The People’s Medicine Project (PMP) is a grassroots health justice organization focused on increasing access to culturally relevant, holistic, and community-centered healing practices for people who otherwise do not have access to holistic healthcare. PMP’s work includes providing free holistic healing clinics, community education, herbal medicine, and trauma-informed care to individuals across Western Massachusetts

Anatomy was always my favorite class in school. I find the mechanics of the body fascinating-- how structure and movement interact, and how intricately we function. Becoming a bodyworker felt like a natural way to combine that curiosity with my desire to bring relief and help people feel more at home in their bodies. My practice, as well as my personal growth, is enriched by understanding the science of the body to learn how to support functional well-being and then connecting that practice to the peace of mind that comes from nervous system downregulation.

I know in my heart that accepting help and better prioritizing my own needs can be a challenge for me, and I’m actively working to improve my skills in navigating this part of my life, yet changing one’s behavior is a well documented struggle for us all. If at all possible it takes immense amounts of courage and persistence to take small steps in a positive direction. 

GOTR Western MA was founded in 2015 and has served 13,000 girls across Western MA since its start. GOTR inspires girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using fun, experience-based curricula that creatively integrates running.

This moderately-paced flow is welcoming for students of all levels. We typically start with a centering, and slow warm-up. Class usually includes some sun salutations, standing poses and a slow stretchy wind-down. Students are encouraged to go at their own pace, working with the body they have. Advanced options are offered for those who wish, and rest is encouraged for all when needed.

One piece of feedback we’ve received is that the simple act of asking people to reach out to us for a scholarship can be a barrier in and of itself. So, as we lean into 2026 with a strong desire to deepen this work we are excited to streamline the process a bit more for students. 

Every year that I guide a group of students through a yoga immersion and teacher training program, my own exploration of yoga deepens. I’m inspired by how different each year is, even though the material being presented is very similar from year to year. The experience each year is shaped by my personal evolution, the unique individuals that I am currently sharing the time with and the moment we are in as a country and world.

Now, yoga. A “now” that is not just about the literal present moment, but a “now” that is auspicious, sacred, outside and deeply within time and space. While there are times of year that invite newness, this sutra reminds us that the time is always now. The possibility for a new way of relating to our lives is available to all of us, in every moment.

I wanted to become a Reiki Master because I felt so empowered and safe in my body as I grew a deeper connection to the energy that is in me and in Reiki, and learning about sharing this love that Reiki shows me is such a beautiful journey.

I hope students feel new understandings about themselves and others.  I hope they can feel safe to soften and feel what’s present in their heart.  I hope they connect with a capacity to listen to their bodies and emotions and from this awareness, set boundaries and cultivate their relationships and creativity.  I hope they feel more connected to themselves, others, and the natural world.  

Kestrel Land Trust conserves and cares for forests, farms, and riverways in the Connecticut River Valley of Western Massachusetts, while nurturing an enduring love of the land.

We can’t quite believe it, but the first month of Shraddhā and Sanctuary’s Yoga Immersion and Teaching Training is complete! If you’re curious about what this group of 35 beautiful souls has been up to, here’s a sneak peak….

Transhealth is an independent and comprehensive healthcare center that supports and empowers trans and gender-diverse individuals and families. Throughout our history as a community, trans and gender-diverse people have looked to each other for healing, support, and affirmation. Transhealth honors that by serving as a source of hope and showing what good gender-affirming healthcare looks like. As a trans and gender-diverse led organization rooted in Western Massachusetts, we are expanding the healthcare possibilities for our community. Through expert care, community support, education, and advocacy, we work to secure a healthy, affirming future for all of us.

We offer Yin Yoga classes each week on Wednesdays & Fridays 12– 1 pm. Read about this beloved practice from our teachers!

My personal vocal practice has brought me confidence in so many ways I didn’t expect. I bring more of myself to my voice and feel bolder and more expressive in everyday communication. I used to think being professional or academic looked and felt a certain way. But by accessing more of my voice, I now access more of me. I feel more relaxed in conversation, my smile is bigger, and I feel more embodied. I feel more connected to myself and more connected to others. 

The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art’s mission is to celebrate and elevate picture book art and inspire a love of art and art creation. We collect, preserve, and exhibit original art and foster an ever-growing audience passionate about picture book art.

