MN YOGA + Life® | Fall + Winter 2022-23

ENERGY MARY MCCALLUM Spreading the message that

Yoga • Movement • Health • Wellness • Lifestyle

MNYOGALIFE.COM

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FALL + WINTER OCTOBER 2022

YOGA is for all bodies

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MNYOGALIFE.COM

CALL FOR

AMBASSADORS

We are seeking a diverse group of individuals who would like to be a part of the MN YOGA + Life community, and help us grow an awareness of the brand throughout the state.

Ambassadors will be asked to participate in a monthly zoom meeting, help with conference planning details, grow an awareness of the brand in their local community, and will also be encouraged to contribute to the magazine.

If you’re interested in applying please visit:

www.mnyogalife.com/ambassador Application deadline is November 30th

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FALL + WINTER | OCTOBER 2022 VOLUME I | ISSUE II

MINNESOTA IS PART OF THE YOGA + Life® FAMILY OF MAGAZINES.

Sacred Circle Fall Retreat Oct 27-30 at Wild Rice Retreat, WI

MN YOGA + Life® PUBLISHER Faces of TBI, LLC EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Amy Zellmer EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Kristen Brown CONTENT EDITOR Ian Hebiesen COPY EDITOR Lynn Garthwaite CREATIVE DIRECTOR Heide Woodworth

Clear Vision Retreat

May 6-13 at Blue Spirit, Costa Rica

CONTRIBUTORS Indu Arora, Lori Rehnelt Auferhar, Sandy Berry, Nique Belleville, Ann Blackburn, Dan Blackburn, Kristen Brown, Monica Delius, Michelle Skally Doilney, Meghan Foley, Cortney Franklin, Meghan Hatalla, Kyle Leia Heyesen, Carrie Jeroslow, Conner T. Johnson, Danielle Jokinen, Ericka Jones, Reeve Klatt, Kristine Kopperud, JC Lippold, Ann Maxwell, Mary McCallum, Molly McManus, Marie Nutter, Ellie Roscher, Laree Schouweiler, Kamie Slegers, Danielle Venticinque, Betsy Weiner, Zara Zanussi, Amy Zellmer

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+ Trainings Galore!

235 & 340hr Teacher Trainings Thai Yoga Bodywork Reiki | Ayurveda Outstanding Guest Teachers CE Workshops & More

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1112 Highway 55, Suite 103, Hastings, MN 55033 2022 MN YOGA + Life Magazine. All rights reserved. No portion may be duplicated in whole or in part without the written consent of its publishers. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in the publication.

The publisher assumes no responsibility for accuracy of information or omissions from the material provided. Company cannot be held liable for the quality or performance of goods and services rendered by the advertisers published in this magazine.

Things stated, printed, or posted on our sites or made available by us are not intended to be, and must not be taken to be, the practice of medical care or the provision of healthcare treatment, instructions, diagnosis, prognosis, or advice. This magazine may contain affiliate links. ©2022 Faces of TBI, LLC

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MNYOGALIFE.COM

FROM THE EDITOR

I

get excited as fall approaches each year. With leaves turning colors, brisk air in the mornings, and sweater weather finally upon us, I feel a sense of comfort and familiarity. While I sometimes get tired of the long, cold winters, I wouldn’t trade them if that meant sacrificing fall.

These past six months since the launch of the magazine have been magical. I felt the comfort that envelops me each fall during the heat of summer. The warm embrace from the yoga and wellness community has been incredible. I received nothing but positive responses about the magazine.

It has been such a pleasure to meet studio owners, fellow yogis, and other small business owners through this journey.

Everyone I meet shares such an inspiring story, and it just shows how incredible the Minnesota yoga and wellness community truly is.

The goal of MN YOGA + Life is to bring our community together, whether in-person, virtual, or through the pages of this magazine. We are stronger together, and when we build each other up, we are unstoppable!

It is with great excitement that I share with you that we will be hosting our first MN YOGA Conference this spring, April 15 & 16. We hope to bring the community together, from beginner to advanced, to share in a weekend of soul-nourishing and education. You’ll hear from some amazing local teachers, and learn from some of the very best educators in the state.

To learn more, check out the website www.mnyogaconference.com.

As we continue to grow and bloom, I look forward to connecting with many of you!

Peace & Glitter, Amy

AMY ZELLMER (SHE/HER)

publisher + editor-in-chief hello@mnyogalife.com www.mnyogalife.com MNYOGALIFE.COM

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS 22

YOGA + MOVEMENT 24 EMBODIED WHOLENESS

Whole-Being Well-Being Yoga

26 SOMAYOGA 28 WHERE YOUR ATTENTION GOES Your Energy Flows

31 IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY IN YOGA

36 DIMENSIONS

32 YOD YOGA

SPOTLIGHT

12 BODHI STUDIOS 14 TULA YOGA

33 HOW INCLUSIVE is your yoga?

34 WHAT IS A YOGA THERAPIST?

Massage + Thai Bodywork for Workplace Wellness

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39 COME AS YOU ARE …

Lighting Your Path to Ahimsa

18 ENERGY MASTERY

Yoga is for All Bodies

38 CREATING SACRED SPACES

42 BURNOUT TO BURNING BRIGHTLY:

16 MUGGYMOOSE

22 MARY MCCALLUM

of Wellness + Mental Health

40 EXPLORING EMPATHY

+ Wellness

ON THE COVER

HEALTH + WELLNESS

43 LIFE ENERGY

18

Comes from Within

44 CULTIVATING YOUR INNER ENERGY

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CONTENTS

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LIFESTYLE

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56 EDITORS PICKS Products We Love

58 THE ENERGY TO HEAL Book Review

59 SOMA

Book Review

60 TRADITIONAL INDIAN CHAI 62 ALIGNING DOLLARS TO DREAMS 63 5 ENERGETIC BENEFITS Of Clear Quartz

64 MOVE ME

Movie Review

46 ENERGY + HEALING Connecting My Strength to Energy

48 AUTUMNAL VATA IMBALANCES 49 WHERE IS YOUR FUEL? 50 AYURVEDIC LIFESTYLE PRACTICES Improve Your Energy

52 SEASONAL TRANSITIONS

An Ayurvedic Approach

65 FASHION WEEK MN 66 EMBODIMENT + INCLUSION: The Embodied Path

67 RECLAIMING WELLNESS Book Excerpt

68 SIMPLE, HEALING, COOKING ENERGY

EVENTS + PARTNERS

70 EVENTS THIS SEASON

October through April 2023

72 DIRECTORY

YOGA + Life Annual Partners

74 LOVEYOURBRAIN

Providing holistic support to the TBI community

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53 NEW PERSPECTIVE on Energy

54 SVASTHA:

The Energy of Health

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CONTRIBUTORS

CONTRIBUTORS INDU ARORA (SHE/HER):

SANDY BARRY (SHE/HER):

Indu Arora considers herself a student for a lifetime. As a yoga and Ayurveda teacher, she shared her experiences for the last two decades across more than 50 cities worldwide. Her unique gift is making yoga and Ayurveda a practice, which is equally useful for a beginner as for a sincere seeker who has made yoga a lifelong journey. She is the author of Mudra: The Sacred Secret (2015) and Yoga: Ancient Heritage, Tomorrow’s Vision (2005, 2019).

She lives in Minneapolis with her spouse.

Sandy Barry is a 200 hour RYT and Reiki Master living in Watertown, MN. She is happiest on her mat and adores her jobs teaching yoga and meditation for The Emily Program and The Cave Salt Yoga and Spa in Mound.

She is a reasonably content mother of three fabulous grown-ass men and is married to her favorite person in the world. Sandy spends her days walking her standard poodles, Oberon and Nelly, while teaching and talking about all things yoga, meditation and Reiki every chance she gets.

LORI REHNELT AUFDERHAR (SHE/HER): Lori (Rehnelt) Aufderhar, Business owner of Systems For Change, LLC, has a background in business management, accounting, professional life success coaching. She holds Securities Series 6, 63 & 7 — MN A/L/H licenses, and has a 25+ year track record of streamlining business processes, promoting healthy work environments and lifestyles. As author of “Not It” An approach to Life, Lori promotes yoga in her fitness chapter as part of a healthy lifestyle, especially as we age. Also, she is a contributing author with a chapter on retirement life planning in the #1 best seller “Summit To Retirement” Finding Success on your Financial Trek by Sean McDermott.

NIQUE BELLEVILLE (SHE/HER): Nique is a queer, female of color who is a licensed professional clinical counselor.

Nique works in Saint Paul, in a community based clinic providing psychotherapy within a client centered lens.

Working in the field of mental health for over 7 years, Nique joins her clients where they are at from the moment they enter her office. Nique is also a dog mama to Tank (Boston Terrier-Pug mix).

In the fall of 2020, Nique started her yoga teacher journey with Gabrielle Roberts and Lindsey Lewis at 612 Jungle in Mpls.

During yoga teacher training, Nique earned a trauma informed yoga certificate. After

Creating Wellness From Within PODCAST!

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becoming a 200 HR RYT, Nique joined Up Yoga’s 40 Day to Personal Revolution program with Ericka Jones and Kelsey Potts. Nique began to practice Baptiste power yoga at Up Yoga. Nique taught at YogaSol Cooperative until it closed. Now, she hopes to bring the gifts of yoga to the clinic she practices in for the clients living in the community. Nique believes all areas of wellness connect to mental health.

ANN + DAN BLACKBURN (SHE/HER + HE/HIM): Ann + Dan Blackburn own Tula Yoga & Wellness in St. Paul. As Certified Yoga Therapists through the Yoga North SomaYoga International Institute, they host training at Tula Yoga & Wellness, serving as faculty in these programs.

PODCAST!

