My work is an expression of my dreaming toward collective liberation. People deserve access to choice, and to be in their bodies in ways that work for them (including not being in their bodies). Simultaneously, complex trauma is an expression of larger systems of power and harm, like white supremacy, ableism, capitalism, colonialism, and their powerful sibling and offspring systems; I practice believing that processes intended to heal that trauma are/should be inextricably bound up in the parallel process of dismantling those traumatizing systems. Additionally, as individual bodies surviving and taking action against systems of harm, I also believe that our efforts are more sustainable if we can be on the same team as our bodies–speaking a shared language, making informed choices, and connecting with other bodies in aligned ways.

Meet our October 2024 Community Spotlight organization! Since 1979, The Northampton Survival Center is dedicated to improving the quality of life for low-income individuals and families throughout Hampshire County by providing nutritious food and other resources in an atmosphere of dignity and respect. They provide local folks with weekly groceries from our pantries in Northampton and Goshen.

Meet our October 2024 Community Spotlight organization, It Takes a Village. Their mission is to provide free postpartum and early parenting support to families with babies and young children living in Western Massachusetts, and to inspire the community to welcome the newest members of their Village.

My hope is that my clients experience a reclaimed sense of agency around their food choices and eating habits. My intention is to give clients the space to talk about their food based concerns and invite them into the driver's seat when deciding which direction we go. I strongly believe that my clients are the experts of their own body and that my role is to help folks get curious and explore options that align with their values. 

Meet our September 2024 Community Spotlight organization, Smith College Food Rescue Network. Their goal is to redistribute excess prepared food from Smith College to community members experiencing food insecurity. They collect data for every pan of food they donate and share this information with Smith Dining Services, allowing Dining Services to make decisions about more sustainable ordering practices.

In finding my voice and the light that guides me as a student, teacher and teacher trainer, I have found ways to support others in finding their voice and unique paths as students and teachers. I have learned to practice, learn, share, and teach yoga from love - for love - out of love - with love - for the sake of love. To step away from dogmatic rules and truly honor yoga from the inside, out.

Meet our August 2024 Community Spotlight organization, Translate Gender. Translate Gender is a collective-based, consensus-run (501c3) non-profit organization that works to generate community accountability for individuals to self-determine their own genders and gender expressions.

Being on the dance floor gives me a place to express all of my emotions in a way that allows them to move through me faster and with greater integrity. But what I cherish most is that through the dance, I feel the most directly connected to my own aliveness and to All That Is.

“The work I do is not separate from how I live or what it is that I contribute to the world. I believe that our greatest contribution to the world, ever, will always be who we are and how we live. I believe the highest form of activism is to know yourself and to understand how your choices impact those around you, as well as the planet.”

Yoga asks the essential questions of humanity: Who am I? Why am I alive? What is going on here? Who are these other beings around me? It is a longing and a seeking and a progressive discovery. What it longs for and seeks and discovers is the underlying, fundamental truth of oneness.

Through the practice of Somatic Breathwork we can utilize our own breath to clear the pathways of these stuck energetic imprints–releasing stress and anxiety, and setting us free to arrive fully in the present moment–creating space to embody our highest vibration, fullest self-expression and deepest authenticity in connecting to the richness of our lives.

Meet our June 2024 Community Spotlight organization! The Parlor Room Collective’s mission is “to enhance the health and vitality of our community through music. We believe in the ability of music to transcend boundaries, bridge gaps, and uplift spirits. Our vision is to create a space where diverse audiences can come together to experience the magic of live music, fostering a sense of belonging and shared cultural appreciation.”

Like all things, we live within the context of cycles, there is a time for generation and a time for restoration, a time for activity and a time for rest. We can’t always be up, out, light, creative, productive and doing. And yet, we live in a society that values one part of the cycle so much more than the other. When we are experiencing the sometimes disowned, shadowed part of the cycle, the low, the quiet, the inward, the tired, we are bombarded with messages letting us know we can buy something to fix it.

A lot of us have distant - or even antagonistic - relationships with our bodies, and I struggle with this myself. In addition to relieving pain, I want to provide a space where those with that kind self-estrangement can begin to reconcile, and find peace and joy as more unified humans.

Meet Corinne, a yoga teacher, yoga teacher trainer, and life coach! Corinne and her partner Matthew Andrews will be leading a Yoga Immersion and Teacher Training at Sanctuary, beginning October 2024.

Meet Matthew! Matthew is a yoga teacher, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, nonprofit executive, bhakta, and the co-director of Shraddhā Yoga. He leads monthly kirtans at Sanctuary, and will be leading a Yoga Immersion and Teacher Training with his partner Corinne Matthews at Sanctuary, beginning October 2024.

Meet our May 2024 Community Spotlight organization! Friends of Northampton Trails fosters better public health and quality of life for Northampton’s residents and visitors by enhancing the bike trail network and conducting activities that sustain and grow the community of trail users.

“The more I practiced, the more I realized that no one teaching looked like me. I wanted to create space for folks that didn’t fit into the mold of what we in the West have decided is a “yoga body.” When you dive deeper into the ancient teachings of yoga, we learn that EVERY body is a yoga body and that yoga asana (the physical postures) is only one of the many aspects of the practice of yoga.”

“I experienced an immediate benefit in my first tapping session. I felt calmer and more grounded in my body. The anxious thoughts that were on repeat in my mind no longer consumed me. During the certification process, my mind, body, and heart opened up to deeper levels of healing that I never experienced before (especially in talk therapy.)”

Meet Em! They are a pelvic floor physical therapist, and owner of Pioneer Valley Pelvic Health.

“I wanted to become a pelvic floor therapist because of my passion for sexual health and sexuality education, coupled with a deep desire to improve people's quality of life. Throughout my journey, I've observed that many individuals grapple with feelings of shame, stigma, or fear when it comes to pelvic floor function, whether it involves sexual, bowel, bladder, or pain issues. These emotions can profoundly impact one's well-being and hinder their ability to seek help.”