Marking the third annual collaboration between Magazzino Italian Art and Ascend Center, this year we offered a virtual retreat to benefit RxArt and the Philipstown Behavioral Health Hub. The 15-minute meditation and breath work class led by Melia Marzollo was available on Magazzino Da Casa as a precursor for a 65-minute heart-focused gentle yoga and meditation journey that you can register for here: https://viemeo.com/ondemand/ascendcenter
The class, accompanied by the music of Gwen Laster and Damon Banks, encouraged practitioners to move from the fragmented rhythm of stress to the synchronicity of the brain, heart and breath, embodying inner alchemy as a path to melt the ice of winter and welcome the renewal and bouquet of spring.
All proceeds raised between May 15-22, 2021 was donated to RxArt and the Philipstown Behavioral Health Hub. After the turbulence, isolation and heartbreaks of 2020, we were all learning to Begin Again. The stresses of the pandemic were deep and will take time, courage and kindness to untangle and uproot. As we all forge forward in this world-wide process of re-integration and the turning of the season; we had to first take time to reconnect and recalibrate within our own hearts, minds and bodies.
About Ascend Center
Founded by Melia Marzollo, Ascend offers guests a range of wellness programs, through its yoga and Pilates studios, events, retreats, workshops and festivals. Ascend produces multiple events annually – from single-day events to weekend-long festivals – celebrating music, art, yoga, mindfulness, family, community, health, and nature. Ascend Studio is located in the Heart of The Village of Cold Spring in the iconic SkyBaby Building at 75 Main Street. www.ascendcenter.com
About RxART
RxART is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to help children heal through the extraordinary power of visual art. They commission exceptional contemporary artists to transform sterile healthcare facilities into engaging and inspiring environments full of beauty, humor, and comfort. In the past 16 years, RxArt has completed over 40 projects with more than 50 artists in hospitals throughout 17 cities in the U.S. RxArt produces every project at no cost to the hospitals. Every artist is provided with an honorarium and the chance to transform the lives of children as they heal. www.rxart.net
About The Philipstown Behavioral Health Hub
The Philipstown Behavioral Health Hub is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides a single, local point of access for mental health and addiction programs, services and education for individuals and families. Like the central part of a wheel, the ‘Hub’ serves as the center of activities, programs and resources related to mental health and addiction for Philipstown residents. Programs and services are developed through partnerships with various community sectors and implemented throughout Philipstown and at our office at 5 Stone Street in the Village of Cold Spring, NY. The Hub is a safe space to land - where residents can access these critical resources within their own community. www.philipstownhub.org