KRISTEN BROWN (SHE/HER): Kristen Brown is a bestselling author, keynote speaker, and energy hacker who charges up her clients by syncing up their body/mind/spirit for work and life growth. Learn more at KristenBrownPresents.com

MONICA DELIUS (SHE/HER): Monica Delius is a certified yoga instructor who specializes in creating a gentle, sustainable yoga Continued …

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practice for her clients. She is passionate about sharing how yoga can be accessible for anyone who wants to practice. In the corporate wellness realm she supports employees with yoga and meditation classes.

MICHELLE SKALLY DOILNEY (SHE/HER): Michelle Skally Doilney is a Yoga Alliance-certified teacher since 2003, practicing Himalayan Yoga since 1997, and a Feng Shui consultant in the BTB tradition since 2005. A fullon writer, teacher, photographer, and adventure traveler, her home base is Minnesota when not on walkabout. Michelle is focused and passionate about helping others find their individual and community voices and selves. Combining her corporate career, body/mind certifications, and personal experiences, she offers online and in-person classes, workshops, and consultations on writing practice, Feng Shui, travel, and life.

CORTNEY FRANKLIN (SHE/HER):

CARRIE JEROSLOW (SHE/HER):

Cortney Franklin is the owner and founder of Bodhi Studios, LLC. With a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science and a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Cortney spent the last 10 years building a career she also feels passionate about in the Financial Services Industry. Cortney enjoys spending time at home with her kids Carter (10) and Collin (9), cooking, reading, engaging in politics, vacationing, and finding joy and laughter whenever possible.

International Award-Winning, Best-Selling Author, Intuitive and Conscious Relationship Coach Carrie Jeroslow helps people learn the tools to relate consciously to themselves and others. She believes when we learn and accept who we truly are, we are able to be more authentic in our relationships with others, which in turn brings an unparalleled sense of fulfillment to our lives as a whole.

She has been seen in NBC, PBS, The CW, Forbes, Thrive Global, and Winston Salem Journal, and has been interviewed

by Marianne Williamson, Go All In TV, The ListTV, and others to discuss the ideas in her coaching, as well as in her first book, Why Do They Always Break Up with Me? This process helped her many clients create profound changes in their relationships and in their lives.

MEGHAN HATALLA (SHE/HER): Meghan Hatalla is a yoga and meditation instructor, writer and UX researcher. In her yoga teaching, writing and life in general, she strives for honesty and authenticity to craft an intentional life-bydesign.

MEGHAN FOLEY (SHE/HER):

KYLE LEIA HEYESEN (SHE/HER):

Meghan Foley is a local PODCAST! Minneapolisbased yoga therapist and Ayurvedic health counselor. She specializes in pelvic floor yoga therapy, leads Yin Yoga teacher training, and offers weekly group yoga classes at Up Yoga and Blooma. Her classes incorporate the ancient teachings of Ayurveda, along with a focus on precise alignment, while always leaving room for playfulness and lightheartedness. When Meghan isn’t teaching, you can find her in the kitchen, making homemade ghee and seasonal spice blends. You can find out more about Meghan’s upcoming offerings at meghanfoleyyoga.com and on Instagram at @meghanfoleyyoga

Kyle Leia Heyesen is the owner of Svälja Yoga House of the Gathering Yoga School, her specialty TraumaConscious Yoga. She is an ExperiencedRegistered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 500) and a certified Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP) and holds a Master of Social Work (MSW) working in the field for 20+ years. Kyle is a trauma survivor and personally knows the devastating impacts and outcomes of trauma. She is a living testimony to the fact that we can transform trauma in order to rise from the ashes and use our unique experiences and gifts to make a difference in the world.

PODCAST!

CONNOR T. JOHNSON (HE/HIM): Connor is a yoga instructor and wellness events planner. “Wellness in Community” is his philosophy for hosting events including yoga, community dinners, group meditations and more. Connor Johnson is a certified Hatha style yoga instructor and knows from personal experience that yoga and wellness is a journey. He became a yoga instructor because he was seeking a deeper connection with body, mind, and spirit while finding sobriety. He is in recovery and is now able to support others who are seeking deeper connections and community. His style of teaching is exploratory.

Continued …

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CONTRIBUTORS

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DANIELLE JOKINEN (SHE/HER): Being a Life Coach, Yoga Teacher, and YOD Program creator, Danielle Jokinen is a student and leader of life. An internationally recognized Yoga Teacher and Spiritual and Personal Life Coach for the last ten years, Jokinen’s purpose is to connect to sources to help others live a spirit driven life. Over the last ten years she supported people to overcome obstacles they didn’t think possible, to heal areas of their life they never wanted to look at, and live out their wildest dreams. Yoga, meditation, and coaching changed her life, and she is committed to sharing the practices with the world.

ERICKA JONES (SHE/HER): Ericka Jones is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion professional of 14 years.

In her professional role, she collaborates with key stakeholders to develop comprehensive strategies to increase diversity, build and sustain inclusive behaviors, and generate equitable outcomes.

Ericka is the Founder of the Yoga Coalition, an alliance for combined action bringing inclusion, equity, and diversity to the yoga community. A 200-hr yoga teacher, Ericka teaches meditation and is certified to teach 1 Giant Mind Learn Meditation course. In addition, she’s a lululemon brand ambassador. Her purpose and passion are to bring the intersectionality of diversity, inclusion, and equity with yoga practices into spaces by bringing the yoga coalitions’ mindful inclusion training into yoga teacher training programs.

PODCAST!

REEVE KLATT (SHE/HER): Reeve Klatt is a creative living in North Minneapolis. When she’s not writing, you can find Reeve playing with her cats, teaching yoga, or digging in her garden.

KRISTINE KOPPERUD (SHE/HER): Kristine Kopperud is a writer and editor relocated from Northeast Iowa to the Nature Coast of Florida.

Her creative nonfiction and community journalism appears online and in print, including Creative Nonfiction | Sunday Short Reads, HuffPost, Lunch Ticket, and in several anthologies.

JC LIPPOLD (HE/HIM): JC Lippold is a registered yoga and meditation teacher, mindfulness coach, runner, and appreciator of #allthethings. When asked, “What do you do?” he most often answers the question by saying that he is a homemaker. We all know the power we possess when we feel at home.

JC is the founder of 5K Everyday Conversations, Co-founder of ABI Meditation community, & the organizer of TCO Local. Meeting monthly, all are welcome to the needed connection and movement events. You can find JC regularly on KSTP Channel 5 as their resident mindset and mindfulness correspondent.

ANN MAXWELL (SHE/HER): Ann is an IAYT-certified yoga therapist, E-RYT 500, and somatic educator with a master’s in education.

Ann co-owns Yoga North International SomaYoga Institute, and co-founded SomaYoga methodology. She delights in supporting people to find a kinder, more compassionate practice of yoga on and off the mat. She gets great satisfaction in being on the faculty at Yoga North ISYI. Ann enjoys watching people find their niche, grow their skills, and become great yoga teachers and therapists. Ann models yogic living for her students and brings a sense of wisdom and fun to daily practice of yoga.

MARY MCCALLUM (SHE/HER): Mary McCallum is a Curvy Yoga, Accessible Yoga, and Yoga for All certified yoga instructor, passionate about making yoga accessible to everyone. Mary loves teaching how yoga can work for you and dispelling common yoga myths. Her goal is to create a fun, inclusive, supportive, and non-intimidating environment for all ages, sizes, and abilities.

MOLLY MCMANUS (SHE/HER): Molly is an IAYT-certified yoga therapist, E-RYT 500, somatic educator, Ayurvedic health counselor, and ayurvedic chef offering private instruction, training and CE opportunities. Molly co-owns Yoga North International SomaYoga Institute and co-founded the methodology SomaYoga, serving as Board President for the International Association of Yoga Therapists. Molly is inspired by the efficacy of Yoga Therapy to resolve human suffering and the ways it uncovers and supports PODCAST!

Continued …

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our innate ability to thrive. As a person who manages a complex health diagnosis herself, she shares from a platform of self-compassion and kindness and sees Yoga Therapy as the path to whole-being well-being.

MARIE NUTTER (SHE/HER): As a pediatric operating room nurse, author, yoga instructor, and owner of MNyoga LLC, Marie offers individual or group traumainformed yoga and meditation classes to healthcare providers, first responders and military members.

She also provides in-service sessions to professional departments looking to address accumulated secondary trauma.

In addition to helping her fellow frontline workers, Marie also teaches to the general public. Her everyday intention is to support each participant’s exploration in embodied choice, movement, and breath in a safe nonjudgmental space. You can learn more about her at www.mnyoga.org

ELLIE ROSCHER (SHE/HER): Ellie Roscher is the author of 12 PODCAST! Tiny Things, Play Like a Girl and How Coffee Saved My Life.

Her writing also appears in The Baltimore Review, Inscape Magazine, Bookology Magazine and elsewhere.

Ellie hosts the Unlikely Conversations podcast and is a certified yoga instructor.

She teaches writing at The Loft Literary Center and the Minnesota Writing Project.

Through curious inquiry, commitment to the sacred ordinary and artistic collaboration, her work accompanies people to a more centered, whole, and embodied self.

Ellie holds an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and an MA in Theology from Luther Seminary. She lives in Minneapolis with her spouse and sons.

MNYOGALIFE.COM

LAREE SCHOUWEILER (SHE/HER):

BETSY WEINER (SHE/HER):

Laree Schouweiler (she/her) is a 500hr E-RYT, the founder & organizer of both the Driftless Yoga Center & of Driftless Yoga Festival. Located just 15miles over the SE MN border in Decorah, IA, Laree prioritizes sharing the practice of yoga through an equitable lens - on and off the mat. www.driftlessyogafestival.com

A dedicated teacher, guide, and humble student, Betsy has been working and learning in the spaces of Yoga, Meditation, Yoga Nidra and Spiritual Life Coaching for over 20 years. She believes we already have everything we need within, and each one of us is whole and complete, exactly as we are. Betsy moonlights as a back-up singer in a cover band and thinks laughing might truly be the best medicine.