Form & Flow is our most taught class at Sanctuary, and yet you might be wondering what exactly you are getting into when you take this style of class! The name hearkens back to the days when Sanctuary (then called Yoga Sanctuary) was an Anusara yoga studio. Anusara was founded in 1997 by John Friend; his style integrated physical principles of alignment often found in Iyengar classes with yoga therapeutics and Tantric spiritual teachings.

Embodyoga with Corinne, Yin Yoga with Luke, Queer & Trans Yoga with Fran, and Prenatal Yoga with Sebastian…introducing the classes and teachers that make our fall schedule so special!

My hope is that my clients feel lighter, gain a renewed sense of health and clarity, and learn that they have the ability to heal themselves. My desire is to guide my clients to an embodied sense of their purpose and mission in this life and the gifts that they have been given to fulfill that mission. True embodiment brings the empowerment to fully step into the life of their dreams.

My work informs everything about how I interact with the world. I see firsthand, on a personal and interpersonal basis, how systems of oppression impact every single one of us, albeit in very different ways. Because I have been entrusted with so many people’s personal stories, when I’m out and about in the world, I think I’m usually hyper-aware that everyone I encounter is carrying stories I know nothing about, and that those stories are impacting how they behave and perceive the world around them. It makes me take things a lot less personally. I hope it causes me to behave with a combination of deep empathy and strong, healthy boundaries.

Valley Free Radio seeks to educate, inspire, and entertain through programming that reflects the diversity of the local community. We seek to provide a space for media access and education, placing equipment, skills, and critical tools in the hands of the community. We aim to serve with particular regard for those overlooked or under-represented by other media and to provide for the exchange of cultural and intellectual ideas and music.

Sanctuary hosted our First Annual Community Spotlight Retreat Day earlier this month. In collaboration with a group of our Collective members we organized a full day of Sanctuary-inspired activities, exclusively for the staff and board members of the organizations that have participated in our Community Spotlight Series. The sampling of services included yoga classes, bodywork sessions, meditation, somatics, and more.

My approach to ancestral lineage healing is informed by earth and body-based ritual arts, somatic and spiritual healing, and a lifelong commitment to nurturing collective liberation. When we reconnect with our well ancestors, we deconstruct the isolation of individualism and root into the vast and nourishing mycelial network of ancestral blessings, medicine, and magic. For many people, cultural practices of ancestral reverence have been lost through centuries of colonialism, migration, and assimilation.  Thankfully, each of us has wise, well, loving, earth-honoring ancestors lovingly waiting for us to turn toward them.

I’ve learned the value of slowing down and of simplifying inner life—and also, the value of allowing the storms to happen when they’re happening. As I’ve traversed through my own internal world, I’ve found it easier to relate to others’ challenges. I’ve found that at the core, many of our challenges have similar voices with different themes. This has really brought me deeper into empathy and a knowing that we are all one.

Cancer Connection’s mission is to provide a haven where people with cancer and their loved ones can learn how to navigate the complicated cancer journey through one-to-one guidance, education, peer support, integrative therapies, and creative programs to strengthen body and spirit.

As a Yoga Teacher, I get to hold space for community, help people build confidence, and hopefully make the practice of yoga enjoyable and accessible on and off the mat. Outside of yoga teaching, I’ve always worked in human services and the arts. I’ve dedicated my life to be in service of others and am committed to uplifting unheard voices. I think teaching yoga continues to fulfill those ethical principles.

The Care Center helps women who have been systematically disadvantaged navigate the path to financial stability. We pair rigorous academics with supportive services including childcare, transportation, meals, healthcare, counseling, and housing resources. With all this in place, women earn college degrees and change the trajectory for their families.

As an educator and yoga instrutor, I see my classes as a means of creating more space. Space to question, space to think critically, space to stumble, and as a result, to inevitably find more compassion and nuance for the world.

When Sanctuary set out on a mission to support individuals who are bravely committed to improving the health of our community and region, we understood that it would require dreaming big and approaching things differently. We envisioned a community of activists who show up for their community by showing up for themselves. Yet when we thought more about what to do with all of that creative and impassioned energy, it became clear that we needed to go outside our four walls and build connections with like-minded organizations. The Community Spotlight Series came into fruition, and was officially launched in March 2024.