Yoga and lunch, anyone?
By Laurie Gordon
SPARTA — This Saturday, head to Andre's Lakeside Dining for a fantastic yoga class followed by an exquisite lunch. Yoga class will be conducted by Denise Kay followed by a delicious, healthful lunch prepared by chef Andre deWaal.
“Saturday will include breathing techniques to center ourselves,” Kay said. “We will begin with warm ups on the floor and a variety of vinyasa flows (linking movement and breath) with a host of standard yoga postures. The end will include savasana which is a posture of letting go completely.”
Kay has a background as a professional dancer and transitioned to teaching yoga in 1999 throughout the Sussex County Area as a natural progression of her dance background. She has a very small studio at her Newton home where she does massage, privates and just a few classes, but the regular studios at which she instructs are: Sunrise Studio in Branchville, Prana For Peace in Stillwater, Yoga Youniverse in Sparta, Prana Yoga Center in Denville and several others. Additionally she does guest classes such as the one on Saturday.
“I was a professional dancer and dance instructor for 20 years,” she said. “Throughout my career as a modern dancer and dance teacher I became fascinated with the mind, body connection of movement and how it relates to our well-being.”
“With all of the hustle and bustle in today's society, I believe yoga is one of the few things where we are aloud to be ourselves,” Kay said. “We can connect with our truest self. Through movement we can connect with our physical body. Through the breath we can find peace. Bringing us back to who we are meant to be. It’s a little more then just a form of exercise.”
Located on bucolic Seneca Lake, in Sparta, Andre's Lakeside Dining is owned by the dynamic husband and wife team of Tracey and Andre deWaal. Andre's first opened in Newton in 1998. Now 18 years later, the deWaals have renovated and relocated to their current location and feature French cuisine with an Asian flair. The deWaals are well-known for their community involvement and for creating specials such as the yoga and lunch.
Kay said, “I am blessed to have met Tracey many many years ago. She takes class with me when she can. Through Tracey I have had the pleasure meeting Andre who has also come to few of my classes. I also love their restaurant. Andre is an amazing chef who cooks with whole food ingredients and caters to all people with their varieties of food issues. I value that since I have a serious food allergy that has hospitalized me in the past.”
Though the exact menu for Saturday will be one of Andre deWaal's famous culinary surprises, the luncheon will be three courses and guten free, vegetarian/vegan options are available.
Kay has an ERYT 500 hour Yoga Alliance certificate and she has been a Licensed Massage Therapist since 1987. She also does Thai massage and teaches groups and couples this bodywork. In partnership with Delia Quigley, she teaches people how to instruct yoga, and she and Quigley have created a certification to teach other yoga teachers, fitness instructors and other types of health professionals.
Andre's Lakeside Dining is located at 112 Tomahawk Trail in Sparta. On Saturday, yoga class will start at 11 am followed by a 12:30 lunch and the cost including everything is $60.
To register, call (973) 726-6000 or visit www.andresrestaurant.com. Space is limited.
On Sunday, February 11, Andre's will feature “For Lovers Only Dinner.” This will be a six course meal (cost is $75). On Valentine's Day, Wednesday, February 14, Andre's will feature a four course meal ($60) and a five course meal ($60) with choices in each course. Additionally they will feature a six course tasting menu for $70. Reservations for all can be made on their web site or by calling.
To learn more about Denise Kay's yoga, massage and other services, visit: <URL destination="http://www.denisekay.com ">www.denisekay.com