KAMIE SLEGERS (SHE/HER): Kamie Slegers — B.S Exercise Science, CAP, C-IAYT, CST, RYT 500 — started teaching yoga in 1996 and has practiced Ayurvedic medicine since 2010, continuing her education as an Ayurvedic practitioner, yoga therapist, Maram therapist, craniosacral therapist, and lifestyle coach. Kamie is currently studying for her master’s of herbalism while managing the clinic at NE Wellness in Minneapolis. She is developing programs and workshops for hormonal balance, fertility, menopause, lifestyle changes and habits, sleep, nutrition, energy management, and others.

DANIELLE VENTICINQUE (SHE/HER): Danielle Venticinque PODCAST! is a health and wellness guru, an author, a mompreneur, and CEO of Thrive Betterments (ThriveBetterments.com) personal growth jewelry and wellness products. Her jewelry line empowers women to establish daily habits of prosperity and wellness. She also handcrafts small batch organic Calm Balms and Luna Vis-full moon room smudging spray and aura cleansing mist.

Danielle thrives in Saint Paul, MN. Follow @Thrive_Betterments on IG for more wellness tips and positive vibes.

ZARA ZANUSSI (SHE/HER): Zara Zanussi recently got her 200 HR Yoga Teacher certification in the Sacred Valley of Peru through Sembrando Semillas Con Yoga. On board with anything embracing our authentic selves and reclaiming femininity, Zara is always up for an adventure. Currently a professional strategic planning and evaluation consultant for nonprofits, Zara’s heart is very much in the arts, youth development, and education sectors. Zara serves on See Change Treble Choir’s Board of Directors as Vice President and loves to travel, be active outdoors, have meaningful conversations, and learn new things.

AMY ZELLMER (SHE/HER): Amy Zellmer is Editor-in chief of MN YOGA + LIfe Magazine and The Brain Health Magazine. Amy has a passion to spread the message that yoga is for every BODY, regardless of size or ability, and a mission to raise awareness about the devastating consequences of TBI. She has her 200RYT, and is certified in trauma-informed yoga, LoveYourBrain yoga, and Yoga For All. She is also a Reiki Master. In her free time, Amy enjoys road-tripping across the country visiting National Parks. +

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SPOTLIGHT

STUDIO SPOTLIGHT:

BODHI STUDIOS

BY AMY ZELLMER (SHE/HER)

N

estled in a small river town just over the Wisconsin border, Bodhi Studios is a brand new, state-of-the-art yoga studio that just opened in October of 2022. I sat down with owner Cortney Franklin to learn a bit more about her new studio.

“The strength I need to handle life’s ups and downs is fueled by the strength I gain and the release of emotion I experience on my mat.”

AMY: Tell us a bit about your background and how you came to yoga and teaching yoga.

CORTNEY: I spent the last 10+ years in the financial services industry. I have a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science and a master’s degree in healthcare administration. I started teacher training at the end of 2019. I was not 100% sure where it would lead me, but something inside of me called me to take the leap.

So I did. I envisioned a yoga studio in my mind for several years, but was not sure

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I would or could ever make it a reality.

Starting to teach was the first step for me.

I practiced for several years and always loved the energy instructors brought to others. The ability to help them through the day-to-day, to inspire, to take care of them in a way I could 100% relate to spoke to my soul about teaching. I know the impact it had on me.

The strength I need to handle life’s ups and downs is fueled by the strength I gain and the release of emotion I experience on my mat. I can’t imagine not practicing.

It changed my life.

A: What inspired you to open (and literally build) a yoga studio in Prescott?

C: When covid hit in 2020, I was actually anxious about the studios closing. As a single mom, I felt a lot of fear around the shut downs, my kids getting sick, me getting sick, my family getting ill, and on top of it not being able to do something that was my outlet, stress relief, and reprieve. I continued to practice at home but it just isn’t the same as coming together with others. The support you feel in person is irreplaceable.

I started teaching in June of 2020 at Freedom Park. I offered class on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. I started at the park because it was the safest place for us to come together; we could social distance and be outdoors.

The community just really embraced the classes. When it started to get too cold to practice outside I searched for

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a commercial space to rent. I knew our community needed more. There was absolutely no way at that point I could stop teaching or shut down Bodhi. I knew in my heart it was the right time.

Since then, I have hired 5 instructors.

We teach class 7 days a week and offer several formats. My finance background really rejected the notion of paying rent for a space I knew would be higher than if I owned a building. As Bodhi grew, the vision for our space also developed in my mind.

Realizing that if I wanted to truly represent the brand, the aesthetic, and the feel in my mind I would have to build it. I will say, my professional background really prepared me to have a good understanding of what would be needed to secure financing, be fiscally responsible for the business, and logistically make it a reality.

positive energy and sometimes you give the energy. I love that there is no “end point” with yoga. Different formats and styles will call to you at different points in your life depending on the energy you need to create and absorb. It’s definitely a feeling. Good, bad, and indifferent, yet all important! +

BODHI STUDIOS is located at 1125 Henry St, Prescott, WI

“Bodhi studios is named after the Bodhi Tree. It means to be awakened or enlightened, which is what I hope for all humans that walk through our doors!”

Website — www.bodhistudios.co

A: How did you come up with the name Bodhi Studios, what meaning does it have for you?

C: Bodhi studios is named after the Bodhi Tree. It means to be awakened or enlightened, which is what I hope for all humans that walk through our doors!

A: What is your mission at Bodhi Studios?

C: My number one mission at Bodhi is to break the notion that you have to “be” something in order to practice yoga. I often hear people say “I am not a yogi,” “I am not flexible,” “I can’t do yoga for reasons X, Y, or Z.” While I disagree, I absolutely understand where that feeling comes from. Yoga can be intimidating. Some studios do not feel super welcoming or accepting. It’s not exclusive, it is not elite, and it is not something that you have to be anything other than YOURSELF to practice. I want to make sure anyone walking through the doors of Bodhi feels that.

A: The theme of this issue is energy. What does energy look or feel like to you?

C: I talk a lot about energy in class. I believe one of the most beautiful things about the practice of yoga is the sharing of energy. Sometimes you need to receive the

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SPOTLIGHT

STUDIO SPOTLIGHT:

TULA YOGA and Wellness

BY REEVE KLATT (SHE/HER)

T

ula Yoga and Wellness is located in the Merriam Park East neighborhood on Snelling Avenue. Celebrating their tenth year in business, owners Ann and Dan Blackburn are both Certified Yoga Therapists through the IAYT (International Association of Yoga Therapists), as well as faculty and teachers of the Yoga North SomaYoga Teaching Training, often hosted in their studio. The goal of Tula Yoga is to make yoga accessible to everyone, because the Blackburns know just how lifechanging yoga can be.

Ann found yoga when she was 19 and in a difficult life season. “I felt so much better that I just kept practicing,” she says.

Receiving her first teacher certification in

“By using a holistic method, the entire person is addressed in their classes — the physical and energetic body, as well as the mind and emotions.”

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2009, Ann fell in love with teaching and never looked back. While Dan discovered yoga in the early 90s, it wasn’t until he met Ann that yoga became a huge part of his life, and ultimately their business.

“Once I started teaching, I realized that [yoga] wasn’t accessible to everyone,” Ann explains. “Whether that was physical or financial. The only way I could offer yoga at a flexible price was to open our own studio.”

somatics focuses on slow, gentle exercises that re-train the nervous system and bring healing by allowing tight muscles to release.

The Greek word Soma refers to the entire body being perceived from within; in Sanskrit, soma is the name of a Hindu moon god that radiates kindness and gentleness.

“We teach people first to release tension in the body so that they can find their deep strength and stability within.”

To create a yoga studio centered around accessibility, the Blackburns focused on yoga therapy, moving their classes beyond the Western-focused “push through the pain” exercise mentality.

At the foundation of the Blackburn’s yoga therapy is SomaYoga — a system created by Ann Maxwell and Molly McManus of North Yoga. The key to

Ann describes their approach as taking the tools of yoga and Ayurveda, and blending in somatics and breath science.

“We use those tools to design practices for individuals in a holistic way: through meditation, mindfulness and philosophy, movement, breath, and Ayurvedic self-care practices.” By using a holistic method, the entire person is addressed in their classes — the physical and energetic body, as well as the mind and emotions. “Yoga therapy is about creating awareness in the body,” Dan adds. This therapy is vital to the executive coaching they provide for organizations

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across the country. “Understanding who you are, being aware of what your body is feeling under stress … really does help.

If we can calm the nervous system down, we can make clearer decisions and be less reactive in relationships.”

“We meet people where they are at,” notes Dan, “so that it’s nourishing rather than depleting.

There is no ‘gain with pain’ in my class.”

To provide a fully accessible practice approachable for any person, Tula Yoga teachers provide variations during class so students can find what feels good for them as individuals. “We teach [students] how to find support so they can find strength instead of just pushing through,” explains Ann. “Pushing through creates more pain and strain as people compensate in their bodies. We teach people first to release tension in the body so that they can find their deep strength and stability within.”

Their philosophy finds importance in slowly building strength a little at a time, versus overdoing it and causing more strain on the body. “We meet people where they are at,” notes Dan, “so that it’s nourishing rather than depleting. There is no ‘gain with pain’ in my class.”

Vital to the practice of accessibility for the Blackburns is being trauma-conscious.

“When people come in,” Ann explains, “we ask them if it’s okay to come into their space to support with props or to help them find the best variation of the movement for them.” In a unique part of their class, Ann and Dan ask students beforehand if they struggle with anything or have an area of the body they want to be extra-cautious of. “We ask them right when they come

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in so that we can tailor [the class] to the group and individual,” says Dan. Providing stabilizing elements, a key component throughout the class, creates extra support using yoga blocks, bolsters, or a chair if needed. “It’s really important for the whole nervous system,” Ann explains. “We invite them to let their body guide them and only do what feels good — or to do less than they think they should. People know that when they come in, they’re going to be cared for.”

