The Evening Exhale

This class is free and open to all.

Donations to the teachers are received with gratitude, but are never expected. 

Participants should bring a blanket and a firm pillow or bolster. 

The holiday season is a mix of celebration, joy, worry, busyness, light, reunions, giving and receiving. Many of us love this time of year but also find ourselves overwhelmed, with little time to actually reflect and enjoy all the season offers. The Evening Exhale offers respite from the bustle, a place of quiet rejuvenation. 

Join Diana Peters-Ross, Kripalu yoga instructor, and Jackie Alvarez, licensed psychologist, for this weekly restorative class that will help you unwind and align both your body and your mind. Part yoga and part stress reduction, we’ll combine body-based methods with intentional psychological practices to create greater emotional balance and physical wellbeing. You will leave feeling recharged with greater capacity to experience the joy — and manage the stressors — of the season.

Throughout this class, you will learn how the nervous system gets activated and calms down, as well as things we can do that decrease (or increase) our stress. You’ll  experience  a variety of practices that have been shown to increase internal harmony and equanimity,  including movement, breathing, sensory grounding, bilateral stimulation, and radical acceptance. The Evening Exhale is designed to help you connect with yourself and (re)discover sources of inspiration and tools for finding balance. 

What to We Will Offer:

• Gentle and Restorative Yoga: Release tension held in the body through  mindful movement

• Relaxation: Experience deep rest with the resonating sounds and vibration of Tibetan bowls

• Breath Work:  Practice calming breathing techniques

• Psychological practices: Experiment with practical tools that quiet the nervous system, interrupt anxious ways of thinking, and enhance your emotional well-being.

Diana Peters-Ross completed the 200 hour instructor certification at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in 2003, and holds certificates in "Yoga Dance" and Prenatal Yoga. She also has a Masters Degree in Special Education and currently works full time in the public schools. Her yoga classes weave together mindfulness, pranayama, flexibility, balance and strength, and she supports participants to find more ease in their bodies, as well as compassion and resilience both on and off the mat.

Jackie Alvarez, Ph.D. (she/her) is a licensed psychologist and worked for 35 years in colleges and universities, serving most recently as Associate Dean for Health and Wellbeing at Amherst College. Passionate about psychological wellbeing and its intersection with other facets of wellbeing, she has spent her career healing, teaching, and nurturing people so they can flourish. In addition to her work with individuals, she also has coached organizations so they can develop cultures and practices that allow all their members to thrive.