Paul and I arrived home late last Friday night after four days on the road. It was weird to be back in our house. We walked around in a daze — so much space, so many things. After living in a tent for over three months, it was strange to be indoors.
“This is ours?” We laughed. Our housesitters had left the place spotless. Not one thing out of place. Had anyone even lived here while we were gone? We settled into our (very comfortable) bed and slept like the dead. Three days of rain didn’t bother us. We’d been in the high, dry Wyoming mountains where summers are a bit like fall here in New England: highs in the low 70s, lows in the forties. Mornings are crisp and cool enough for a skull cap and gloves. Sunny afternoons invite us to shed layers during outdoor work. We welcome cool evenings, awake to frosty mornings, and delight in glorious warm afternoons. A touch of spring, summer, and fall every 24 hours.
Fall is my favorite season. We arrived home just in time for the balance of the equinox, and I look forward to increasingly dark days: shorter periods of daylight, longer periods without sunshine. It reminds me to rest, to embrace a period of renewal, a look inward. I need the darker days to balance high levels of activity all summer.
Our housesitters did a great job caring for our garden, and we’ve come home to a winter’s supply of garlic and onions already drying in the garage. There are leeks, pumpkins, carrots, potatos, all kinds of greens, sweet potatoes, and honeynut squash just waiting to be picked.
The garden is burtsing with harvestable delights and so many dahlias. Plants that grew all summer in our absence are celebrating an abundance of water, healthy soil, and enough sunlight to store nutrients for us to enjoy in the coming months. We know it was a hard summer for many, and we have so much to be grateful for…
Including yoga at Andrews!
Mornings are crisp these days. We arrive with hats, sweatshirts, scarves, gloves, and down jackets. But just an hour later with the temperature rising, we are often basking in sunshine.
Don’t give up on yoga outside! Come in layers. Bring a shower curtain or a plastic tablecloth for the dew. Bring an extra blanket for svasana. It’s worth the chilly beginning!
And, while your packing your warm things, why not bring a friend? Spread the love! Share our newsletter with friends and neighbors.
I hope to see you there!
Linda
Yoga Indoors at the Munson Library
November 2023 - May 2024
We’ve reserved the Main Hall of the Munson Library (just up the road from Andrew’s at 1046 South East Street) for a full schedule of classes November through May.
Indoor yoga, accessible-for-all, will be offered seven days a week with one earlier morning (Wednesdays at 7:30 AM) and two evening classes (Mondays and Tuesdays at 5:30 PM) taught by all of your beloved teachers.
We are especially excited to welcome back Margaret Nunnelly who will be teaching Monday evenings in November and December. In January, this class will transition to a mindfulness class thanks to Shalini Bahl-Milne. As always, all classes are offered free to all. No registration required. Donations are gratefully accepted, but not expected. We want the blessings of community practice available to all.
Click the button below for more details.
Teacher Spotlight - Meet Christie Rosen!
Christie is a newish addition to our substitute teacher list. She grew up in Amherst (and is Carol Woods’ daughter). Lucky for us, after several years away, she’s moved back to the area.
When did you first discover yoga?
Christie: I first discovered yoga while studying abroad in Australia in 2006. I remember being in awe of how relaxed I felt at the end of class. As someone who struggles with stress and anxiety, it felt like an amazing relief.
What does yoga mean to you?
Christie: Over the years, my yoga mat has been a safe space for me, a place where I come to turn inward and connect to myself. Both practicing and teaching yoga have brought me joy, strength, confidence, and peace.
What inspired you to become a yoga teacher?
Christie: I decided to enroll in teacher training to deepen my personal practice and wasn’t necessarily intending to teach. I practiced a lot after my training and my teachers at the time encouraged me to start teaching. Being sensitive, I was a bit hesitant to be in the front of the room, but I am so thankful they pushed me to do it, because I really enjoyed teaching my first classes and have pursued teaching ever since.
How has your teaching changed over the years?
Christie: My teaching has evolved a lot over the past 15 years. I have always had a deep connection to encouraging students to listen to their bodies but when I was younger my classes were more active and often had a focus on more advanced poses. I taught for many years in yoga studios and privately in Boston and now focus my teaching with my Online Yoga Studio for Highly Sensitive People.
I love that with the online format I can tailor my classes to the needs of highly sensitive people and use my knowledge as a wellness coach to weave in themes essential to the wellbeing of HSPs to each class. My classes are gentler in nature than they used to be and are focused on helping my students feel good in their bodies and find empowerment and strength in who they are on and off the mat.
Who has been your most important teacher?
Christie: I have been most inspired by master teacher Barbara Benagh. She taught me the power of moving slowly and intricately in my practice and I always feel most embodied and present after her classes and workshops.
What are you listening to these days?
Christie: My new favorite podcast is “We Can Do Hard Things” with Glennon Doyle. Linda told me about this podcast last year and I have been hooked ever since. Glennon is a highly sensitive person, and I love how open and honest she is about the challenges of being human on planet earth. I now recommend it to everyone I know.
Any final thoughts or comments?
Christie: I grew up in Amherst and have just moved back to the area this spring. If we haven’t met yet, I look forward to it!
If it resonates, I invite you to visit my online yoga studio designed especially for highly sensitive people, where I provide accessible, heart-centered classes that help you release stress, stretch and strengthen your body, and embrace your sensitivity. I also provide wellness coaching and online courses for HSPs. Find out more about my work at www.christierosen.com or on Instagram at @christierosen
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