Yoga in the Vineyard

For four summers now, has hosted a series of yoga workshops.

“Outdoor Yoga at the Vineyard" allows students to experience the sights, sounds, and smells of the outdoors in a calm and comfortable setting.

Newtown-based Yoga Dimensions studio owner Lynda Weber said people rave about the morning yoga at McLaughlin.

“You can kind of connect with nature. You get fresh air,” she said. “It’s a whole different type of experience.”

Doing yoga in the open air enhances yoga practice, said Weber.

“There are very few places where you can be without distraction, and you don’t really feel that anywhere else. It’s an oasis,” she said.

McLaughlin Vineyards is a destination on the Connecticut Wine Trail. Located at 14 Albert’s Hill Road in Sandy Hook, the 60-acre property has 15 acres of vineyards.

The grounds are lush with hydrangea bushes offset by garden archways covered with clinging vines. As squirrels scurry and birds chirp, participants set up their mats under a white canopy tent that lets in the breeze and the sunshine.

 “My husband had no idea that there was a vineyard here, and we’ve lived in Newtown for 20 years,” said Diane Wenick, who attended the class on a recent Thursday.

Twenty people, ranging from their late teens to their 60s, gathered in the vineyard, taking advantage of the early morning’s cooler temperatures.

Weber said that Yoga Dimensions teaches all levels of yoga.

“Everyone can come in and find a class that resonates with them,” she said. “But in the vineyard, it just seems to work for everybody.”

Typically, Weber said, a prospective student will come in to the studio and sort through class options to discover the right fit. They eventually find the appropriate style and skill level and think, “This class is for me.”

Weber normally teaches Bikram Yoga, which is done in a room set at 105 to 110 degrees. This class, she said, of course, is not for everyone.

Drema Lindie, who leads the vineyard class, uses a Sanskrit word to describe the vineyard’s peaceful environment -- “ananda,” or bliss.

“The word ‘connection’ also comes to mind,” Lindie said. “There’s a definite experience of connection, which is yoga, union. Just being here is yoga.”

Lindie, who has been teaching Hatha Yoga for 10 years, said she specifically adapts her classes to the collective energy of the group, so that the format and feel of the class is different each time.

As students shift through poses and breathe, Lindie guides them in their approach toward a state of inner calm in which they feel connected to the present moment.

Participant Lauren Elliott said she enjoyed practicing in the vineyard’s peaceful atmosphere.

“I just think this place is a diamond in the rough and we’re happy to have this in town,” she said.

McLaughlin Vineyards also houses a 2,500 case winery, hiking trails, wine tasting classes, a wildlife sanctuary, and a sugar house where they make their other specialty product, maple syrup.

Vineyard yoga classes take place every Thursday morning this summer at 9:30. The cost is $18 per class. is located at 87 South Main St. Call (203) 364-9500 or e-mail yogadimensions@aol.com for more information.