In the Dutchess County Spotlight
Omega Institute Reopens With Offer of ‘Something For Everyone’
A premier travel destination in the Hudson Valley celebrates its 32nd season with more programs than ever before
The Omega Institute has reopened for the season, with more than 350 workshops, conferences, and professional trainings scheduled at the Rhinebeck campus in 2009. Each year, more than 16,000 people from all walks of life visit Omega’s beautiful 195-acre Rhinebeck campus for lifelong learning, rejuvenation, and fun. Whether coming on one’s own, as a family, or as a couple, for a workshop or as part of a professional training, Omega offers something for everyone.
“Whether you are looking to improve your health and lower your stress, or seeking to awaken purpose and creativity and cultivate peaceful, happy relationships, there is a workshop for you here at Omega,” said Skip Backus, executive director at Omega Institute.
Located in the heart of the Hudson Valley, just 90 miles north of New York City, Omega is open seasonally, from April through October. Many of Omega’s guests attend educational programs, while some come just to rest and rejuvenate. Guests at Omega have free use of the campus library, sauna, Sanctuary, lake, tennis courts, basketball court, woodland trails, beautiful gardens, and WiFi Internet access in the Omega Café. Omega’s Wellness Center offers a wide variety of services to enhance overall well-being.
In addition to registering for workshops with well-known visiting faculty such as Gloria Steinem, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Elizabeth Lesser, Brian Weiss, and Pema Chödrön, all guests have the option to attend daily yoga, tai chi, meditation, and dance classes. Childcare services are available for kids ages four to twelve. Guests can choose from a variety of accommodations, and receive three buffet meals each day as part of the All-Inclusive Accommodations Package.
New to Omega this year is the award-winning Omega Center for Sustainable Living (OCSL), a state-of-the-art environmental education center and natural wastewater treatment facility. The OCSL offers tours and teach visitors practical ways to go green. Once completed, the OCSL is expected to be the first certified “Living Building” in the US and to receive LEED Platinum status. In addition to being self-sustaining in terms of water and energy usage, the OCSL is raising the bar in green building by using the best and most comprehensive sustainable building practices available today.
Each year, Omega awards more than $100,000 in scholarships to qualified applicants with limited finances or special needs. Omega also offers free retreats for veterans of any war dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Visit them at www.eOmega.org
