ARISIA has many interesting classes and hands-on Weapons Demonstrations to move your body as well as your mind.

For the yoga classes, please bring comfy clothes and your own mats and yoga props.

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Friday Night Yoga      Fri 6:30 PM
This posture sequencing guides you through poses/asanas in a mindful flow designed to source all our movement from deep strength. We will practice strategies to lengthen & loosen stubborn hamstrings & hips, eliminate pain & compression in the lower back and neck, and create opening and flexibility in your upper back and shoulders. Careful attention is shown to awareness of proper posture and breathing/pranayama while in transitions & stillness. Please bring your own yoga mat, straps, blocks.

Ship It Like FedExxx      Fri 10:30 PM
Games By Play Date is thrilled to present an evening of glorious smut, titillating burlesque, ridiculous crack-fics and a nude Cthulhu that will strip...away your sanity. 18+ only.

Morning Yoga: Salute to Sol      Sat 8:30 AM
In this all-levels class, we will gently stretch and warm the body to loosen up for the day, then practice or learn the traditional series of movements known as the Sun Salutation. If desired, the instructor will work with each student to adapt these classical poses to work for each individual's body. Designed for adults of all experience levels; kids who feel comfortable in group fitness classes may also attend.

Belly Dancing Class         Sat 9:00 AM
Belly dancing is a great form of exercise! Come learn some basic moves with us and join a nice wake-up session.

Roman Legion      Sat 9:30 AM
The Roman Legions are undoubtedly among the best known and most influential military forces in history. Their exploits remain legendary, and they continue to be a subject for books, movies, and TV. This New England-based reenacting group seeks to accurately portray the Legion in the 1st Century AD, initially tasked with keeping Egypt’s rich ports, grain supplies, and mines under Roman control. Members will showcase various arms, armor, tactics, and troop types (Legionaries and Auxiliaries).

Walk the Labyrinth, Saturday      Sat 10:00 AM
What’s blue & white and bigger on the inside? Our 30’x30’ seven-circuit classical labyrinth! A tool for walking meditation, self-inquiry, relaxation, or just for fun; use it to find a little peace during the excitement of Arisia. The labyrinth is open to all who can respect the space. You can arrive anytime and walk it as many times as you’d like.

Armor Demonstration      Sat 10:00 AM
Medieval knights were more than brutes who hammered away at one another with crowbars. Rather, they used a variety of sophisticated martial arts. Ken Mondschein of Worcester Historical Swordsmanship and Bill Frisbee of New Hampshire Kunst de Fechtens will demonstrate authentic armored combat techniques from the fifteenth century.

En Garde! SCA Rapier Fencing Demo      Sat 10:30 AM
Ever wish you could duel like the Three Musketeers, swashbuckle like a pirate, or fight in a tavern brawl? Fencers from Barony of Carolingia — Boston’s local Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) group — will demonstrate 16th & 17th Century rapier techniques. Spectators will experience the duel and group melees up close, and see how historical sword fights differ from the world of Hollywood adventure.

Gaslamp Assault of Arms      Sat 11:30 AM
Characters in the perilous worlds of steampunk study a variety of martial arts. Fighting off ruffians, dueling at dawn, or fitting into their fancy trousers for an upcoming ball, the people of our world's Victorian age did, too. Experience the elegant weapons of a more civilized age as Dr. Ken Mondschein, Maître d'Armes Historique and the Worcester Historical Swordsmanship students present an exhibition of authentic gaslamp martial arts, followed by a hands-on class on how to fend off ruffians!

Fighting With Swords!      Sat 12:30 PM
Scottish Broadsword! Medieval Longsword! Sword & Shield! Dagger! Come see New England's Historical European Martial Arts community fight amongst themselves for your entertainment. Followed immediately by hands-on lessons in either the Longsword or Broadsword. All equipment provided, no experience necessary.

Salem Zouaves: Civil War Musket & Bayonet Drill      Sat 4:00 PM
In the mid-nineteenth century, a military fashion craze swept Europe and the United States. Known as Zouaves, they were originally French-Algerian light infantry famous for their colorful Turkish uniforms, athletic precision drill, and ferocity with cold steel in battle. The Salem Light Infantry, an elite militia company from Salem, Massachusetts, went Zouave in April, 1861. This demonstration will feature the uniforms and the bayonet-fencing and musket drills practiced by the Salem Zouaves.