Beyond running the studio with private and group classes, the Blackburns also host yoga trainings through Yoga North, as well as retreats around the world that paused during the peak of Covid-19. While the studio went completely virtual during the pandemic, the sense of community continued to thrive, even through computer

screens. “Now, more than ever, it’s about connection!” says Ann. The silver lining for them was learning how to operate virtually, and now they offer all hybrid (in-person and online) classes so their online students are not left behind. “We’re working on bringing yoga into communities that would never have access to yoga,” Dan explains.

“We really like to bring the training to the world, because it’s good stuff!” he says. “It’s healing. There isn’t any other training like it.”

Tula Yoga goes much deeper than encouraging flexible people to hold poses.

Through the process of releasing tight muscles with intentional breathing, the Blackburns help their students become mobile and strong, lengthening their muscles instead of forcing their bodies to fit a pose. Ann emphasizes, “We’re creating a space where they feel comfortable.”

And this is only the beginning. After celebrating the studio’s ten-year anniversary this past March with an open house (“And a high-five!” Dan adds), the Blackburns are eager to continue creating more spaces welcoming to all people. “We are just getting started on bringing accessible yoga to the Twin Cities and beyond,” Ann says with a smile. +

“Tula Yoga goes much deeper than encouraging flexible people to hold poses. Through the process of releasing tight muscles with intentional breathing, the Blackburns help their students become mobile and strong, lengthening their muscles instead of forcing their bodies to fit a pose.”

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SPOTLIGHT

STUDIO SPOTLIGHT:

MUGGYMOOSE

Massage + Thai Bodywork

BY REEVE KLATT (SHE/HER)

L

ocated in Duluth’s Canal Park, Muggymoose Massage and Thai Bodywork offers a variety of specialties including Therapeutic Table Massage, Thai Bodywork, Ashiatsu, Ayurveda, and more. I chatted with owner Margaret Harstad about the magic of Thai Bodywork and how her hands are her superpower.

REEVE: Can you tell me a bit about your background and how Muggymoose came to be?

MARGARET: Well, my background is long and deep! But the short version is that I was going through some life changes and decided to go to massage school thinking I’d get bored with it or change my mind. But I didn’t get bored with it — and still don’t, because I’m continually able to add new studies, filling my need to constantly grow.

I’m actually shocked — this is the longest I’ve ever done anything, and I love it! I’ve been doing bodywork for 19 years, and I opened Muggymoose in 2006.

R: Okay, we’ve got to talk about the name! How did you come up with it?

M: My nickname as a child was Mug! Before Thai Bodywork, I owned a food company called Muggymoose Adventure

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Foods. It was just a silly name I came up with at the time. I originally had a different name when I started doing massage, but it wasn’t fitting for me. I decided to bring back the original name about 14 years ago. It’s a memorable name, so now I get people saying “Ohh, you’re Muggymoose!”

work. I started offering it in 2007 when there was no one in Duluth doing Thai Bodywork, and it took people a while to warm up to it. Now it’s a big piece of what we do!

R: It’s not every day that you hear the phrase “Thai Bodywork.” What is it?

M: In Thai Bodywork, you receive a

In Thai Bodywork, you receive a combination of rhythmic massage and rocking, stretching, acupressure, and yoga all at the same time!

R: How did you discover Thai Bodywork?

M: I started studying Thai Bodywork very early on in my studies. My first training in Thai Bodywork was a year after I graduated massage school, and I began to incorporate it more and more into my work. Thai culture and traditional Thai medicine are very spiritual to me; I’ve been to Thailand numerous times, and I love the ancient

combination of rhythmic massage and rocking, stretching, acupressure, and yoga all at the same time! The practitioner moves the client’s relaxed body through different stretches and openings you cannot accomplish on your own. The overall goal is to increase energy in the body’s physical and subtle system. It’s accessible to anybody — people who can’t walk, the very old, the very young. And it is almost impossible for a receiver to not notice where they have either muscular or emotional tension in their body, as I’m literally moving and holding them in these positions. So, there’s a lot of trust that comes up and sometimes emotional work for the clients. It’s really powerful work.

R: You also offer a whole range of services beyond Thai Bodywork.

M: Yes! We offer so many different specialties and are always growing. I offer

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Traditional Table Massage, Thai Bodywork, Aromatouch, and Ayurvedic therapies, as well as Chinese abdominal massage called Chi Nei Tsang. I’m also a certified yoga instructor and teach Thai Bodywork for partners and restorative yoga classes.

Emily Ostos, who has been with me for six years, also offers Thai Bodywork, Traditional Ashiatsu, and Myofascial Release. Our newest addition, Gini Breidenbach, is a Master Practitioner of Shamanic Energy Medicine.

R: How does a new client know where to start with all that you offer?

M: We create space before and after every appointment to really listen to the client and educate them on all we offer. If I’m giving someone a Thai massage, maybe I’m also giving them some Ayurvedic recommendations or I’m going to say, “Hey, I think maybe you should try energy work with Gini,” or, “You might benefit from myofascial with Emily.” We really try to use all the services we offer if they’re fitting to the client. It’s not just that they’re going to get a massage, people here feel heard and valued.

M: I really think that people, when they come here — and I’m getting kind of weepy right now — they feel cared for and heard and just really loved. There’s so much anxiety in the world; people need love — no matter where they come from.

A lot of people are very exposed, maybe they’ve had abuse or a history of addiction, and here they feel like a bit of a family — because they are our family. So many people come back over and over because they know we’ve got their back in all ways.

That’s part of the values and the love we offer. Everybody is welcome and everybody needs support.

R: That isn’t something that you get at just any massage or yoga studio! You are really confident in what you offer.

M: I work hard in being proficient in what I do. I feel strongly about having a full knowledge base before I offer services to people, which I don’t feel is the case everywhere. Anyone who comes to our

studio can trust that we have truly studied what we’re offering them. It’s very important to me to honor the work and the integrity of the work by being fully trained and certified in anything we’re offering or teaching.

R: Because you want to use all that knowledge on the individual client.

M: Exactly! I really take the time to talk to people and hear what’s going on in their body before I recommend a service. But ultimately, my hands will tell me much more than a conversation. On an emotional level, a trauma level — my hands are my voice.

They help me feel your tissues, but also meet the client energetically and get a perspective on more than just their body.

I often will bring someone in early before their first session to talk — and maybe we change our mind once they get here and offer them something different if that fits their needs better. At the end of the day, I really value making the client feel cared for and truly seen. +

R: It sounds like the client is really seen in a holistic way by you, that you’re there to support them.

“So many people come back over and over because they know we’ve got their back in all ways. That’s part of the values and the love we offer. Everybody is welcome and everybody needs support.”

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SPOTLIGHT

THE POWER OF

ENERGY MASTERY

for Workplace Wellness How Kristen Brown spun a personal tragedy into a cutting-edge career helping organizations use holistic strategies to drive employee leadership, sales, engagement, and happiness.

BY KRISTEN BROWN (SHE/HER)

Who is Kristen Brown?

W

ell that’s me … and that’s a big question! I’m a hippie nerd who loves hardcore data and research and all things metaphysical. I’ve been able to take my diverse expertise and experience and turn it into a full-time career as a professional speaker. I speak on how to tap into your energy centers for success, even when you’re stressed or overloaded. I spent 15 years in traditional corporate leadership roles working with some of the biggest brands on the planet before a personal tragedy nudged me in a new direction, so I guess you could say I’m a resilient-as-heck riser who can spin any situation into an opportunity for growth.

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What happened?

I was widowed 15 years ago when my 30-year-old husband died of a heart attack in his sleep. The picture of health, he had just been given a clean bill of health at his annual physical. With a 10-monthold daughter, a high-pressure job with a challenging boss, and an economic crash following months later, going through that phase of my life proved quite a journey.

I didn’t know anything about self-help back then. It was a massive time of experimentation, learning, and opening my mind to trying new things to heal and move forward.

How did you get into speaking on energy?

I started on the side while still in corporate a few years after my husband died. A couple of organizations around Minnesota asked me to share my story at their wellness expos, and the first several

events I cried the whole time! But as I saw regular people like me with actual jobs as speakers, I knew I found my path. I loved my career in corporate espionage (okay it was market research but corporate espionage sounds cooler), but I felt called to share my message in a different way. I did speech and drama all through high school and into college, and delivered high-stakes sales and marketing presentations to huge groups of high-level executives for most of my corporate career. Plus I love to talk even though I’m an introvert!

To amp up my knowledge, I got my Master’s in Integral Theory, which I describe as the art and science of multiple perspectives and human growth. I also did several certifications on holistic wellness including a 200-hour RYT yoga teacher certificate, Crystal Reiki Practitioner, Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Nidra, and several more to ensure I saw how work and life play together. I am in a 500-RYT and Yoga Therapy program right now too! Over the

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SPOTLIGHT

course of five years I left my secure and well-paying corporate job and went back three times as I built my speaking business and wrote a couple books. I finally left for good (knock on wood) eight or nine years ago, but I’m still in it since most of my clients come from corporate and traditional workplaces. But it’s on my terms, and I absolutely love being able to use my background and stories to connect with the audiences I know so well, whether it’s at a convention or conference, company meeting, association event, or on TV!

What is energy mastery?

I describe energy as emotion in action.

Any emotion you experience can show up as an energy you bring to your work and life. Often people think of energy as just some high-intensity, positive, active way of being, but you can have stressed or sad energy just like you can have happy or excited energy. Energy mastery is all about awareness of the flow of emotions throughout your day and ensuring you show up how you intend to for your colleagues, clients, and loved ones. It’s all about knowing how to interrupt a negative emotional state on the fly so you can bring your best self as a leader, performer, partner, parent, friend, and human, even when stressed, burnt out, or dealing with change. This can be done through body,

“It’s all about knowing how to interrupt a negative emotional state on the fly so you can bring your best self as a leader, performer, partner, parent, friend, and human, even when stressed, burnt out, or dealing with change.”

