Learn the foundations of yoga through the practice of yoga postures, breathing, techniques, yoga philosophy and meditation. Intended for students who are new to yoga or those looking for an introduction to yoga beyond the poses. Expect detail-oriented instruction, dynamic exploration of movement, and guided relaxation. Please bring your own yoga mat. Yoga mats are for sale at the OPRA equipment room. Five Colleges students will be graded pass/fail.

Indoor rock climbing is designed to give students experience on indoor climbing walls focusing on technique and strength development. Students will spend time at the Hampshire rock wall and local rock climbing gyms with the goal of becoming more efficient climbers. Classes will include technique and strength activities/drills in an effort to challenge students at their ability level. When weather becomes warmer, we may spend one to two days outside climbing to explore how indoor skills apply to outdoor scenarios. 5-College students will be graded pass/fail.

Develop your skills as a leader in the outdoors that will apply to your own adventures or leading trips for others. The Outdoor Leadership class will focus on leadership theory and skills with the goal of developing strong facilitators, risk managers, community members, and stewards of outdoor spaces. While this course is not solely focused on sport skill development, we will spend much of our time outdoors leading and participating in different outdoor activities like skiing, hiking, snow shoeing, land navigation, backpacking, and orienteering.

This course is an opportunity to experience many activities that make up outdoor adventure. Students will be introduced to natural areas in the Pioneer Valley and Western Massachusetts. In the winter, activities may include snowshoeing and cross country skiing. During warm months, students will canoe, hike, and climb. This course is an opportunity to get out each week and learn new outdoor adventure skills. No experience with any of the outdoor activities is required to participate in this class! There will be one required overnight Friday April 26th -Saturday April 27th.

In this mini-course, students will learn the basics of canoeing. We will cover the strokes needed to propel and steer a canoe and basic rescue and safety knowledge. We will canoe at different lakes, ponds, and rivers in the local area. No canoeing experience necessary- complete beginners welcome!

Fundamentals of Tennis: This class covers basic tennis techniques. Our focus will be on developing smooth confident strokes. Students will also spend time learning the rules of the game and playing. 5-College students will be graded pass/fail

Weight Training: Students in this course will practice and learn the basics of using weighted and unweighted exercise to train flexibility/mobility, strength, speed, endurance and coordination. Students will design and receive feedback on an individualized weight training program. Each class session will include cardio warmup, stretching, and weight lifting. Participants who have never been involved in a fitness program are especially welcome, along with experienced students of weight training methods. The instructor for the Spring 2024 Weight Training class will be John Snyder.

Survival living is the practice of persisting in the outdoors under harsh, inhospitable, unforgiving or unfamiliar conditions, terrain, weather or climate with minimal or improvised gear. We will practice winter camping, shelter building, and land navigation, along with the use of fire and other ancestral tools, techniques and materials. The course will culminate in a final overnight solo. Students will attend 2 weekend overnight trips: Friday 3/1 to Saturday 3/2 and Friday 5/10 to Saturday 5/11.

This mini course will focus on classical cross country skiing on groomed trails, as well as recreational touring on ungroomed trails. Snow conditions permitting, we will use trails in the Holyoke range and around the Amherst area. Some classes will utilize a local touring center. Fees for touring centers are included in the fee for the class. All equipment and clothing may be borrowed from the Outdoors Program. No cross country skiing experience is needed; participants should have a moderate level of physical fitness.

In this course, students will enter dance and dance making as vehicles for embodied research and interdisciplinary dialogue. Over the course of the semester, we will make dances that move alongside and beyond other disciplines-developing choreography and movement practices while studying narrative and poetic forms, learning from visual artists and musicians, exploring intersections with architecture and environmental studies. Visits with guest artists, scholars, and students in other courses will help us launch these inquiries.