Esther Residence: Partner Spotlight October 2021
Emily is currently living and practicing yoga at Esther Residence. Photo credit: Molly Haley
Esther Residence is a transitional program for women who are leaving incarceration or substance use disorder treatment programs, and preparing to re-enter their communities. The residence is located in Saco, Maine, and is run by Sisters Joanne, Lucille and Simone of the Good Shepherd Sisters of Quebec. Weekly yoga classes have been a regular part of the program for residents since 2016, when a resident who benefited from Sea Change Yoga classes during incarceration requested we consider offering classes at Esther.
"It’s so important to have support systems for women who are coming out of recovery and incarceration,” said Lucinda Wingert, the Sea Change Yoga teacher who currently teaches the weekly trauma-informed classes at Esther Residence. Lucinda reflects, “I think it is so important that there are opportunities for [the women] to connect, check in, get real with their inner-world, and have choice around joining in during class.”
Sister Joanne Roy, director of Esther Residence, clearly notices the benefits that yoga has brought to the women-- inside of the Sea Change Yoga classes and out. “Several residents have used yoga at other times during the week to help with focusing, relaxing, and self care,” said Joanne. “One is continuing [to practice yoga] now that she has left.” Joanne added that the Restorative class relaxes tensions and helps residents slow down and become centered. The students appreciate that they can inform the direction of the classes, and can focus on parts of their bodies that are aching or tense.
Emily, a current resident who is in recovery, has attended Sea Change yoga classes both at Esther Residence and when she was incarcerated at Androscoggin County Jail. “Stress and pain are what sent me over the edge with addiction. Yoga has helped so much with pain, and feeling like I have worth again has given me the confidence to keep going. And learning how to accept myself and life and what’s happened, it’s given me the confidence to keep going to be the Emily I want to be.”
Emily is the kind of yoga student who makes strong connections with her yoga teachers, asks for reading recommendations, and has a dedicated practice outside of her classes with Sea Change. When she heard that long-time Sea Change teacher and person in recovery Jennie Ferrare was offering a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training (YTT) course at Arcana this fall, Emily signed right up. “I love yoga, I know it helps me more than anything in every way,” added Emily. “I feel it can help anyone, and I want to be able to share that.” Emily hopes to teach trauma-informed yoga classes for people in recovery once she has completed her YTT.
We are grateful that Sea Change has been able to be a part of the recovery and rehabilitation journey for so many women at Esther Residence over the last five years. We offer a deep bow of gratitude to Sisters Joanne, Lucille, and Simone for their tireless work in support of the women in their care at Esther Residence, and to Lucinda Wingert and all the previous Sea Change teachers who have brought the healing power of yoga to the women who have called Esther their home.