What's happening at the Yoga Coop in June 2022
It's Summer! The long, warm(ish) days are finally here and with these seasonal changes comes fun events and new studio experiences for us all. This newsletter is chock full of introductions to new Crew members and when/how you can meet them, cool events that you can squeeze into your month, and much more so I'll keep this introduction brief... Only taking some intentional time to do a shameless plug! Many people find out about our studio by word of mouth and searching for Yoga on Google. If you enjoy the services we provide, consider leaving us a review! Facebook works, too! The link below will take you to a basic form. Please take a few moments of your day to tell the world what you think of the Coop. If you have already, THANK YOU! Click Here to leave us a Review
Member-Voted Donations for May
In honor of Mother's Day, we wanted to find non-profits that impact and support the beautiful mothers in this community and state! Therefore we are pleased to present the recipients of this month's MDI:
Safe Space wins again!
THANK YOU members for showing up and allowing us to continue with our mission to support organizations in need. A reminder that at the moment, The Yoga Cooperative donates $50 per month to the Member Driven Intention. This amount will increase once we have enough supporting members! 10% of each membership will be donated to our MDI. Every time a member comes to class, they have the opportunity to vote for a Member Driven Intention (MDI).
Announcements and What’s New at the Coop
New Crew Members! The stokage doth be high my beloved yogi's! We have three new folx joining The Crew and bringing an incredible variety of classes and experiences to the Yoga Coop. Check the website or app to see when they teach.
Mia will be guiding a Donation Based Meditation every Wednesday at 6pm. Her class is great for beginners and experienced persons alike. Alyssa and Mia have had such meaningful and impactful conversations around Meditation and knowing how many people this can benefit is such a great gift to the Coop Community and Butte!
Cassie is a Coop Member turned Yoga Instructor! Cassie has just completed her 200 YTT with Sistermoon Wellness based out of Missoula, and she is ready to bring her new knowledge to us. We are so lucky to have Cassie teaching Ashtanga on Tuesday mornings starting after the Solstice.
We have welcomed Lou into our space before when she led a Kundalini Workshop and now she is bringing this practice to our studio twice a month! Lou has tons of training hours under her belt and this practice is for anyone! But if you are someone that is interested in adding a more intentional spiritual aspect to your practice, then checkout Kundalini!
June Member Driven Intention Choices
It is an unfortunate truth that in the West, Yoga has often favored and catered to a very specific type of practitioner. Mainly white, financially well-off, and cis-abled bodies. The Yoga Cooperative believes in equity, inclusion, and accessibility. We hope you feel that way too and in honor of PRIDE Month, we'd like to give support to one of our local organizations that support the LGBTQ2+ humans in Butte.
Western Montana Community Center
Missoula Community Volunteer Funded Organization providing education, advocacy, and community for LGBTQ2+ folx
www.gaymontana.org
National Center for Transgender Equality
Advocates to change policies and society to increase the understanding and acceptance of Transgender people.
Montana Pride Foundation
Mission
Pride Foundation fuels transformational movements to advance equity and justice for LGBTQ+ people in all communities across the Northwest.
Vision
We envision a world in which all LGBTQ+ people live safely and openly as our whole selves in the communities we call home.
Philosophy
Our work is grounded in social justice philanthropy. We are committed to:
Harnessing our fundraising, grant making, program, and advocacy efforts to address root causes of discrimination impacting the LGBTQ+ community;
Supporting community leaders and organizations that work to eliminate long-standing barriers to equal access, opportunities, and resources for LGBTQ+ people; and
Expanding and deepening the level of engagement among all LGBTQ+ people and allies, including people who are economically, racially, socially, geographically, or politically disenfranchised
LGBTQ+ Friendly Class starting in July
This monthly class will be offered the first Wednesday evening of each month, by our very own Holly, who is passionate about creating a supportive, gender neutral/affirming space for those that identify with the LGBTQ2+ community. We strive to create an inclusive environment for all, but sometimes it feels better and safer to be surrounded by those you identify with. All of Holly's classes use gender neutral language and all classes at the Yoga Cooperative strive to be inclusive and safe. But this monthly event is for those who identify as part of the LBGTQ2+ community, and will aim to build a safe space to practice together. All classes will be donation based.
New Class Offerings We have quite a few new offerings this month! Starting June 3rd and then every other Friday at 9am (make sure to check the website!) come and join Lou for Kundalini. Kundalini class will consist of tuning in, warming up, Kriya, breath, Mantra, meditation and savasana. Less about physical flexibility and more about the balance between movement and stillness. Every body is welcome, this practice will meet you where you are at. Beginning June 15th at 6pm Mia will be facilitating Guided Meditation. Mia utilizes single point meditation where you focus on one thing to help tie you to the present moment...the breath for example. Each 30 minute class will begin with a centering activity, a 10-15 Guided Mediation and then closing discussion. The following half hour is optional and may involve dedicated time for journaling, Restorative Yoga, creation of art and other options. On June 28th and onwards, you can join Cassie on Tuesday mornings at 7am for a donation based Ashtanga class. A great way to get your day started, Ashtanga is a style of yoga similar to Vinyasa, where movement is intentionally connected to breath but goes through the same movements every practice. So if you are someone who likes structured classes, this is a great option for you!
Special Events
Meet A Yoga Coop Member!
Katie, Member since February 2022
In your opinion, what are 3 essential things you need for a yoga class?
1) self compassion
2) lingering pet hair on your clothes that was missed with the lint roller, that you only just notice in your first downward dog.
3) a positive intention carry through your practice.
What's your advice for someone who is new to yoga but nervous about coming into the studio?
My advise for new yogis is to learn how to breath through the movements. As someone fairly new to yoga myself, I find that when I stop breathing, instead of following my breath, I’m trying too hard.
How do you feel about Goat Yoga?
I’m very pro goat yoga. I would absolutely love to be a goat spring board.
Resources
I
love this book, I love this human. Jessamyn Stanley is funny, creative and makes it her goal as a yogi to create an inclusive environment for EVERY BODY, EVERY PERSON. What's not to love! She actually has several books, but this is the first book Alyssa owned of Jessamyn's and Alyssa refers to it often when she is attempting to create inclusive Yoga Flows. This is how Jessamyn puts it: It’s a book of inspiration for beginners of all shapes and sizes: If Jessamyn could transcend these emotional and physical barriers, so can we. It’s a book for readers already doing yoga, looking to refresh their practice or find new ways to stay motivated.