About Us

Sharing our knowledge of yoga and promoting peace and well-being in the communities in which we live are the founding principles of Humble Monkey Wellness.® We strive to provide a well-rounded yoga experience that includes meditation, both Yin and Yang physical movement, and restorative options in class and workshop formats, all at affordable prices. Our classes are available to all levels and we know that starting yoga from scratch can be intimidating so we encourage you to come in for a few private sessions to learn what YOUR yoga practice is. We also have a vision to provide healthy and green foods to our community and are working on making that a reality. 

Humble Monkey Wellness® is a "not for profit" cooperative for yoga teachers; students pay into the general fund and teachers get paid $5/head. Any yoga teacher that wants to teach a class under our umbrella does so while sharing part of the monthly MindBody costs. We will advertise your class here, on our printed class card, and on social media. We presently run in the multi-purpose room upstairs at Foundry 66, in Norwich, CT.  

We hope that you drop in and increase the serenity in your life. Namaste!

Who We Are

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John Benbow, Ph D, E-500 RYT, C-IAYT, ACSM-CPT Managing Member of Humble Monkey Wellness® and BGB, LLC (Balance, Growth, Being). I have been practicing yoga since 2001 and have experienced the myriad benefits that a steady yoga practice can provide. One of the tenets of being a yogi is to share our knowledge and to promote peace and well-being in the communities in which we live and that spurred me to begin Humble Monkey Wellness.®
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  Dawn Chabot, AS, 200-RYT. After years of yoga classes and workshops, I noticed that shifts  
  were occurring in my thoughts and my body felt lighter. That profound gift drove me to pursue
  a 200-hour yoga certification with Yogafit. Humble Monkey Wellness® has inspired me to
  stretch my life in new directions by teaching, and I am honored to share my love of yoga with
​  one and all.
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Heather Barber, 500-RYT. I have been practicing yoga since 2014 and recently completed my
300 hour yoga teacher training at Blissworks with Tricia Reyburn and Karen Clark. I believe that yoga is more than a physical practice and that we live yoga both on an off the mat. I am
grateful to share my love of yoga as we explore the connection between breath, body and
​mindfulness to create a whole body experience. 
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Joleen King, Reiki Master Teacher. An Energy Healer with Take Time to Heal, Joleen is also an affiliate with the New England Meditation Group, whose mission is to encourage meditation practice in the eastern CT area. She is inspired to share her healing journey and gifts with the purpose of helping others, and part of her dharma is leading guided meditation classes. 
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Kay Bee Kanarka, 200- RYT. Kay is a graduate of the Yogaworks program and teaches yoga locally. She enjoys the practice of yoga an is interested in bringing yoga to more people through her basic vinyasa classes. She is currently exploring the practice of Yin yoga.

Our History
Humble Monkey Wellness® was an idea of Ernie Green and John Benbow that started around the concept of retiring to our own yoga retreat center that offered vegan baked goods, green and clean foods, and fair-trade vegan products. We had seen several similar businesses on our travels that had components of this vision and decided to let this concept ferment. Hatched in December 2015 with our first classes launching in September 2016 at Lee Memorial, United Methodist Church in Norwich, we have been offering affordable, safe, and accessible yoga to the Greater Norwich community. Our vision has grown and expanded to also offer classes at the Brothers of Joseph synagogue and in the wellness space at F66, both in Norwich.

The arrival of Covid-19 required a lot of changes for everyone, and the yoga community was greatly impacted. We have kept offering our classes, first through a tele-con connection, and now through a permanent Zoom connection that provides students with a variety of opportunities to continue their practice: you can experience  live, on-line, and/or recorded yoga sessions.  We are also a yoga partner with Norwich Parks and Recreation department, and are available to bring yoga into local business establishments.
About John
John Benbow started practicing yoga in 2001 after discovering a lower back issue from spending way too many hours doing landscaping at the new home. Treatment through sports medicine and the chiropractic methods didn't hold and an orthopedic doctor diagnosed a degenerating L5-S1 disc and recommended yoga as a prophylactic. I learned how to strengthen and stretch my back but more importantly to listen to my body's "whispers" so I would know when it had had enough exertion. I started taking yoga trainings to supplement my group fitness certification, eventually starting a slow journey with YogaFit® in 2005.  

The year 2009 was a watershed for me as I took an opportunity to exit a career in organic chemistry, one that I had dedicated myself to for 27 years, and move into the area of holistic wellness. I completed a personal trainer certificate with the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), finished my 200 Registered Yoga Training (200-RYT) with YogaFit® and launched BGB, LLC (Balanced-Growth-Being), a holistic wellness company. I became part of Centerspace Wellness center and embarked on my 500 hour RYT program with YogaFit® with an emphasis of Yoga Therapy. After competing my 500-RYT in 2013, I immersed myself in Thai Massage, after taking a one-day workshop in my yoga program; I was instantly drawn to this practice. I found a wonderful local teacher (Rob Martin of Rolf Bodyworks) and started studying and practicing in earnest. Over the years I have been fortunate to learn from several other local teachers (Ed Cardinal, David Roma) and practitioners.

John left Centerspace Wellness in 2016 to open his own BGB, LLC yoga therapy office in the co-work space at F66; he was grandfathered into the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) as a Certified Yogas Therapist (CYT) in 2017. It is from here that Humble Monkey Wellness® was launched. He continues to be a lifelong student and continues to study Thai massage and is presently exploring Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga, that focuses on the balance and health of the body.