yoga, Meditation, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. She also enjoys various trainings with Tias & Surya Little, of Prajna Yoga in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visit Julie’s website to learn more about her at https://www.yogabytheseawithjulie.com/home.

Yoga & Qigong
Thursday, September 15
9 – 10 am

Join local yoga teacher, Ingrid Jaeger, for Yoga & Qigong at Heritage. This class will use yoga postures and flowing Qigong exercises to stretch, energize, and support the entire body. A combination of breathing, movement, and mental focus will be used to explore, enhance, and circulate the body’s energy. Qigong is an ancient system of wellness that combines movement, breathing, and focused intent. Pronounced ‘chee-gong,’ and roughly translated as ‘energy work,’ it has been widely taught throughout China for thousands of years, and is gaining popularity here in the West. Practitioners experience benefits such as increased range of motion, improved concentration, and relief from muscle soreness and stress.

Program Fee:  $17 Members, $27 Non-Members

Ingrid Jaeger is a Yoga Teacher who works with students of all ages and abilities. Her style is relaxed and accommodating, and her classes are creatively sequenced with a blend that includes vinyasa, qigong, hatha, and yin yoga. She started teaching a weekly yoga class at her gym years ago, but after making some significant life changes, she decided to commit to teaching yoga on a full time basis. She has a 500 hour yoga teaching certification with a focus on Traditional Chinese Medicine and Yin yoga, and a 200 hour certification in QiGong. She currently teaches at three studios on Cape Cod, works with private clients, and offers workshops designed to help those who are interested in healing through yoga and meditation. Visit Ingrid’s website to learn more about her at https://www.ingridyoga.com/.

Let’s Play! Family Yoga
Saturday, September 17
10:30-11:30 am

Join local yoga teacher, Mazie Hollenbaugh, for an engaging and fun family yoga class at Heritage. Using imaginative play and activities that engage young children, this yoga class will give all participants the tools to feel calmer, happier, and more peaceful inside. This class moves through several partner poses for adult and child, which utilize Yoga principles to bring out the light and laughter in each child and adult. During the class, kids and adults will build confidence with waves, create loud roaring Lions’ breath, and fly like super heroes on their mats!

Program Fee: $17 Member Adult, $27 Non-Member Adult, $5 Member Youth (3-17), $15 Non-Member Youth (3-17), Free for children 2 & under

Mazie Hollenbaugh considers herself a “Jane of all trades.” Her interest in studying health-related topics grew while raising two girls while working for the State Department and traveling the globe as part of her husbands’ Navy career. Mazie enjoys sharing all she’s learned about healthy living and eating with others through classes and retreats. Her yoga classes included Hatha, Children’s, and Mind-Based Stress Reduction yoga, focusing on asanas (postures) to alleviate the symptoms of chronic stress in the mind and body. Mazie also teaches plant-based cooking classes and leads wellness retreats in New England and around the globe. Learn more about Mazie and her company, Own Healthy Retreats, at https://www.acworth-wellness.com/.

Please note the following:  This is a family yoga class – children must be accompanied by at least one participating adult.