November is almost here! We are moving to the Munson Library as of November 1st! Erin will teach the last outdoor class of the season on Tuesday, October 31st. (Rumor has it she will dress as a pumpkin (or at least be wearing orange leggings). Come in costume as long as it is stretchy, comfy, and warm!
Then join us indoors just up the street from Andrews at the Munson Library (1046 South East Street). There is limited on-street parking, but you can park behind the South Congregational Church right next door. We are happy to offer our daily 8 AM practice every day except Wednesdays. Kim will start teaching at 7:30 AM on Wednesdays because there is a 9:15 QiGong class already on the schedule. (I might stay to give that a try.)
Based on your survey feedback requesting classes outside of typical work-day hours, we are thrilled to offer two evening classes: Mondays and Tuesdays at 5:30 PM.
We offer a line-up of the teachers you love, plus Jacqui has purchased a new set of blocks and straps. Thank you, Jacqui!!
As always, classes are offered freely to all. No registration required. Donations are gratefully accepted, but not expected. We want the blessings of community practice available to all.
Click below for more details.
Sundays 8:00 AM Linda Castronovo
Mondays 8:00 AM Chris Paradis
Mondays 5:30 PM Margaret Nunnelly
Tuesdays 8:00 AM Erin Schifferli
Tuesdays 5:30 PM Maria Kovalenko
Wednesdays 7:30 AM Kim Deshaies
Thursdays 8:00 AM Tiffany Joeseph
Fridays 8:00 AM Jen Vanderleeden
Saturdays 8:00 AM Ilana Beigel
*** No classes on Election Day! Tuesday, November 7, 2023 ***
Mornings at Andrews
We are coming to the end of another great outdoor season. Big gratitude to Jacqui, Andy, and the whole Andrew’s crew for making their beautiful space available to us. Jacqui, you’ve made a daily yoga practice possible and accessible for so many. Thank you! Thank you!
Thank you, also, to Roberta Uno and Gabriela Weaver for capturing these beautiful pictures of our mornings at Andrews. Nature is amazing!
Spread the love! Share our newsletter with friends and neighbors.
November is for Giving!
This yoga community is exceptionally generous. Gratitude leads naturally to giving which creates more gratefulness, a great-fullness of heart. Read on for two opportunities to support communities in need.
Support Pūnana Leo O Lahaina, Lahaina Hawaiian Immersion School
Along with twenty others, I was among several in our yoga community who attended a Lei-Making Workshop facilitated by Roberta Māpuana Uno, Sovann-Malis Loeung, and Joy Jarme, huamāna of hālau hula Pua Ali'i 'lima o Nuioka. We learned to make lei while being blessed with hula and chanting in the Hawaiian language. It was a beautiful afternoon devoted to raising money for Pūnana Leo O Lahaina, the Lahaina Hawaiian Immersion School which was destroyed by the Maui fire in August 2023.
You may have missed the workshop, but you can still donate to help rebuild the school and support the children of Maui. Your donation will aid in preserving Hawaiian language revitalization efforts and allow the school to further their mission to drive and inspire change and ensure a living Hawaiian language and culture in Hawaiʻi and beyond.
30 Poems Support the Center for New Americans
I am excited to participate in this fund-raiser for the Center for New Americans, a non-profit, community-based education and resource center for immigrants and refugees who attend free classes in English, technology, job counseling, citizenship, and literacy. Poets across Western Massachusetts have been writing 30 poems in November (a poem a day) to raise tens of thousands of dollars every year for 15 years!
I don't identify as a poet, but I am happy to take part because it's a way that writing changes lives! You may know that I was an assistant wrangler for a herd of seventeen horses in Pinedale, Wyoming this summer. Since returning, many have asked about my experience, and I've struggled to capture what these four months meant to me. This fund-raiser arrives at the perfect time. It's the impetus I need to get back into a regular writing routine, and I am thrilled to help raise money for the Center for New Americans.
I will do my little part every day by writing a short piece about my summer experience. Maybe what I write will be poem-ish, but I am not making any promises. Each week, I’ll send my seven attempts (these will be rough first-drafts, remember) to everyone who contributes to my campaign. You can donate as little or as much as you like. Some donate $1-$10/poem, but any amount will put you on the list of recipients. Click below for more details. Thank you!
Speaking of Gratitude…
Erin will be assisting a Kripalu program this month called Gratitude: Music, Poetry, And Spirituality From Ireland.
Gratitude is a state of being—a physical, emotional, and spiritual invitation to inhabit a foundational ground of healing and empathy. Real gratitude acknowledges the seasonal conversation with reality, knowing that all things must pass and that holding onto a certain state of being is impossible.
Join acclaimed Irish musicians and brothers, Mícheál and Owen Ó Súilleabháin to:
Embrace gratitude and let go of old visions you hold for yourself.
Release unrealistic promises of entitlement and insecurity.
Appreciate what you already have and come to terms with your soul's stories.