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mind, and spirit activities that change the way you function down to the cellular level and at a highly-metaphysical level too.

Why does energy matter?

When we feel sad or bad it shows up on our faces, in how our bodies feel, and in how we communicate and engage with others. When in a lower energetic state, it impacts how others perceive us and can hurt our careers and relationships in a big way. When you learn to master your energy centers you charge up all dimensions of you so you can lead and live with awareness, confidence, and impact.

How does someone get started?

Hire me to come speak for your organization! Seriously though — it begins with the willingness to acknowledge your growth opportunities, and then opening your mind to new ways of thinking. I tell my audiences with the cutting edge ideas I share with them, they will need to unclench their butts when they feel nervous, triggered, or think something sounds weird or a little (or a lot) too hippie for them. My audiences are VERY diverse in terms of levels of spiritual and emotional development, so I must be sensitive to all types of people. I explain how my early journey after being widowed was all about experimentation and filled with things that made my butt clench. But some of the scariest and “weirdest” things were also

some of the most pivotal in my healing journey. Once you’ve opened up to the idea of energy mastery then it’s all about awareness. I use several frameworks to help organizations and individuals navigate their growth path. We pick the one that’s best based on worldwide and industry trends, corporate culture, employee work/ life dynamics, what their goals are, and the overall event theme.

Why does energy matter at work?

Energy is critical at work because when you use turn it on and turn it up it does several things:

1.

You will be a more relatable and powerful leader.

2.

You will get in-the-zone faster when selling and negotiating.

3.

You can tap into creativity and innovation when you need it most.

4.

You will make better decisions with greater clarity.

5.

You will have less stress and burnout when you get stuck.

6.

You will deal with change and challenge more effectively.

7.

You will have more motivation to go after your goals and dreams.

8.

Many more!

How do you make energy and the holistic theories you teach applicable and approachable for organizations?

I give audiences Powershots — instant, practical, researched, and actionable tools they can use right there in the room and when they get back to their work and home. Easy and fun but super powerful, these Powershots change your physical and mental well-being so you have the influence, impact, and fulfillment you want as a leader and human being, no matter what. Powershots are basically energy hacks interrupting the stress response Continued …

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SPOTLIGHT

… continued from previous page

that creates the negative energetic state.

Whether you’re dealing with difficult or different people, you have too much on your to-do list, you’re struggling with nerves over an upcoming presentation, or any of the other thousands of workplace stressors, your body, mind, and spirit need to be hacked so you can quickly get back on track and into a positive state. These Powershots range from mindset tools and tricks like to-do list makeovers and reflective exercises, to physical things like yoga and movement, to spiritually-based activities like meditation and visualization.

I ensure I share a variety of ideas during my sessions so anyone can resonate with at least one, no matter where they are on their self-help journey or what they need to elevate their performance and goals.

What makes your speaking programs on energy mastery so powerful?

1.

They are fun and entertaining by design. When we laugh and smile we get flooded with endorphins and other feel-good chemicals opening our minds to new ideas. Everyone loves to laugh… EVERYONE. So I always make sure to fill my speaking programs with laughter. I even took standup comedy and improv classes over the years.

2.

They are high-energy and actionable.

I don’t read bullet points off a powerpoint slide and drone on with boring data for an hour. I tell stories, weave in relevant industry research, and ensure the audience feels like I’m talking just to them. They do activities right there in the room tied to their exact challenges so there is instant change and instant energy activation right away.

3.

I make the audience the star of the show. I am just the guide, there to make them feel safe and comfortable so they feel excited to stretch their limits and drive the change they need to be the best version of themselves.

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“Whether you’re dealing with difficult or different people [ … ] or any of the other thousands of workplace stressors, your body, mind, and spirit need to be hacked so you can quickly get back on track and into a positive state.”

What can someone do at home to start shifting their energy?

There are thousands of ways to shift your energy centers, but I love the simplicity of my namaSync 7: seven yoga poses that activate and balance the seven key energy centers in the framework I use for workplaces. The seven energy centers I created for my programs include Motivation, Creativity, Confidence, Relationships, Communication, Strategy, and Vision. There

are hundreds of ways to activate and align them. The seven yoga poses shown in the following sequence are a great place to start without having me there to give you more specific guidance. Thanks for being the model Marie!

This is such important work for individuals to dig into after the stress and burnout of the last couple of years.

How can an organization bring this information to their employees?

I have several options depending on their goals, budget, time commitment, size of company, event type, and employee demographics. We can create a customized program ranging from one-time speaking sessions to ongoing trainings over time, or one-on-one mentoring, executive masterminds, drive culture and change, and so much more. Because I spent so many years in corporate leadership roles I always seek to understand the challenges and goals, then dig deeper to get to the heart of what’s truly driving the desire to change.

Then we create the perfect program with the organization’s forward momentum in mind. Visit KristenBrownPresents.com to learn more or submit a speaker inquiry. +

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SPOTLIGHT

BY KRISTEN BROWN (SHE/HER) VISION ENERGY CENTER: Mountain (Tadasana)

MASTER YOUR ENERGY FOR

WORKPLACE SUCCESS: Yoga Sequence

Ground your feet and spread your toes as if gripping the earth. Extend your spine and neck tall as if growing up into the sky. Envision violet light shining down on you and flooding you with warmth. This activates your Vision Energy Center.

STRATEGY ENERGY CENTER: Child’s Pose (Balasana) Allow your muscles to relax into the pose as your forehead connects with the ground or block. Envision indigo light entering your body through this area. This activates your Strategy Energy Center.

COMMUNICATION ENERGY CENTER: Forward Fold with Half Lift (Ardha Uttanasana) From a forward fold, keep your knees soft as you raise your chest up and press your spine long. Keep the back of the neck straight and shoulder blades firm. Envision blue light entering your throat area. This activates your Communication Energy Center.

RELATIONSHIP ENERGY CENTER: Cobra/Low Cobra (Bhujangasana) Feel your chest open and breathe deeply. Tune into your heartbeat as you pull elbows into your sides and your shoulder blades back. Envision green light entering your heart and circulating throughout your body. This activates your Relationship Energy Center.

CONFIDENCE ENERGY CENTER: Plank (Phalakasana) Engage the muscles below your rib cage as you push off the floor either on your knees, toes, or against a wall. Envision yellow light radiating out through the core.

This activates the Confidence Energy Center.

CREATIVITY ENERGY CENTER: Cat/Cow (Marjaryasana Bitilasana) Flow smoothly between your chest rising and falling as your head and hips push in the opposite direction.

Envision orange light flooding into your body with every extension. This activates the Creativity Energy Center.

MOTIVATION ENERGY CENTER: Staff (Dandasana) Extend the legs, feeling your thighs engage and your tailbone connect with the floor.

Flex your toes as your hands push into the floor and shoulder blades draw toward each other. Envision red light flowing from the ground up through your tailbone. This activates your Motivation Energy Center. +

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ON THE COVER

INTRODUCING

MARY McCALLUM

Spreading the message that

YOGA is for all bodies

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Amy Zellmer

LOCATION: The Yoga Center Retreat

HAIR + MAKEUP: Sarah Elizabeth Artistry

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MARY MCCALLUM

(She/her)

WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED? Minneapolis, MN

WHAT GETS YOU EXCITED ABOUT MN YOGA + LIFE MAGAZINE? As a body positive yoga instructor and strength coach, I am thrilled for a truly inclusive local publication connecting the local community and highlighting how yoga is for everyone and every body.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION AS A COVER MODEL FOR MN YOGA + LIFE? As a 40-something plus sized person, I’m not your “typical cover model.” I am very excited for the opportunity for more representation of diverse bodies in the yoga community, and to highlight that anyone can practice yoga, regardless of age, size, shape, or ability.

HOW DO YOU INTEGRATE YOGA INTO YOUR LIFE/WORK BALANCE? I like to take a few minutes each day to pause, bring attention to my breath, and take in the beauty in the moment around me.

ON THE COVER

is most important and special to me. Sure, life happens and my energy can be zapped (especially as an introvert!) but practicing mindfulness as a tool helps in managing those ebbs and flows.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR? Purple

COFFEE OR TEA? Definitely coffee! My favorite coffee drink is an Americano.

Mary McCallum Body Positive Yoga

Mary McCallum is a Curvy Yoga, Accessible Yoga, and Yoga for All certified yoga instructor, passionate about making yoga accessible to everyone. Mary loves teaching how yoga can work for you and dispelling common yoga myths. Her goal is to create a fun, inclusive, supportive, and non-intimidating environment for all ages, sizes, and abilities. +

YOU CAN FIND MARY AT:

www.mnyogaconference.com

WEBSITE: www.marymccallum.co FB: marymccallumyoga IG: @mary.mccallum

WHAT DOES “ENERGY” MEAN TO YOU? When I think of energy, the words “focus” and “attention” come to mind.

Having a regular yoga and meditation practice helped me become more mindful of how I spend my energy and identify what

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YOGA + MOVEMENT

EMBODIED WHOLENESS

The Whole-Being Well-Being Yoga Approach Trauma Conscious | Healing Centered | Growth Oriented

BY: KYLE LEIA HEYESEN (SHE/HER)

T

hrough my own trauma recovery and healing journey, professional career as a yoga guide, and a social worker, and yoga practice as a catalyst for my own trauma transformation, this unique approach has been born. Yoga means to unite a pathway to well-being and to the realization of our innate wholeness. This approach invites us to join a revolutionary movement creating a world where all people can belong and be whole. We ground ourselves in the truth: that we all hold incredible ancestral, collective, and personal strength. We hold within us resilience and potential for healing; transformation, and growth, for the most revolutionary act we can embark upon is our own healing.

