Harvard - When Jen Sundeen opened her yoga studio at Fruitlands Museums recently, something clicked. Practicing what she describes as transcendental yoga, Sundeen feels the connection to all the people who fell under the spell of Fruitlands’ natural beauty and she is excited to teach in such beautiful surroundings. Bringing yoga to the grounds where Bronson Alcott and his now-famous family attempted a Utopian community in the mid-1800s and where the great thinkers of the day visited, said Sundeen, just feels right.

At the same time as Sundeen was seeking a class space other than her in-home studio, Fruitlands’ CEO Tim Firment was thinking about including yoga at Fruitlands in his far-reaching plans for the organization. When Firment and Sundeen finally connected, the fit seemed ideal. “I think all along Fruitlands is about inspiration,” said Firment. “It is about inspiration, imagination, heritage, nature, and art. I have always thought about yoga and Fruitlands and the fact that people can come and enjoy this space. What a great place to meditate.

Sundeen has practiced yoga since she was a child. In 1974 a teacher at the Sudbury Valley School introduced her to yoga poses and she has never stopped learning new yoga skills. “She introduced me to yoga and it has been there for me ever since,” said Sundeen, who appreciates the physical, mental, social, and emotional aspects of yoga. Wanting to share her knowledge and enthusiasm for yoga, Sundeen studied with several yoga teachers including former Bolton resident Sheila Walsh and now Shiva Rae in California. Fruitlands offers a perfect merge of Sundeen’s yoga teachings and the history of the place.

Classes are offered for all ages and abilities; there is even a teen class that is especially dear to Sundeen’s heart. Understanding the tough teenage years, Sundeen said she really wants the girls in her class to be true to themselves. “I tell them, ‘It is not always easy, but never stop being who you are. undeen credits yoga at an early age with her interest and expansive knowledge of the practice. And her passion for yoga is infectious.

“Because I have taken it since I was so young, it really becomes about a journey into the self,” she said. “My goal is to free the person you are and the remarkable energy that is there. We all have that but sometimes it gets clouded. Sundeen laughingly says her job is like the Merry Maids, to do a little dusting with her students, clearing out the junk that prevents them from seeing their true inner beauty. Sundeen, whose preferred reading is mostly ancient yoga texts, said she takes inspiration from  Emerson, Thoreau, and particularly Bronson Alcott and his family, all of whom were captivated by Fruitlands.

“They wanted to live off the fruits of the land and meditate and have a conversation with nature,” said Sundeen about the Alcotts and their circle of acquaintances, many of whom were seen as unique in their own time. Sundeen says every one of us has a unique path and that yoga can help define that path for those who follow it. “Yoga is not exercise,” said Sundeen. “It is not a religion, but it is a way of being and a way of looking at the world. Yoga is different in the sense that there are no questions to be answered. You simply have arrived and you are divine.”

Sundeen said the beauty of yoga, besides the physical benefits, is that it frees people to just live in the moment. “That is all you know and that is transformative. It permeates all parts of your lifestyle. Sundeen’s students have their own reasons for taking the classes, but they all leave enjoying the physical exercise, the spiritual renewal, and the famous hilltop view Fruitlands offers. Harvard resident Caroline Fish has taken classes with Sundeen for more than a year, but has been practicing yoga for more than 10. Fish loves the new space, especially the high ceilings and the room to spread out, but also enjoys the balance of the class.

Jen teaches a class that if you want to get a really good workout, you can get it,” said Fish. “But if you want less that is OK too. Fish said she likes the way Sundeen seems to guide the class rather than leading it. Some yoga classes are purely positional,” said Fish, “but Jen brings in the spiritual side of yoga too, if you want it. Fish’s daughter takes the teen class at the Durga Studio. Having the classes in such a naturally calming space helps Sundeen incorporate her respect for nature and the earth in her classes. Exposing all ages to Fruitlands is exactly on track with the organization’s mission to let people know what is right in their own backyard. Part of Fruitlands’ task, said Firment, is to make it a place where people can come and rediscover something they might have enjoyed years ago but have not revisited since. Sundeen’s goal sounds very similar.