Teachers
Kate Pousont, Director
Kate Pousont received her training as a Kripalu yoga instructor in the summer of 2009. Kate has been influenced by her early practice in Iyengar yoga, Devarshi Stephen Hartman (longtime Kripalu teacher and Dean of the Kripalu School of Yoga), and the Kripalu path of compassion and self-discovery. As a teacher, Kate is dedicated to helping students of all ages and levels of ability reach their full potential through an exploration of the many facets of the yoga tradition.
In addition to a full schedule of classes at Shelburne Falls Yoga, Kate offers a range of options in one-on one yoga instruction including introductory sessions, advanced techniques for experienced practitioners looking to deepen their practice, and therapeutic yoga sessions for those in a healing process seeking to gain an understanding of the ways in which yoga can support health and healing. Kate is also a certified Yoga Ed. instructor for pre-school through grade 8 and received a grant from the Kripalu Yoga Teachers Association to bring yoga to public school students in Massachusetts. She is currently working with students at Heath Elementary.
Kate received a B.A. in dance from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and spent several years performing with small dance companies throughout New York and New England. She teaches ballet at Valley Dance Project and at Pioneer Vally Performing Arts High School in South Hadley, MA. Kate has also created a curriculum combining elements of ballet, yoga, and modern dance emphasizing anatomically sound technique and the joy of movement, which is offered to children here at Shelburne Falls Yoga.
Penfield Chester
Penfield Chester has been teaching gentle yoga at the studio for the past five years after becoming a RYT with Purusha Yoga. A student of Gayle Olson's for over fifteen years, she managed the studio after Gayle moved to Europe. Penfield had assisted with yoga and massage workshops at Kripalu Center for Yoga where she has studied yoga for many years. Penfield also likes to work one-on-one with those to new to yoga or with special needs. She lives on a farm in Vermont just north of the Mass border.
Jody Fontaine
Jody Fontaine has returned to SFY to teach her popular fitness and Pilates classes. She also offers a Cardio/kickboxing class. Jody is an AFAA certified Personal trainer, Pilates, group exercise instructor and a 15 year certified ski instructor. She completed her yoga teacher training with Embody Yoga in Amherst. Fitness becomes fun when working with Jody and her gang and the philosophy of life discussions often follow class in town at Mocha Mayas. Jody loves to ski, rock-climb, hike, bike, kayak- all of which benefit from her fitness background. She lives in Conway with her three children.
Diane Hicks
Diane completed her training as a Kundalini yoga instructor in the spring of 2009. She had practiced Hatha yoga on and off over the years, but fell in love with Kundalini from her very first class. Something about it felt so familiar, almost like coming home. Diane’s teachers, Mehtab Benton, Guru Karam, and Siri Bahadur Khalsa all studied with Yogi Bhajan, himself. Diane was also able to study with Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, the director of the Kundalini Reasearch Institute and leader of Kundalini yoga in the west. Along with her teacher training, Diane received training in Breathwalking, which combines aspects of Kundalini with walking meditation. Two years ago, she took on advanced Kundalini study in the area of lifestyles and lifecycles, after which she began working with individuals looking to shift stuck patterns and reshape their lives. Outside of Kundalini, Diane enjoys Yin yoga, which focuses on lengthening the connective tissues and quieting the mind. Diane loves the outdoors, skiing, kayaking, swimming, hiking, and practicing asana under the sun. She recently returned to the area from Austin, TX, and now lives in Conway with her husband and two children.
Molly Kitchen
Molly Kitchen (RYT) has been practicing yoga with curiosity and joy since 2001. While living in Hawaii she discovered yoga where she attended classes whenever she wasn’t in the lettuce fields learning about organic farming. She is a Registered yoga teacher in Purna Yoga which teaches alignment-based asana (yoga-pose), meditation, pranayama (breath awareness and control), along with nutrition and yogic living. Purna Yoga is the art of loving yourself by living from the heart. Molly now feels grateful to be able to share what she loves of yoga practice with others as a teacher. She infuses her classes with heart-centered awareness and strives to help her students remember their own internal perfection.
George Nager
George Nager has studied and practiced yoga healing arts for 20 years. He is the builder and co-founder of Prakasa Yoga Studio in Goshen,Ma. George is a Reiki Master, and also has received numerous attunements from the Temple Academies system of healing energies. Additionally, George studies and teaches the Miracle of the Breath breathwork technique. George lives in Goshen, with his wife, Lynne.
Collin Ricketts
Collin Ricketts, a student of Yoga, Zen and Qigong for 40 years, has taught Qigong in the Pioneer Valley, California and throughout New England. He has studied with numerous Chinese Qigong Masters and was a close student of Dr. Bingkun Hu and Zen Master Cobun Chino. His teaching style is relaxed and warm, creating a supportive community in each class. He lives in Heath where he gardens, raises chickens, and build rustic furniture.
Pam Roberts
Pam Roberts is a certified Yoga of the Heart for Cardiac and Cancer Patients teacher. A 17 year breast cancer survivor, she is delighted to be able to share the benefits of yoga with others affected by cancer. Pam first learned yoga in 1971 when she was living in Japan. Her teacher was a young Indian man, Bikram Choudry, who went on to develop Bikram Yoga. Since 2000 Pam has had a steady yoga practice and loves how yoga helps her to stay centered and healthy.
Pam is Program Director and workshop facilitator for Forest Moon: Celebrating Cancer Survivorship, a non-profit that holds free or very low cost retreats and workshops for people affected by cancer.
Kathy Steinem
Kathy received a BFA in dance from University of Massachusetts Amherst and an MFA from Smith College. Kathy completed her Zumba certification in February 2011. Since her graduation from Smith in 1993 Kathy has taught at the Five College Consortium and Greenfield Community College in ballet, jazz, modern dance, and introduction to dance. Kathy has also led and choreographed for Mixed Company, a local performing group for dancers.
Erica Travis
Erica Travis has been practicing yoga since she was a young mother in her early twenties. She received her teacher training from Patty Townshend of Embodyoga in Amherst. Her yoga studies have been influenced by Kundalini, Krishnamacharya, Iyengar, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen and Donna Farhi. Erica is also studying massage therapy and nutrition at Still Point/GCC.
Erica has returned to yoga over the course of her life to tune into her breath, move from her core and to set an intention to stay present. The qualities she practices stay with her off the mat to help her be the best mom, friend and human being she can be. She lives at the base of Walnut Hill In Buckland with her family.
revised: December 9, 2011