Philip Bergeron / Graphic Design Editor
Students congregated outside the multipurpose room of the Spaulding Gymnasium at six p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 16, for the second meeting of Keene State’s Yoga Club.
“We are so excited about this turnout,” Yoga Club Co-Founder Kassy Montgomery said.
Co-Founders Montgomery and Samantha Strubel received more than 125 sign-ups at the Student Involvement Fair on Sept. 10. They said they were not expecting the turnout.
“We decided to start a yoga club last year because we were so surprised that there wasn’t one already at Keene,” Montgomery said.
Twenty-five people showed up for the second meeting. Montgomery said that she was excited about how many people were interested in her club.
In addition she said that the yoga club is more than just a weekly class, it is a yoga community.
She said that every other week an instructor comes in and teaches a class and on the days she isn’t there, members follow along to an instructional video.
A meditation instructor is scheduled to make a visit and Montgomery said that they are planning on holding discussions about all aspects of yoga, in an attempt to learn as much as they can as a community.
At the beginning of the class Montgomery revealed the club a prayer flag. The prayer flag had about fifteen individual flags strung in a row, one for every member. On the flags are written what each individual member intends to get out of the club.
The flags are strung up at the beginning of every meeting and Montgomery said they are supposed to create a sense of unity in the room.
When the yoga instructor, Mali Shields, asked the club about their experience levels, it was revealed that they were a healthy mix of beginners, intermediates and experienced students; all equally passionate and excited about yoga.
“I’ve always been interested in yoga and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn more about it,” KSC student Alex Hess said.
Shields, who is an independent yoga instructor, calmly addressed the crowd with a peaceful smile and a list of her extensive experience.
The session started off with meditation and slowly progressed into a routine tailored for the mixture of beginners and experienced students.
“I’ve done yoga in the past, but the classes here never seem to fit into my schedule. This club meets at the perfect time; I had to join,” KSC student Kat Silva said.
Strubel said to one group of beginners, “This is a safe, un-judgmental space. Just have fun!”
The group that she was talking to quickly relaxed and prepared for the beginning of the class.
Strubel and Montgomery walked around socializing with the members, offering a few tips and tricks along the way.
“Everyone is so nice here,” KSC student Sarah Cantone said.
Having a yoga instructor teach a class every other week is not cheap. Montgomery says that the instructor is paid by donations made to the donation box that is kept at the door.
Club members could be seen dropping a few dollars into the box throughout the meeting.
Montgomery said that because the yoga club is brand new they do not receive any funding from the school and that they rely heavily on donations made from outside and within the organization.
She also said that they plan on orchestrating fundraisers to help collect the funds that they will need in the future.
Montgomery and Strubel each said they have many plans for the future of their club.
First and foremost, they said they hope to create a yoga community among Keene State students.
According to Montgomery, gaining passionate and engaging members is what they are setting out to do and they are excited about the huge response they have been getting from students.
Roger Weeks can be contacted at rweeks@keene-equinox.com
