Jess Fairclough: Teacher Spotlight December 2022

Imagine walking into a yoga class where the teacher greets you with a warm smile, asks about something you shared during the last class, and listens intently to your answer. This is the kind of care and connection Jess Fairclough cultivates in the yoga classes she teachers for Sea Change. In her Sunday morning class at the Southern Maine Women’s Reentry Center, the women enjoy reflecting on the themes Jess shares, such as self-forgiveness, compassion, and fear. Jess then weaves these themes into a movement and meditation practice full of choice and invitation to listen deeply to your body. At Spurwink’s Bigelow program for people experiencing co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, Jess responds to the group’s energy level with a thorough check-in at the start of class, gentle movement, and guided relaxation. Jess has worked closely with one student in this class who uses a wheelchair to ensure that the class is accessible. This student shared recently, “I learn something new from you every time."

We are so grateful to Jess for sharing her many gifts with her students, the SCY teaching team, and on the SCY Stewardship Committee. Sea Change is a stronger organization thanks to committed teachers like Jess! Please read below for Jess’s reflections on her work with Sea Change. Jess was also featured recently in the Maine Women’s Magazine- read the article here.

Why were you compelled to teach for Sea Change?

While I was in my YTT, I heard about SCY and immediately set the goal to teach there! I had just left a 20-year career working in Human Resources with a focus on DEI (Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion) and was embarking on this new path as a yoga teacher and full time doula. It was clear that SCY’s purpose and values aligned with the work I had been doing and would allow me to make a different, more direct impact. It was this full circle moment when I realized all the work I had done leading up to this moment was not in vain but in preparation for my true calling. Working for SCY has made me not only a better yoga teacher but a better doula, parent, and human.

What have you learned from your students?

My students teach me more than they will ever know (even though I tell them every time we meet!). They have taught me about resilience, courage, commitment, and tenacity. I see folks who have lived really hard/traumatic experiences show up for themselves and work to create a new way of living. They motivate me and make me a better person every time I am with them. Watching them connect with themselves and others in the class is so beautiful and affirming. They are the real teachers.

How do you think teaching in a trauma-informed way impacts your students?

I believe trauma informed care should be the standard for all healing spaces. In trauma informed yoga, we offer students choice and empower them to show themselves unconditional love and kindness. Through this process, they can help them regain agency. Many of us have never learned to listen to our bodies or to radically accept our emotions and needs. We provide a safe container for our students to listen to the voice of their bodies, build community and remember their innate power.

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 truly care for my students. I get to know them, I check in with them at the beginning of each class, and I look to support them in whatever way they need, in that moment. One of my students shared, “Jess has a beautiful sense of inclusivity and kindness so that I never feel ‘different’ or at odds with the group… A major part of the joy and peacefulness that I experience every Sunday morning comes from the loving and genuine way that Jess interacts with each of us!”