WHOLENESS And just like you the moon has always been whole No matter how much sunlight is striking its skin Even if just a crescent of shimmering light you do not have to be full to shine Every inch of you already exists, even if held in sacred darkness waiting to be revealed

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A universal part of the human condition, trauma is defined in a variety of ways and varies in size, scope, intensity, and impact.

Peter Levine, a pioneer in the trauma field and creator of Somatic Experiencing, defines trauma as “the perception of threat and the incapacity to deal with it.” He shares that, “we need to really hone in on the fact that people can be traumatized by any event they perceive (consciously or unconsciously) to be life threatening.”

According to the Body Wise Institute, “something happens that overcomes us — it is too much, too fast, too soon — and there is not enough time to integrate the experience.” Or, “trauma is an experience of extreme stress or shock that is or was, at some point, part of life; an experience that threatens our entire organism (body, mind, and soul) by causing a rupture in our capacity to assimilate and self-regulate.”

Trauma-Conscious yoga is theory and practice rooted in the understanding that traumatic events have real psychological and physical impacts on individuals. Trauma affects our ability to feel safe, grounded, present, and connected. When we practice yoga we bring our full selves, the totality of our life experience — mind-body-spirit. With this approach, we commit to a higher level of awareness and integration of the origins, impacts, and outcomes of trauma, including all aspects of guiding yoga and interactions with participants. This trauma-conscious approach upholds a systematic traumaconscious framework and prioritizes the

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respect for, safety, and self-agency of each individual. We commit to compassionately guiding individuals in a way that supports them to connect with and know themselves more deeply.

Healing-Centered Communities and individuals experiencing trauma, stress, and difficulty are agents in restoring their own well-being.

This is the resilient path; the intentional engagement in choices and behaviors making a difference in your day-to-day experiences and long-term outcomes.

This draws upon internal resources and strengths, as well as external resources and supports. In our yoga practices we provide opportunities to cultivate and refine skills needed to respond effectively to the difficulties of life.

Author Nora McInerny, who writes about dealing with grief and loss, states, “The truth is that we don’t really ‘move on’ from grief but move forward with it.” Nor do we “move on” from trauma; we move forward with it by fully processing and integrating our wounds so they can heal. We do this with immense self-love by acknowledging our wounds’ presence and impacts (the ways they forever shaped us). We nurture a belief in our wholeness; we connect with our true Self and with the experience of safety. We

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learn to accept and live with the reality of our difficult experiences. We see how our trauma no longer defines and drives us; we come to identify with our strength, our resilience, and the gifts we offer the world through our healing insights and personal awakening.

“Beneath the surface of the protective parts of trauma survivors there exists an undamaged essence, a Self that is confident, curious, and calm, a Self that has been sheltered from destruction by the various protectors that have emerged in their efforts to ensure survival. Once those protectors trust that it is safe to separate, the Self will spontaneously emerge, and the parts can be enlisted in the healing process.”

— Dr. Bessel van der Kolk (best-selling trauma research author)

Growth-Oriented Post-traumatic growth (PTG) theory explains transformation following trauma. Developed in the mid-1990s by psychologists Richard Tedeschi, PhD, and Lawrence Calhoun, PhD, it holds that people who endure psychological struggle following adversity can often see positive growth afterward. “People develop

new understandings of themselves, the world they live in, how to relate to other people, the kind of future they might have and a better understanding of how to live life,” says Tedeschi. This is where transformation occurs. We can find meaning from our difficult and painful experiences and become ignited with more passion, aliveness, and appreciation for life. We don’t just bounce back to our baseline, as with resilience. We are shaped in a new way, leading us to something greater than would have been possible had we not endured the “terrible damage” in the first place.

“Each of us goes through “terrible damages” — a divorce, a heartache, a breaking, a clinging depression, an exile, a financial ruin, a lingering disease, a loss of a loved one, a death, a loss of dignity, a violation. May it be that despite such terrible damage, the tree of our life does not die. May it be that there is a vitality in our roots, and that the charred tree of our experiences gives birth to a hundred new blooms dancing around us, newer versions of ourselves that leap to life from what we would have deemed to be our death.”

— Dr. Omid Safi (professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Duke University, specializing in Sufism) +

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YOGA + MOVEMENT

WHAT IS

SOMAYOGA?

BY MOLLY MCMANUS (SHE/HER) + ANN MAXWELL (SHE/HER) What is SomaYoga?

A unique methodology developed by Yoga North ISYI, SomaYoga blends Vedic Traditions and modern wisdom work. This article focuses on the central methodology of SomaYoga’s approach to embodiment.

The practices build on increasing interoception: the ability to sense within, bringing back consciousness to our body and movement patterns to areas we lost touch with, and providing sensory motor reeducation to create more freedom and ease in the whole-being.

When guiding, we often begin with Somatics, created by Thomas Hanna. This provides more mobility and consciousness of the “soma,” the internal experience of the body, mind, and soul. Therapeutic Yoga adds stabilizing, which supports functional movement patterns. Classic Asana helps build good biomechanics, stamina, strength, and enjoyment. It is the interplay of

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these modalities that creates the optimal approach to health in the deepest sense: what we have come to call “whole being well being.” We use the infinity symbol to graphically represent this interplay in terms of the three components (mobility, stability, and strength as well as Somatics, Therapeutic Yoga, and Classic Asana).

Build Better Habits

•

Learn to be efficient with movement patterns.

•

Move gently with the least possible effort and without force.

•

Build awareness and learn to self correct.

SomaYoga Principles

•

Designed to build accessible, trauma conscious, student focused practices, all classes and trainings in the SomaYoga Methodology teach these principles.

Radiate from your spine and support your limbs from deep core function.

Progress Responsibly and Compassionately

Learn to Pay Attention

•

Nourish self awareness through breath and sensing.

•

Pay attention to the process and internal sensations.

•

Break movements into smaller parts and get truthful.

•

The slower you move, the more you will perceive.

•

Keep movements novel.

• •

Stay pain free, patient, and positive.

•

Become conscious of habits and patterns.

•

Practice simple to complex, low load to high load, slow to spontaneous, and symmetrical to asymmetrical.

•

Get imposed standards out of the way and become more about authentic function.

Align through gravity and good biomechanics.

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Stay Current – Enjoy Your Freedom

•

Freedom means embracing self-empowerment and increasing self-responsibility.

•

Move towards your freedom from a steady and easy stance.

•

Bring congruency to your Mind Body-Spirit. This creates the direct experience of an integrated Soma.

Sustaining the experience of an integrated Soma is freedom.

Unique Tools of SomaYoga Stress Responses and Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA) Hans Selye, founder of the stress theory, recognized physiological disease could arise from psychological causes like stress.

This somatic viewpoint is that everything is a bodily experience. Sensory-motor systems respond to daily stresses and traumas with specific muscular responses or reflexes.

Repeatedly triggered, they create habitual muscular contractions, which we cannot voluntarily relax. The contractions become so deeply unconscious we eventually no longer remember how to move freely. This is called Sensory Motor Amnesia or SMA.

The three main stress responses are:

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LANDAU (GREEN LIGHT): The tightening of the spine’s extensor muscles in preparation to move forward. An action response.

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STARTLE (RED LIGHT): The tightening of the trunk’s forward flexors. A withdrawal response.

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TRAUMA/CRINGE: The cringing of the muscles nearest the site of an injury or threat. A protective response. The body will contract, retract, immobilize, and often rotate away from the threat, creating a tilt of the trunk to one side.

Understanding Sensory

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Motor Amnesia (SMA) The loss of interoceptive discernment of sensation around certain muscles and a resulting loss of ability to effectively control them. SomaYoga offers techniques to facilitate this type of neuro-muscular reeducation of the sensory-motor pathways.

•

SMA does not relate to age and can occur any time.

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Specific sudden trauma, as well as chronic stress, is associated with SMA.

•

SMA often relates to a habit of the sensory-motor system and therefore can be unlearned or re-educated.

•

SMA can be both a contributing factor to and a result of anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

•

SMA can look like a limited range of motion, pain, or dysfunction.

Examples include TMJ, Plantar Fasciitis, Low Back Syndrome, Urinary Urgency, Pelvic Pain, Frozen Shoulder, and Digestion Issues.

a steady light breath and a mobile, stable spine.

In addition to the SomaYoga Methodology’s embodiment practices, the larger tradition of Vedic studies always supports the work for the most profound shifts in the human experience.

• •

Ayurveda practices for a life well lived.

• • •

Meditation and Training of the Mind.

Pranayama for working with the breath and life force.

Deep Personal Development.

Yogic Philosophy and Sacred Texts.

Growing our own kinder practice led us into the creation of SomaYoga methodology, which we find helps escort others into their own healing, creativity, and joy. + For more information find us at YOGANORTHDULUTH.COM

Pandiculation Rather than Traditional Stretching SomaYoga uses a technique by Hanna called pandiculation to release SMA and to create more function and freedom in movement. A pandiculation is a strong voluntary contraction of a muscle or group of muscles followed by a slow voluntary release to the lengthened full potential.

This process of sensory motor re-education wakes up cortical control of the muscles and effectively resolves SMA. It is different from much of the traditional stretching seen in classic asana that can create overstretching, instability, and injury.

Amy Zellmer

Grow Your Confidence and Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Interoceptive + Proprioceptive Cuing This focuses on anatomical brilliance and freedom, having the soma feel themselves deeply from the inside and move according to their own internal awareness, safety, and enjoyment. There is encouragement to build poses from present ability versus distal cuing, and to move from

www.mnyogaconference.com

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YOGA + MOVEMENT

WHERE YOUR ATTENTION GOES,

YOUR ENERGY FLOWS BETSY WEINER (SHE/HER)

A

re you reading this article or this magazine while eating, drinking, or on the treadmill?

