Published by Planetprinceton.com
The Princeton area’s premier yoga studio, the Princeton Center for Yoga & Health, has moved to a new location in Skillman that offers more space, lots of light, and scenic views.
Princeton Yoga has moved to a 5-acre campus known called the Orchard Hill Center at 88 Orchard Road, just a mile and a half away from its former location. The new location can accommodate more classes and events.
“We are thrilled about this exciting new space, but we are still focused on what people have come to know and love about us for over 15 years,” said PCYH founder and director Deborah Metzger. “The mission and feel are the same – committed teachers, a wide variety of classes, experienced healers, personalized attention, and a welcoming environment. We hope people will feel free to gather on the deck or in the lounge and explore the grounds, and that it will feel like a home away from home, a backyard retreat
The property retains the look of an old farm, with a pond, streams, and old barn. The site offers more room for walks, outdoor meditation and informal gathering, Metzger said. The indoor space has been renovated and can accommodate large groups. Some of the features in the new two-story space include:
- Two large light filled yoga studios with over 2,200 square feet of practice space
- A specially fitted hot yoga room
- A lounge for tea and conversation
- An outdoor deck
- Free Wi-Fi access
Metzger founded The Princeton Center for Yoga & Health in 1996 and is proud of the fact that it is the first studio of its kind the area. “We note with pride that many local teachers got their start here and we’ve planted the seeds of yoga in our community,” she said.
Before she opened, Metzger, who holds a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania, was one of founders of Womanspace, a leading nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life for women and their families.
Her journey into yoga and holistic health began with a healing crisis. “Like many, I dabbled in yoga in the ‘70’s, but when I was told that I would have lifelong asthma, I decided to explore holistic health,” she said.
She studied at the Kripalu Center in Lenox, Mass. It greatly improved her asthma, she fell in love with yoga, and became inspired to teach. Her first classes were held in state offices and basements.
“I would carry around five huge duffel bags filled with blankets and cushions to support people in their practice. It was pretty obvious I needed to find a yoga home,” she said,
What started as a passion for yoga and the desire to teach has grown into a successful small business that has survived and grown since 1996. The center has expanded its offerings over the years into the therapeutic realm. Course offerings now include yoga for MS, mindfulness-based stress reduction and mindfulness based cognitive therapy for depression, pre-natal yoga, and therapeutic restorative Yoga. <span class=”caps”>PCYH</span> also offers teacher training for those who want to become yoga instructors, and hosts various professional training events, such as Hakomi professional psychotherapy training. Holistic practitioners at the property include Todd Lewis and Sharon Howard, who are massage therapists, and psychotherapist Charles Leighton.
“We want to create a warm and welcoming space where people feel safe to examine new paths to health and happiness,” Metzger said. “The center offers this through the variety of yoga traditions taught as well as more social programs such as monthly drum circles, concerts, dance experiences and hosting local and nationally recognized guest teachers.”
NOTE: The Princeton Center for Yoga & Health closed its doors as a yoga center July 31, 2021.
Deborah Metzger, founder and former director of the Center, continues to offer Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction programs and is collaborating with other organizations to continue the Center’s original mission to provide health, wellness and educational programming to the Greater Princeton and Montgomery Township communities and beyond. https://orchardhillcenter.com/health-wellbeing/