Pawling Yoga and Wellness will host a seasonal celebration, Solstice Spirit: An Afternoon of Ecstatic Chant and Dance, on December 19. The event will feature kirtan with Sita’s Light at 4 p.m., followed by ecstatic dance with Jessica Offerman at 5 p.m.

These practices “acknowledge and honor the change of seasons and changes in nature as a means to do the same for our personal experience with ourselves and the world,” says Gabrielle Semel, CEO and founder of Pawling Yoga and Wellness. “Let’s acknowledge the darkness and walk with one another back into the light.”

This is a pay-what-you-can program, intrinsic to the studio’s mission “to ensure accessibility to all community members regardless of financial circumstance,” she says. There’s a suggested contribution of $25.

Sita Miriam Zernis, of Sita’s Light, calls kirtan a dynamic musical experience that has the power to transform and uplift the soul and open the heart.

“Chanting is effortless, joyful, and the music does the work for you as you flow with the melody and rhythm,” she says. “The experience will integrate ancient mantras and eclectic sacred music rhythms on harmonium, guitar, percussion and woodwinds, and lead us into a deep state of peace, meditation and bliss.”

Anyone is welcome to join in the celebration—no experience necessary.

Location: Pawling Yoga & Wellness - 2 Lakeside Park, Pawling, NY. For more info, call 845.661.8664, email [email protected] or visit PawlingYogaWellness.org.