Yoga at The Peace Gallery
Winter & Spring 2025
Current Classes:
Sunday Gently Flow Yoga with Jade 9:15 – 10:15a
A lower impact flow and an overall gentler practice than a typical vinyasa class. Crafted to meet you where you are, blending gentle stretching, breath, and meditation to create a calm and relaxing experience.
Instructor: Jade is a retired bodyworker who continues to share her skills of observation and intuition through the practice of yoga, meditation, and holistic education
Sunday Yin Yoga with Dierdra 4 – 5 p
A gentle and relaxing slow moving and restorative yoga.
Instructor: Deirdre has spent several months in Rishikesh, India where she completed her 300hr teacher training in one Ashram and was then invited into a residency in a tantric-based Ashram in the Himalayan foothills. Her teaching style is gentle and heart-focused. She currently teaches Yin Yoga and Meditation at the gallery.
Thursday Yoga Nidra with Michele 5:30-6:30p
The first Thursday of each month (starts Dec.5th)
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Join us for a rejuvenating Yoga Nidra class that promotes deep relaxation and restorative sleep. This session incorporates soothing sounds and imagery from nature. Yoga Nidra is the sleep yoga practiced lying down. This class offers a supportive environment to unwind and reconnect with yourself. Experience the transformative benefits of deep relaxation and find your inner calm.
Instructor: Michele practices massage, yoga and forest therapy and has spent her entire adult life helping others connect to their true nature through movement, body and breath.
Questions: email Michele DiGirolamo info@mainesanctuary.com
Future Classes: 2025
Saturday Restore and Flow with Jade 9 – 10am (starts Jan 4)
A blend of fun and challenging flow sequences plus a half-hour of quiet restorative poses to relax and unwind. Leave recharged and relaxed for the weekend ahead.
Instructor: Jade is a retired bodyworker who continues to share her skills of observation and intuition through the practice of yoga, meditation, and holistic education
Wednesday Chair Supported Yoga with Anne 9:30 – 10:30am (starts Jan 8)
Chair supported yoga benefits everyone no matter what the age. Through gentle movements this yoga class promotes balance, circulation, flexibility, coordination and muscle strength. In addition, it can relieve stress and improve concentration. Chair yoga energizes while bringing a sense of well-being to your life.
Instructor: Anne, at sixty-eight, with experience teaching Hatha yoga in studios and hospital settings, has found yoga to be an animating spirit in her life.
Special classes:
Jade’s Winter Full Moon Flow Series
Monday, Jan. 13th and Friday, February 14th 5:00 – 6:00pm
Harness the Full Moon! Let’s release what no longer serves our intentions, emotions, or well-being. A moon ritual to ground you. Followed by a gentle Vinyasa Flow to create space to let go of any heaviness holding us back.
Instructor: Jade is a retired bodyworker who continues to share her skills of observation and intuition through the practice of yoga, meditation, and holistic education
Meditation
Tuesday evenings 5-6p There will be a rotating schedule starting Jan 7th and every Tuesday evening through March. Meditation will be led by one of these meditation instructors: Jade, Jonathan, Deirdre, Michele.
The Harvest is in: Fall and Winter at the Peace Gallery
As the autumn harvest is gathered, an abundance of classes and events will be offered at the Peace Gallery this fall and winter! The new schedule has just been released.
During Pumpkinfest (October 11 – 13) the gallery will host its annual raffle for one of Jacques Vesery’s beautifully carved, collectible wooden pumpkins ($5 for single tickets, $20 for five). All ticket sales go to the gallery’s mission to support veteran artists and the local community.
The Writers Workshop, under the guidance of Ron Capps, Veterans Writing Group, meets the second Tuesday of the month at 6PM.
Jade Nelson, who has taught yoga classes at the gallery since it opened, will present special workshops on Friday October 3rd (6:30 – 7:30 a.m.), October 10th (5:30 – 6:30 p.m.), and October 17th (5:30 – 6:30 p.m.). Her Step into a Practice of Presence class blends gentle stretching with simple, accessible exercises to build mobility, core strength, and ease of movement. Guided by breath and awareness, it is like exercise in motion: part stretch, part strength, part stillness. No experience required.
Jake Cummings will hold a Reike Wellness Clinic, Mondays beginning October 6th, 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Reiki is a Japanese practice of individual energy healing that supports balance and restoration across body, mind, and spirit. Gentle and non-invasive, it is experienced while fully clothed, with or without touch. Jake is a certified Reiki practitioner training to become a Reiki Master. A portion of class donations will go to the Peace Gallery.
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Stephanie Winchebach, who taught Soulful Flow over the summer, will hold her last breath guided movement class on Wednesday, October 8th, 8:00 – 9:00 a.m. She will return in the spring.
Deirdre Haren, a tantric meditation yogi who trained in Dublin Ireland, Rishikesh India, and at an Ashram in the Himalayan foothills, will present Yin Yoga and Sound, Wednesdays At 5:30. The class is like a moving meditation: part stretch, part stillness and designed to release tension through slow, intentional, deeply attuned movements.
Annie Blair and Carol Zahner will lead a Circle Group for Support in Challenging Times on October 9th, October 30th, and November 13th, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. This is a community group to support each other using inner creativity, mindfulness, and deep listening practices.
The Acoustic Coffee House will resume Saturday, October 25th, 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. We will provide refreshments and look forward to hosting wonderful local musicians!
Molly Read, a certified yoga instructor with an open and flexible approach, returns with Chair Yoga, Fridays 9:30 – 10:30 a.m., starting November 7th. Open to all abilities and ages, the class focuses on gentle stretches, strength building, and a time to focus on the self.
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Jade Nelson’s Slow Flow Yoga, on Sundays starting Sunday, November 9th, 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. provides a steady mindful flow that balances movement and stillness. It begins with gentle stretches, then builds a smooth sequence of postures to strengthen the body, and winds down with calming poses and deep relaxation.
Press Release/October 2025
A Note From Bernie
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PACT Act - Asbestos Exposure Benefits
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The PACT Act was signed into law in August 2023 and expanded support for veterans exposed to hazardous substances and toxic materials, including asbestos, during their military service. While not exclusively focused on asbestos, the PACT Act expands assistance for veterans dealing with health challenges from various toxic exposures, including those who were exposed while tending to burn pits and other trash burnings. It also enhances eligibility for VA health care and facilitates access to disability compensation for veterans diagnosed with presumptive conditions linked to toxic exposures.
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The PACT Act even allocates resources for ongoing research and education, with the goal of deepening understanding of conditions arising from toxic exposures, such as mesothelioma. Individual benefits vary based on circumstances like service history, medical diagnosis, and disability rating. Veterans concerned about asbestos exposure or related health issues are urged to contact the VA for personalized guidance on benefits and healthcare options.
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The following are links to additional information:
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Veterans asbestos exposure – information from the Veterans Administration regarding VA disability compensation resulting from contact with asbestos during military service.
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Exposure to asbestos - How Veterans may have been exposed to asbestos. A Veterans Administration web page.
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20 Ways Asbestos Was Used in the Military - Additional information on asbestos uses and possible exposure from the law office Bergman Oslund Udo Little, PLLC.