Are you attempting to multitask? Even as you read, are you simultaneously thinking about what you need to do next? If you said yes, you are not alone. We spend most of our days with our attention and energy constantly being pulled in every direction. Social media, family, work, pets, news; it’s a constant conveyor belt of thoughts, feelings, and energy moving from one thing to the next.

No wonder we feel scattered, exhausted, and overwhelmed.

“[The] constant conveyor belt of thoughts, feelings, and energy moving from one thing to the next [can leave us] feeling scattered, exhausted, and overwhelmed. “

Perhaps you decide to set it all aside and take some time to do yoga. One reason it feels so good when we practice is the act of moving and breathing in a directed way helps to align the mind and body. We ask the mind to focus on breath or posture, to pay closer attention to one or the other and

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nothing else. Eventually these attunements facilitate a calm mind, a state of present moment awareness, and an inner state of ease without judgment or distraction. Either way, whether through posture or breath, the conveyor belt of busy and distracted mind and energy slows down considerably.

The best news about attention and energy is they go hand in hand. Where your attention goes, your energy flows, and when you focus your energy, your attention will indeed follow. This leads to an enhanced ability to be mindful and aware of what’s happening at any moment. Focused awareness holds the innate power to calm the mind which translates to increased happiness, presence, and inner peace.

Visualization is another practice whereby attention and energy synergistically connect. These types of practices help move awareness in specific ways when you can envision your inner vitality flowing like a river, shining like the sun, or connecting us with the Earth.

Imagine yourself in a state of happiness or joy and notice what physiological and psychological effects present for you.

Imagine yourself in a stressful or difficult situation and notice what shows up.

Remember, where your attention goes, your energy flows.

A precious commodity, energy can be concentrated and directed for your physical and mental benefit. Gathering the experiences of channeling our innate inner power by focusing our attention within a yoga practice reminds us we have access to this force when we utilize those same tools in daily life. Stop, take a breath, get

grounded and allow your attention to stay on one thing at a time.

The following two practices are designed to help you channel your energy and attention in specific ways. These poses shift, concentrate, and direct your precious energy. The first practice will guide you towards a more energized and uplifted feeling; use this practice to start your day or in the middle of the day when you need a boost. The second serves to ground, relax, and calm the body and mind; use this practice later in the day or before bed.

Follow the prompts to guide your breath and movement, and feel free to modify as needed. Notice how your energy moves and allow yourself the gift of mindful awareness in these practices.

Pay attention afterwards for longer lasting changes in your ability to focus and be present for the things that matter most in your life. Be discerning in your practice about how you move and breathe. Where your attention goes, your energy indeed flows.

“Focused awareness holds the innate power to calm the mind which translates to increased happiness, presence, and inner peace.”

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PRACTICE FOR INCREASED ENERGY: Do these poses to raise your energy, either in the morning or at midday when you need a boost. Hold each pose for 5-10 breaths and make sure that you attend to both sides in the a-symmetrical poses. Feel free to modify as needed and try to always practice on an empty stomach for the most comfortable experience.

1. Child’s pose

2. Easy pose

7. Mountain pose

8. Sun Salutation “A” — 3-5 times

9. Warrior II

10. Extended side angle pose

3. Twisted easy pose (right and left)

11. Triangle pose

4. Downward dog

12. Warrior I

13. Pyramid pose

5. Lunge

6. (repeat downward dog to lunge on the other side)

14. Child’s pose

…

15. Downward dog

…

16. Repeat 17. Bridge pose steps 10-15 on other side

18. Knees to chest

19. One knee to chest, other leg extended

20. Extended leg reclining pose

21. Repeat steps 18-20

22. Savasana

23. Sit in reflection/contemplation on energy moving upwards and inward. Breathe in even length inhalations and exhalations

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YOGA + MOVEMENT

PRACTICE FOR CALM: These poses are meant to be practiced at the end of the day or before bed. It can also be used any time the nervous system feels overwhelmed. This practice is designed to help open and release the hips, shoulders, and back, since we often hold our stress there throughout the day. Use this practice to help open and release any tightness, and to soothe and calm the body and mind. Stay in each pose 8-10 breaths (or longer) and allow your breath to be smooth, steady, and even. Make sure to take care of both sides in any of the a-symmetrical poses and do your best to practice on an empty stomach, if possible, for the best experience. As always, modify as necessary for what your body needs on any given day.

1. Knees to chest

7. One-legged forward fold (right and left)

13. Downward dog (repeat 11 - 12 on other side)

2. Reclining twist (right and left)

8. Soles of feet together, knees wide, arms behind; lean back and open chest

14. Sit on heels, eagle arms (right and left)

3. Downward dog

9. Feet together knees wide, forward fold

4. Child’s pose

10. Downward dog

15. Sit on heels, cow face arms (right and left)

16. Child’s pose

5. Seated twist (right and left)

11. Pigeon pose (chest lifted)

6. Forward fold

12. Pigeon pose (fold forward)

17. Sit, reflect, and contemplate slow, even, steady breaths with a longer exhale than inhale +

Jean M Nitchals

Relax and Restore with Sound Bath and Meditation www.mnyogaconference.com

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YOGA + MOVEMENT

CONNOR T. JOHNSON (HE/HIM)

THE IMPORTANCE OF

O

COMMUNITY IN YOGA

ne of the first words I learned when I started my yoga teacher training was “Sangha,” the Sanskrit word for “community.” Used to describe Buddhist monk communities, this word and the idea of community in yoga became essential to my yoga practice. For me, the practice of asana, or movement in yoga, is all community-based, even when virtual.

I am not someone who practices yoga movements on my own without being in a group of some form. If I am moving with yoga, it is in community, and I now cherish that aspect of my yoga practice.

I didn’t start my yoga teacher training with the goal of community per se. I think I knew it would be an aspect of yoga for me, but I focused more on self and my own spiritual journey. In the years since I began instructing and practicing yoga, I found community is the spiritual journey for me.

I learned so much from practicing yoga, breathwork, and meditation in community with others. To me, yoga practices connection. We use movement, breath, and intention to connect more deeply to self.

The pursuit of connection also includes connection to others.

In spring 2021, one year into the pandemic, “community” and finding Sangha became extremely necessary for me. I became so disconnected from self and others in spring of 2021, I struggled

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to find sobriety and improve my mental health. It was not just the isolation caused by the pandemic, but also a confluence of major personal life events that made me feel the highest sense of disconnection I ever experienced in my life. At that time, I set the intention that I would spend a year building community. I made this my main focus in addition to my overall well-being and recovery work. I said I would do what it took to build a sense of community in Minneapolis, and I would give myself one year to do it.

“Without the support of community, having a strong practice is challenging.”

Disconnected and overwhelmed by the task, my journey to build community for myself was scary at first. However, I started to show up at yoga classes and wellness events and slowly started to meet people.

A philosophy in the recovery community says the real recovery meetings happen before and after the actual meeting, so I applied this to yoga. I came early to classes,

introduced myself to people, and I lingered after classes to chat. I learned to walk into spaces where I didn’t know anyone and remind myself that many other people probably didn’t know each other.

I think most people who do yoga are seekers. We seek some form of connection.

This seeking of connection continued to grow for me in abundance. In the year since I started my intention of building community, I found so many communities and feel so connected to many dozens and dozens of people. Consequently, I also feel a deeper connection to myself. I believe we exist most boldly in our connections to others.

When we allow ourselves to be seen by others and allow ourselves to see them too, then we live out our “satya,” our truth, and that to me is connection.

I understand now why Sangha was one of the first words in my yoga teacher training. Without the support of community, having a strong practice is challenging. I have seen this in my instruction and in my personal practice. We learn from each other and glean insights from each other, better informing our practice. Creating space for people to build community became the most important aspect of my yoga instruction on and off the yoga mat. I try to make space for connection before and after classes because I do believe it is as important as the actual 45 or 60 mins of movement in class. +

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YOGA + MOVEMENT

YOD Yoga

BY DANIELLE JOKINEN (SHE/HER)

H

ave you ever experienced a moment where you didn’t think you could keep going? I am sure you have a few in mind, and I hear you and see you. Take time to reflect on that. What helped you through, or what is currently helping you through?

What helped you not only survive but thrive? What builds your own determination muscle? Your determination to keep going and to stay in an intention that serves you and others around you; to continue to show up and respond as your best and most authentic self in that moment. With this state of intensity and ability to observe the mind, I created YOD Yoga.

Short for Your Own Determination, YOD is a revolutionary yoga and high intensity intentional movement practice, embracing the sacred pause to empower personal transformation through strength, clarity, and love. You move your body intentionally to build and strengthen muscles while staying in the alignment of your bones. With that, it’s equally important to keep the tension-length relationship in the muscles harmonized.

You get access to clarity of the mind with movement, breath, and awareness of your thoughts, observing and releasing what no longer serves you mentally, physically, and emotionally. With that clarity, you get access to drop into your heart space and embody more love.

YOD goes beyond traditional formats and combines meditation, optimal alignment, journaling, and high intensity training (HIIT), allowing you to find your edge to empower a sense of awakening and transformation. YOD Mission channels

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personal thriving by creating a consistent sacred practice, empowering mind, body, and spirit for anyone determined to have a conscious, heart center approach to one’s own life and beyond.

A YOD Yoga class is taught by a certified YOD teacher with a 200 hour Yoga Training.

Led by the teacher, different options for movements set up each student for success for the day. The 60 minute class starts with intention setting, opening up to four directions, and creating an open sacred space for the highest good of all. The class rolls into a yoga asana warm-up to get your heart rate up and moving in all directions.

Awareness of the moment sets a solid foundation.

Next is integration, using three movements done three times. This plugs you into your body and integrates your muscles to set you up for the HIIT portion.

