SOMERS — In partnership with Haven Yoga, the Somers Recreation and Leisure Services Department are offering an outdoor yoga series this summer with certified 500-hour registered yoga teacher/Haven Yoga Owner Alanna Orlandi.
“We are so excited to partner with Alanna and Haven Yoga to offer outdoor yoga this summer,” said Maureen Parsell, director of Recreation and Leisure Services. “Participating in yoga classes can ease loneliness and provide an environment for group healing and support. Yoga offers physical and mental health benefits for people of all ages, and we are thrilled to add this program to our summer program offerings. In addition, we are supporting another small, local business in Somers. A win-win for all.”
The classes will take place July 14 and 21 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the field behind the Somers Senior Center at 19 Battle St. for ages 10 and up.
The outdoor classes are for all levels. It will be a flow that will offer modifications for those that need it, and it will also offer ways to amp up the practice for those that have been practicing for a while.
Orlandi explained, “The outdoors is such a fun environment because you have the sound of the birds, and you have the sky and the sunshine. It’s just a whole different world to be outside. It’s really nice, plus, people can space out and have their own area with their blanket and yoga mat.”
Haven Yoga, located at 612 Main St., was established in March of 2023. It is a space for all levels of yoga practice with many different teaching styles and class offerings.
Haven Yoga offers both heated and non-heated classes. Their heated classes include Energy and Power, which are 60–75-minute vinyasa flow classes involving creative sequences designed to grow your practice.
The studio’s non-heated classes are Clarity, Calm and Hatha Yoga which are slower flow classes offering a series of poses that are gentle on the body. Full class descriptions can be found on their website, havenyoga.studio.
Haven Yoga also offers 45-minute vinyasa flow classes called Rising Sun and Setting Sun.
Orlandi has been practicing yoga for 14 years and it was always her dream to open her own business. With the benefits that yoga has given to Orlandi, she wanted to give that to other people.
Orlandi has worked with Parsell in the past and has done a recreational yoga program that met once a week. It was a great success and they had quite a few people who started to come regularly. Orlandi started to believe she could take the next steps to this.
“My yoga studio is across the street from the Somers town and recreational building,” Orlandi said. “I spoke with Maureen about outdoor yoga. She mentioned the partnership and I was absolutely thrilled to do it.”
What Orlandi wants people to take from the series is the self-care aspect of it, reminding themselves that it’s important to take the time. “It is important to practice with others and to cheer each other on,” Orlandi added. “That’s what I’m hoping people get from this community practice — it’s outdoors, it’s fun and they’re building a community within each other.”
Orlandi told Reminder Publishing the people in the community want to get outside and do something together. At Haven Yoga, they are thinking about summer activities like stand-up paddle board yoga. They are also thinking of taking little retreats, such as going on a hike and then doing some yoga outdoors.
“We want to take those next steps, so this is a perfect way to start that within the community,” Orlandi shared. “It’s a really stressful world right now. There’s so much going on and it’s nice to step into an environment where you can sit with your breath and quiet your mind.”
Those who are interested in the outdoor yoga series can register at somers.recdesk.com.