Teacher Spotlight - Meet Pierre Rouzier
Pierre joined the Yoga Outside teacher ranks after he retired from his position as a sports medicine doctor at UMASS. We are always glad when Pierre takes time out of his busy travel schedule of long-distance adventure cycling to teach yoga at Andrews.
How (and when) were you first introduced to yoga?
Pierre: Both of my adult sons were instrumental in getting yoga into my life. I went to my first yoga class when I was 50 years old with my older son (then a 21 year old college football player) at the old Gold’s Gym on University Drive.
What does yoga mean to you?
Pierre: I’m a 66 year old semi-retired primary care sports doctor at UMass and my main interest in teaching yoga has been learning how to help people recover from injuries (or prevent injuries) through yoga. But the more I teach and learn, the more I’m seeing just how valuable yoga is for so many more aspects of life and health.
What inspired you to become a yoga teacher?
Pierre: My younger son was a college soccer player who needed surgery for anterior compartment syndrome in his legs to get through four years of soccer. In his mid 20’s his leg pain came back, and he really got into yoga, eventually becoming a yoga instructor. He thought I’d enjoy being a teacher as well and, knowing my love of travel, he encouraged me to go somewhere fun for my training. I went to the Nexus Institute in Nosara, Costa Rica in January 2022. When I got home I started teaching by going to friends’ houses giving semi-private lessons and getting feedback!
Who have been your most important teachers?
Pierre: The first influential teacher I had was a woman named Kellie Finn. I was really new to yoga and she did some creative (and challenging) asanas (and I didn’t really know what I was doing!). I was by far the oldest person in the group and typically the only male. I really appreciated her style and have tried to incorporate it into my style of teaching.
More recently Ilana Beigel and Erin Schifferli (both at Yoga Outside) have really helped guide me in my “next phase” of yoga teaching and learning. I really appreciate their help.
What are you reading/listening to these days? Sources of inspiration?
Pierre: I read a little each day and am currently reading four yoga books at once. Living Your Yoga, YogaBody, and Yoga Myths, all by Judith Lasater (a yoga instructor who’s also a physical therapist). And a fourth book about the chakras, Eastern Body Western Mind by Anodea Judith.
Where else do you teach?
I teach twice a week at the Hampshire County Jail. I’ve also attended a health fair there and presented a talk about sports injuries.
I really enjoy going to the jail. My theme for the inmates is “Relax and Breathe Under Stress.” I like doing a physically stressful pose with them (like forearm plank). Just when they think they can’t hold it any longer I say, “Just breathe through it. Pretend someone’s yelling at you, and you want to react. Just breathe and relax.”
One of the guys told me after class one day, “Today it just made sense.” In a career in sports medicine I’ve taken care of athletes who had friends in jail (or who have been shot), or who could’ve been in jail themselves if the circumstances were different. I have a whole theme of the “warrior” series.
There are two men in particular that were REALLY devoted to coming. One day XXX wasn’t there, and when I asked about him YYY told me, “Good news and bad news. The bad news is that he’s not coming to class anymore, and the good news is that he’s been released to a community program.” I was extremely happy for him but really sad to not have him in class anymore. He’d asked about the process to become a yoga instructor and about careers in health and wellness fields. Then YYY told me how much being in jail (and coming to yoga) has changed his life for the better. Two weeks ago he said goodbye to me as he too was being released to a community program.
I also teach a “BroGA” class at Serenity in South Hadley. It’s named for guys who are intimidated by a yoga class full of women. But it’s not just for men. Women are invited to bring their friends or partners with them. And we go to Johnny’s restaurant for a beer (or other beverage/food) after class!
Any last comments?
Pierre: Andrews is a gift. I LOVE teaching there and I love going to other teachers’ classes as well. I brag about Andrews wherever I go.
Pierre is also offering a free workshop at Serenity (in South Hadley):
Yoga 101 for Guys
Tuesday, November 28 at 6 PM. Click below for more details and spread the word!
Here’s the blurb for BroGA and Beer at Serenity!
Are you an “old stiff guy”, an aging athlete, or just nervous about going to a yoga class with all those flexible women? You don’t need to be a “bro” and you don’t have to drink a beer, but you don’t want to miss this series! Women – bring your nervous male partners; men – come bond with those fellow stiff and nervous guys! Your instructor is a sports medicine physician (team doctor at UMass for 25 years until recent retirement) who’s also led yoga for the UMass hockey team and at the Hampshire County Jail. You’ll get more flexible, stronger and learn about the myriad of other ways yoga will improve your health. And if you have any ailments Dr. Rouzier will be happy to give you a complimentary evaluation either in class or over a beer!
The BroGA series will start early this winter at Serenity Yoga and Wellness in South Hadley and run until the spring. See www.serenityyogawellness.com for more details.
Thanks, Pierre, for being our featured teacher this month!
And, Thank YOU for being a part of Yoga Outside!
For more information, teacher bios, and an up-to-date calendar, check out our website. You can also find us on Facebook. If you’ve missed past newsletters, you can find them in the Newsletter Archive on Substack. Thanks for being a part of Yoga Outside.
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