Kate Osler: Teacher Spotlight May 2023
Kate Osler has been teaching for SCY since 2016, when Sea Change officially became a non-profit organization. She is a dedicated teacher, and has taught for a variety of Sea Change programs over the years, including Androscoggin County Jail, Southern Maine Women’s Reentry Center, SARSSM, Maine Correctional Center, Androscoggin County Jail, Esther Residence and Portland Recovery Community Center.
Kate brings a wise and supportive presence into her classes and as part of the Sea Change teacher team. She has also shared her creative skills with us over the years, designing Sea Change tees, hoodies, letterhead and more.
Kate also works as general manager for local catering company Lake & Co. She spends free time cooking, reading, gardening and exploring.
We asked Kate to reflect on the following questions regarding her work with Sea Change Yoga…
What is your favorite part about teaching for Sea Change?
The connection that is built between all who are participating is my favorite part about teaching for Sea Change. Seeing students be open and kind and thoughtful to one another (and themselves) - often in very difficult situations - is a beautiful thing to be a part of. I also love bearing witness to the different ways participants take and practice yoga off their mats.
What have you learned from your students?
I am always so grateful for the openness with which participants show up to class and are willing to expand away from their comfort zone. It’s a powerful thing to be in the presence of students who are just beginning to grant themselves much deserved care and attention.
How do you weave your interests into your classes?
I enjoy sharing readings that have been particularly resonant to my life and that have given me hope, resilience, or a shift of perspective. I think words can be a very powerful way to connect and relate to one another, and they are also a gift that they can take with them to revisit. I often choose a theme for each class, focusing on different spiritual, mental or physical aspects that have proven helpful in my own practice.
How do you think teaching in a trauma-informed way impacts your students?
I feel that choice is everything and re-learning how to become sovereign and present in our own bodies is hugely impactful.
Why do you think your students keep coming back to your class? Can you share a story from one of your classes, or share feedback you’ve received from your students?
I think participants return to class again and again because it is one of the only places where they have full permission to be still and reconnect with themselves without outside distractions. One of my favorite comments shared during feedback was “it (yoga) was like the key that unlocked the door that had been closed off to my body.”