Located inside the Gorham Arts Alliance at 10 Wentworth Drive, just off Route 202, Village Yoga at Tannery Brook is up and running. Co-founders Karen “Ren” Hawkes, Jessica Zdanys, and Laci Hoskins have been practicing yoga collectively for 45 years. They came together from different backgrounds and styles of yoga to form the studio and create a safe space for folks of all levels, abilities, and backgrounds to connect with their bodies and develop tools to support mental and physical wellness.
Photo credit: Kerry ConstantinoFrom Left to Right: Laci Hoskins, Karen “Ren” Hawkes, and Jessica Zdanys in the studio at Village Yoga at Tannery Brook.
The three have been intertwined with the Gorham Arts Alliance community for the last few years. Jess has been a preschool teacher at the center since 2019. Laci has been a board member since 2018. Ren began working with the homeschool program and teaching children’s yoga and mindfulness at the center in 2021. That year, the Gorham Arts Alliance expanded its before and after-school programs into the Gorham Savings Bank building. There was an unused gym room in their wing of the building. Gorham Arts Alliance director, Amy Valentine, brought the three women together, knowing of their common interest in yoga and aspirations of opening their own studios. That introduction allowed Village Yoga to come to life under the GAA umbrella.
Photo credit: Kerry ConstantinoLaci Hoskins practices an extended side angle pose during a yoga class. Classes at Village Yoga utilize different props such as blocks, blankets, or yoga straps to help students maintain postures in proper alignment.
Classes are currently running on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays in a variety of different styles with options for all levels of students. Come September 2022, there will be even more classes and workshops available. Students can expect more offerings throughout the week. Plans to expand the schedule include classes for all ages, ranges of mobility, levels of experience, as well as offering meditation, mindful walking, and Let Your Yoga Dance are in the works. “Yoga is so much more than being flexible in your body,” says Jessica. “Yoga helps to promote a healthy lifestyle for your body and mind and is meant for all levels of practitioners. Our instructors incorporate mindfulness techniques such as meditation, breathwork, and other practices to meet students where they are. Village Yoga at Tannery Brook embraces the use of props and pose modifications to support all students in their yoga journey.”
More information about Village Yoga at Tannery Brook can be found on their website or their Facebook page.
The entrance to Village yoga is on the Northwest side of the Gorham Savings Bank building. You can park behind the building and look for the double doors.