Meet Anne Clay of Quinnbrook Yoga and Wellness

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anne Clay.

Anne, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was born in Paterson, NJ, in the New York City Metro area. I was solidly a city kid and a Jersey girl and never could imagine living anywhere else. When I was around six years old, my grandparents moved to Vermont. I remember visiting them and going to a party in a barn, and it was magical! I believe a dream was planted in me at that moment.

My father was a pastor, and occasionally we would go on church retreats. I LOVED those because it was a chance to go out in nature, sleep in a new quirky place, and build community. The understanding that people need relationships and the dream of someday facilitating that also took root in my heart.

Fast forward to the age of 27. I was newly engaged to my husband, Tom. I was working at a college as a director of Admissions and was doing a lot of traveling. I started burning the candle at both ends, and soon I came down with mononucleosis. Weeks of mono turned into years. For five years I was very ill, and for another 15, I was very limited in my ability to function well.

During that time I raised two girls, with a lot of physical support from Tom. Because conventional doctors had nothing to offer me, I sought alternative treatments. Some worked, and some didn’t, but debilitating fatigue followed me for many years. About six years ago I decided to go completely vegan. My health turned around completely during that time, and I regained my energy and youthfulness.

I got my life back! I lost about 150 pounds and started a regular yoga practice. I felt great and empowered, so I applied to grad school and went to Lesley University for my MFA in Fine Arts. After receiving that I continued to pursue a certificate of Expressive Therapies and my yoga teaching certification. I had lost 25 years of my life to the illness, and it was time to live again.

While other people my age were slowing down, I was starting to gear up! During the years of illness I hadn’t lost my capacity to dream, and somewhere in my heart, I had this image of a barn, where people could practice yoga or engage their creativity. I wanted a place where small groups could come and bond with each other, releasing superficiality and stress.

As much as people were open, I wanted to share what I found out about healthful living, helping others caught in the net of chronic illness to find new vitality and life. I placed it all in the back of my hear and just waited. Just two years ago, Tom and I were watching “Fixer Upper” with great interest. We used to call ourselves the “merry little house fixer-uppers” because we’ve always had a reputation for buying trashed homes and turning them into beautiful dwellings.

Tom has a gift in carpentry, and I am a driven decorator. I said one day if Chip and JoJo can do it, why can’t we?” I went to realtor.com and decided to put the word “barn” in my search. This house popped up. We knew immediately that this was the property that we had always imagined. It had everything I ever wanted; a barn, she shed, gardens, wavy glass windows, a gorgeous New England stone wall and lots of character.

The post and beam constructed house and barn were built in the late 1700’s. The house is equipped with two kitchen areas, two wood stoves, two fireplaces, a beehive oven and lots of rooms, doors, and windows. Even more fascinating is the history of the home which was once owned by Russian Fascists between 1927-1947. The Russian Bear Tea Room, owned by Natasha and Lev Mamedoff flourished in this place, as actors, movie stars and local people dined and danced to the sounds of gypsy music on the terrace.

Their son Andy flew in WWII for Britain as an Eagle Squadron, unfortunately losing his life in the war when his plane went down over Ireland. The home was given to Madam Mamedoff by her sister-in-law Marion Ream Vonsiatsky, daughter of Howard Bruce Ream, one of the richest men in America. She married Count Anastase Vonsiatsky who used the property and his home next door to train an army to take back Russia from the communists.

When he gave some of his money to someone who supported Hitler, J. Edgar Hoover of the FBI got involved and took Vonsiatsky to prison for the remainder of the war. Books have been written about this house! For the past 18 months, we have been steadily working on each room. We’ve done a lot of work, but there’s always more that can be done on a 230-year-old homestead on three acres of land! Just the gardening alone is a full-time job! The house furnished itself. Everything I wanted just came to me, most by way of gifts!

My husband and I always say “if you build it they will come.” Well, the house built itself so now we are going to watch as people “come” in. We’ve been opening the house up to various groups, artists, women’s groups, musicians, and political groups and now are opening up a yoga studio. The house seems to want people here and is happiest when there are parties and gatherings. I’ve noticed that people enjoy just hanging around here too, there’s good energy, a good feeling here and I’m excited to be a part of this adventure!