Crackup: Comics & Comics at the Con      Sat 7:00 PM
Some of the funniest standups in Boston are coming at you for one night only of geek-themed good times & hilarity. We’ll cap it all off with an A/V tour of the random, ludicrous, & mystifying ephemera found while digging through thousands of vintage comic book & pulp fiction back issues. Presented by Wes Hazard (named 1 of 5 Boston Comics to Watch by the Boston Globe), come on down for a wild & hilarious show. You’ll laugh as hard as The Joker dancing in the pale moonlight, promise!

Wand Dueling with Harry Potter NYC      Sat 10:30 PM 
The art of wand dueling is a centuries old practice that has unfortunately fallen by the wayside in today’s modern wizarding curriculum. Join Harry Potter NYC as their top wand dueling instructors demonstrate several of the offensive and defensive moves most frequently employed in duels. Many of these can be seen being used in the now famous Harry Potter documentary films. You can bring your own wands, or if needed training wands can be provided.

Light Sabers: Demo and Workshop      Sat 10:30 PM
You have a lightsaber - now what? Boston Jedi, a lightsaber choreography group, will do a short demonstration and then hold a workshop to teach the basics of stage combat using lightsaber props. During the workshop, we will be going slowly - safety first! No experience needed; no saber needed! (If you have your own Ultrasaber or Saberforge, you're welcome to use it.)

Disney After Hours      Sun 12:30 AM
What goes on in the Disney castles after hours... stories and songs. 18+ only.

Walk the Labyrinth, Sunday      Sun 10:30 AM
What’s blue & white and bigger on the inside? Our 30’x30’ seven-circuit classical labyrinth! A tool for walking meditation, self-inquiry, relaxation, or just for fun; use it to find a little peace during the excitement of Arisia. The labyrinth is open to all who can respect the space. You can arrive anytime and walk it as many times as you’d like.

Button-Mashing Master Cuts: Swords & Video Games      Sun 12:00 PM
Is a fatality combo like a murder strike? Do you need the Master Sword to do a master cut? Do steppe horsemen really ride in circles during combat? Do swordfighting scholars really cry if you make them watch a fight scene with 8-foot-long swords and backspins? Come find out what we love, what we can't stand, and maybe even how we feel about your favorites. The details of what we do and don't like may surprise you! Caution: May ruin your ability to take fantasy swordfights seriously.

Mindful Yoga: An Intro to Terrestrial Gravity      Sun 5:00 PM
In this playful, restorative class, we will relax and explore our relationship with the ground beneath us and the air in our lungs, working toward balance as we prepare to set foot on the earth's surface. Bring a yoga mat or large towel. All ages; ability to keep a straight face is required.

Swordswomen Through the Ages      Sun 3:00 PM
The sword was the weapon par excellence for hundreds of years, and the symbol of nobility and might. And throughout history, women became experts in its use. In this demonstration, we'll discuss famous fighting women from European history. For each woman, we'll demonstrate an authentic swordplay style, taken from a surviving text, that she might have used, ranging from the subtleties of the medieval longsword to the simplicity of the Napoleonic saber.

The Cutting Truth of the Sword      Sun 4:00 PM
Athena School of Arms presents: A demonstration of cutting with real swords, and other elements of advanced training. Followed immediately by hands-on lessons with the Longsword or Broadsword. Learn the basics of attack and defense in the German Longsword tradition. All equipment provided, no experience necessary.

Strength & Alignment Vinyasa Yoga      Mon 8:30 AM
After spending the weekend geeking out on your favorite sci-fi stuff, come geek out over your body & mind! This vinyasa class will work out the kinks of the Con, undoing the hours of walking & sitting with a heathy alignment-focused & challenging flow and will include corrective & Thai-massage inspired hands-on assists; please inform the teacher if you have an injury or do not wish to be touched. Come with comfortable stretchy clothes, a yoga mat, water, & ready to put your hands on the ground.