Symposia Community Events – March 2012
“And there came a time when the risk of remaining closed tight in a bud far outweighed the risk it took to bloom.” Anais Nin
Symposia Community Events – March 2012
Free Yoga Classes – Every Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 pm
Have you always shied away from Yoga because you thought you weren’t very flexible?
Symposia is now opening its doors to a totally new environment for yoga practice: small classes, taught in a supportive, non-competitive manner, with lots of individual attention. Students will be gently guided through basic yoga postures, yogic breathing, meditation, and relaxation techniques.
Certified Yoga Instructor Carmen Rusu
Pre-registration is required by phone, 201-805-1739 or by email: Carpathian_air@yahoo.com
Conversation Group – Thursday, March 22 at 7 pm
Symposia strives to provide a place where thinking people can freely exchange and commingle ideas, imaginations, energy, talents, wild-eyed visions–where we can comfortably and effectively suspend our assumptions about life in order to inquire into the unknown together.
Our inspiration was the concept of a neighborhood conversation salon promoted by the Utne Reader in the early 1990s. The gatherings we host aren’t much like the long-ago salons of Paris or New York, where authors, artists, and socialites would get together. There is nothing elitist about this salon. The gatherings probably most resemble encounters you may have had around campfires, over kitchen tables, in dorm rooms or at slumber parties, during times in your life when everyone you knew seemed eager to share visions and ideas.
Bring a snack to share and your adventurous spirit.
The Evolved Urbanite – Creating a Social, Cultural & Intellectual Renaissance in Hudson County Thursday, March 29th at 7 pm
A big reason people move to the cities has to do with the promise urban life holds for social and cultural stimulation. Think Paris in the 20s, or New York when Greenwich Village held sway as a true Bohemian enclave. Contrast this convivial, cosmopolitan dream age with today’s shallower, market-driven internet era—where the I-pod replaces nourishing human interaction.
The Evolved Urbanite, founded by educator John Bredin, is a new project designed to ameliorate this sense of urban alienation and, at the same time, create a vital space to learn about culture and the arts. A typical Evolved Urbanite gathering (or cultural party) will take place in somebody’s home, an art gallery, or bookstore like Symposia. The structure is very simple. One or two creative people (artists, writers, educators, etc) will present an aspect of their work for our edification and reflection. Then, to help us think about what we just learned, we’ll have an open dialogue (about 20 minutes), followed by a mingling session for random social encounters.
Of course, musicians are also most welcome to add to the aesthetic atmosphere.
Not only will you stimulate your mind with new intellectual and artistic content, you’ll re-learn social skills (withered by the internet), meet your neighbors, and get to know some of the amazing artists and thinkers along the gold coast “Left Bank” of the Hudson. By creating a space where social growth is linked to cultural and intellectual growth—where releasing the imagination and stretching the mind go hand in hand with making new friends—we also hope to add life to our public spaces and to our democracy.
For more information, contact John Bredin at jfbredin@hotmail.com
Guitar Circle – every Wednesday at 8.30 pm
Come jam with local guitar players in a casual, friendly atmosphere. Share your favorite songs and learn new ones. All playing levels and styles are welcome!
For more info, contact Carlos at chdesign@cch-online.741.com