Recently my husband and I started a youtube show called “Chasing the Dream.” (www.youtube.com/c/anneclay).

Coaxed by my brother to video our farmhouse renovations, I used my professional photography and art training to put together our little version of an HGTV type show. It’s new and small, and it may never gain much of a following, but we are having fun doing it! We tend to screw up a lot in our attempt to fix things around the house, but in the end, it always turns out well. I think people can relate to that!

Has it been a smooth road?
25 years of Chronic Illness has been an obstacle, but it has built a depth of character and maturity in me that would not have been there before. I’ve always believed that if you are given challenges and the grace to both endure them and conquer them, and then you have a responsibility to help others who are going through the same things. This has broadened my vision from just of art and community to holistic health too. It all goes hand in hand!

We’ve also struggled financially through this whole process. Because I was sick for so many years, I was unable to work, and this set us back tremendously in a world where you need two incomes to survive. We’ve taken a big risk on this dream and are hoping that it pays off! But it’s an old house, and we’ve had some unexpected expenses come up.

Things break all the time, and even if you do almost all things yourself, the supplies are not cheap. Regulations keep changing too, and we have to update things in the house like the septic system to obtain the zoning that we need. When you’ve stretched yourself to buy the property, and then those expenses come up, it can get discouraging!

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Quinnbrook Yoga and Wellness – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I think Quinnbrook Yoga and Wellness is special because we love people. We care about people’s physical, mental and spiritual health and embrace people from all walks of life.

We are open and affirming and believe that all people should be treated with love and respect. When people come here, I want to go the extra mile to care for them. I want to create an environment where they feel embraced and pampered. They come as strangers and leave as friends. Tom and I both have a background in service, and that’s how we approach all that we do here!

The other day a young woman told me that the barn full of twinkle lights and boho prints was the most magical place that she had seen in her whole life (except for a few places in Europe). I was taken by that because that’s what I want people’s experience to be like here. It’s like stepping back in time with all the conveniences of the present.

Quinnbrook is about having a place to be yourself, whether you are engaging in art, yoga or meditation class, or enjoying a nice meal or evening with friends. My heart is to facilitate small groups 10-12 people, who need a place to get out of the city. One of the appealing things about this property is that we are in the Quiet Corner of Connecticut and are only a one hour drive from Boston, Providence, and Hartford. It’s a wonderful place to retreat to without having to drive a long distance.

We are only a five-minute drive from the town of Putnam which is full of great dining and lots of fun things to do in the summer and fall. We have wineries, orchards, antiquing, swimming, boating, hiking, and fine dining all nearby. We have the feel of the country with the conveniences of the city. Guests can come and do their own thing or participate in a yoga or art class, or they can come with their own workshops, and we will facilitate.

We welcome corporate and church retreats as well as yoga and meditation teachers who would like to host their own group.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
The Boston metro area has so much history and beauty. I love the variety of colleges, universities and educational opportunities here. I love the spirit of the city, tough and strong, well educated and thoughtful! Autumn is beautiful with the historic estates framed by bright colored foliage. I love the art museums too!

My mother is a native of the Boston area, so I’ve got a lot of family ties around here. That makes living here a rich experience. I don’t like the traffic during rush hour or the public transportation system! No surprise there. My husband has to leave the house before 5 AM to commute to his office in Weston. If he waits ten extra minutes, he could end up in 2 extra hours of traffic!

We spend a lot of time going into the city to be with family and friends or other things of interest, and so we always work on timing it so that we don’t get caught during rush hour! I’ve spent my share of time sitting underground on a stalled T, not fun. Lol! This makes me love even more where we live because we have a 2-minute drive to the grocery store and there is never traffic!

Many people that live here love the four seasons – I’m partial to the summer months and would be happy with a San Diego 70 degree weather pattern!

Contact Info:

• Address: 270 County Home Road, Thompson, CT 06277
• Website: www.quinnbrookyoga.com
• Email: quinnbrookfarm@gmail.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/anneclay1
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/artsandyoga
• Twitter: @anneclay
• Other: www.youtube.com/c/anneclay

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