Usually 12 minutes, the HIIT portion is designed to be challenging, but also at the pace that works for you. Sometimes slowing down is more intense. It’s really important for the student to discern what works best for them. When in doubt, slow down to speed back up if needed. After the HIIT we share high fives and acknowledgments.

We end with a yoga flow, cool down, and savasana. Here it’s important to allow the body, mind, and spirit to realign to a new heart centered neutral. Surrender to your best self; a pause before rushing off to the busy day. Take a few moments in meditation and pull in all the good energy from class.

OM and namaste are part of class to unite all beings everywhere and bring in more togetherness.

I am the creator of YOD. It started with asking why and what is really at the root of pain, and taking action to live a painfree life. I am a personal trainer, massage therapist, pilates instructor, crossfit coach, and yoga teacher. Being a yoga studio owner and teacher/leader, I saw students with similar issues of pain and difficulty moving. Being committed to a yoga practice only, I noticed I missed all the other methods of movement. Therefore, I created YOD: a class to flow, create foundation, move in alignment, and bring awareness and education to the body, mind, and spirit. In the challenge of movement, you overcome it with success, love, and joy.

YOD was born in a day and now turned eight years old! YOD training has been ongoing with yoga teachers everywhere.

With classes in Yoga studios, Crossfit Gyms, Corporate offices, and parks, YOD has over 500 teachers worldwide.

Are you ready to thrive, be more intentional with your movement practice, and become the best version of yourself?

Are you ready to be a leader in your life and beyond? Join us in taking and teaching YOD. Come to class or sign up to be a YOD teacher.

Apply the YOD principles today.

1 2 3

Be intentional Take Action Follow Through

+

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HOW INCLUSIVE is your yoga?

BY LAREE SCHOUWEILER (SHE/HER) + KRISTINE KOPPERUD (SHE/HER)

I

’m a cisgendered, white, able-bodied, self-employed yoga instructor — identities you probably expect to see leading your next yoga class — and further, I had the privilege of completing my teacher certification(s) without much hardship. But it bothers me to know I am in the majority of American devotees of this mind-body practice, which originated in south Asia “to connect, to unite, to bind,” among people who are not predominantly white or privileged to the point of wearing name-brand Lycra leggings. As the industry approaches $66.2B by 2027, I can’t keep from wondering: Who is not in class? And what is this practice without them?

It’s not hard to imagine what keeps any one of us from attending yoga in a studio, let alone teaching it. Classes are often $10-20 per session before you factor in costs to get there, including time away from employment, transit, and childcare, if needed. Training to be a yoga teacher is an even greater investment, costing thousands

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of dollars and hours, and often requiring inperson mentorship and advanced classwork that anyone working a 9-5 must stretch to accommodate.

“When was the last time students of color outnumbered white students in your goto class? Have you had a teacher of south Asian descent? What about classmates or instructors who are queer? Trans? Disabled?”

But we each do it for good reason: Maybe it’s improved health or mental focus. Maybe it’s to heal trauma or injury.

Or maybe it’s the camaraderie of fellow humans, all bending and reaching for our better selves.

It’s time to look around and ask questions. When, for example, was the last time students of color outnumbered white students in your go-to class? Have you had a teacher of south Asian descent? What about classmates or instructors who are queer? Trans? Disabled? Then, start the conversation …

Ask your studio owners and yourself:

•

Have you sought out teachers of color?

•

Do class descriptions really accommodate all levels?

•

Do you encourage attendees to share their pronouns?

•

Are there scholarships for students to access the practice, or financial diversity in pricing?

•

Can you offer, or continue to offer, classes online (something differently abled people have been clamoring for, and which parents of young children can attend without paying a sitter)?

What, together, are we doing to ensure this wellness practice is not a luxury afforded by few? And what can we ask of each other to best reflect the unity at the heart of yoga, created for all? +

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YOGA + MOVEMENT

WHAT IS A

YOGA THERAPIST?

It’s one of the most common questions we hear.

BY ANN BLACKBURN (SHE/HER) + DAN BLACKBURN (HE/HIM)

T

he International Association of Yoga Therapists defines yoga therapy as “the process of empowering individuals to progress toward improved health and well-being through the application of the teachings and practices of yoga.

Yoga therapy respects individual differences in age, culture, religion, philosophy, occupation, and mental and physical health.”

All yoga is potentially therapeutic and healing. Yoga therapy includes the specific application of yogic tools: postures/exercises, breathwork, meditation techniques, and more. The lens of Ayurveda uses these to address an individual’s physical, mental, and emotional needs.

The goal of Ayurveda, the sister science to yoga, is to move toward balance, using yoga practices and philosophy to support balance.

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“Yoga therapy includes the specific application of yogic tools: postures/exercises, breathwork, meditation techniques, and more.

The lens of Ayurveda uses these to address an individual’s physical, mental, and emotional needs.”

A yoga therapy session, whether one-to-one or in a small group, is tailored to each individual. Yoga therapists use in-depth training to help assess and keep their clients safe in their practices designed specifically for them, create connection and belonging, and to address specific goals while also considering any concerns a person might be experiencing.

Yoga therapists consider and work with the five koshas, or “sheaths,’’ of an individual. From denser to more subtle, the five koshas include physical body (annamayya), energy body (pranamaya), mind/emotions (manomaya), discernment/ wisdom (vijnanamaya), and bliss/spiritual (anandamaya).

The kosha’s are interdependent, and when the first three sheaths work well together, it becomes easier to access the deeper and most subtle aspects of our being. Yoga therapists look for and identify

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patterns in the koshas that may be eroding a person’s overall health and wellbeing.

We work with the client to recognize and release patterns causing harm and help create new supportive patterns and awareness. Additional support comes in the form of daily practices designed for each individual, giving them empowerment for their health and wellbeing.

“SomaYoga Therapy blends somatics, therapeutic, yoga, and Ayurvedic selfcare practices.”

What to expect in a yoga therapy session: The yoga therapist-client relationship is a partnership. A yoga therapist collects information through an intake form and conversation to learn about their client’s concerns, lifestyle, and goals. Based on the intake and first session, the yoga therapist designs specific practices that can be integrated into their client’s life in practical ways. These practices may include movement, breath, mindfulness & meditation, and other self care practices to support the client between sessions.

The number of sessions depends on each individual’s situation, needs, desires, and goals. This holistic approach can address every aspect of life. When the needs exceed the scope of practice of a yoga therapist, the client gets referred to another provider, e.g. psychotherapist, allopathic Dr., naturopathic Dr., chiropractor, nutritionist, massage therapist, reiki master, etc. based on the needs. See “Scope of Practice” at www.iayt.org Dan and I use a form of yoga therapy called SomaYoga Therapy. A specific

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form of yoga therapy, SomaYoga Therapy blends somatics (neuromuscular reeducation), therapeutic (creating stability and considering range of movement), yoga (movement, breath, mindfulness/ meditation), and Ayurvedic self-care practices. Viewed through the lens of Ayurveda, these practices promote balance in all areas of life. Accessible to anyone online or in person, we use this approach in private sessions, group yoga therapy class series, workshops, retreats, organizations, online courses, and outreach. We always consider the five Koshas, mentioned above, and also use the Six Pillars of Yogic Lifestyle as a guide.

Six Pillars of Yogic Lifestyle 1.

Calming and regulating the nervous system as well as restoring prana/vitality.

2.

Finding the best movement throughout the day to restore balance through the Koshas.

3.

Self-awareness/mindfulness & meditation: daily mindfulness and compassion helps us to make more informed decisions about our thoughts, beliefs, and actions.

4.

Practices to support digestion, natural cleansing systems in the body, and digestion of experiences and emotions.

5.

Strategies for relaxation and restful sleep.

6.

Nourishment through food and awareness of intake through the senses.

This approach creates awareness, empowering the student/client to stay current with what they need at any given moment with powerful tools and practices.

These tools and practices help to regulate the nervous system, calm the mind, promote discernment, resilience, vitality, and wellbeing.

How to become a Yoga Therapist: The International Association of Yoga Therapists governs Yoga Therapy training.

One of the missions of IAYT is to establish yoga as a recognized and respected therapy. Visit www.iayt.org to find a school.

Look for the “IAYT Accredited certified yoga therapy training program” seal when looking for schools. In depth and rigorous, training includes anatomy and physiology, therapeutic application of yoga, and yoga philosophy.

Certified Yoga Therapists: Only graduates of IAYT-accredited programs are eligible to apply for IAYT certification as a yoga therapist. Look for the “IAYT Certified Yoga Therapist” seal when looking for a Certified Yoga Therapist. +

Tanya Boigenzahn

Intro to Thai Yoga Bodywork www.mnyogaconference.com

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

THE DIMENSIONS OF

WELLNESS + MENTAL HEALTH

BY NIQUE BELLEVILLE, MA, LPCC, RYT (SHE/HER)

W

ellness is defined as the act of practicing habits daily to acquire healthier physical and mental outcomes.

When COVID-19 became a household burden, humans across the globe survived.

But did we thrive?

As a mental health therapist and a human, I encouraged my clients to create a routine including the eight dimensions of wellness. These dimensions include the following: physical, emotional, intellectual, social, occupational, environmental, spiritual, and financial.

THE 8 DIMENSIONS OF WELLNESS:

• Physical • Emotional • Intellectual • Social

• Occupational • Environmental • Spiritual • Financial

When out of balance, we tend to feel “wonky,” a ton of emotions all put into one, explaining why we do not feel grounded.

Each of these dimensions can release those

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happy chemicals into our brains (Serotonin, Oxytocin, Endorphins, & Dopamine).

Physical Wellness Not only limited to moving your body, the dimension of physical wellness can include sleep and fueling your body with nutrients in foods. When moving your body with exercise, including yoga, biking, running, walking your pet (cats included), playing Pokemon Go by walking, or walking your favorite path next to your favorite lake, your body will release those happy chemicals into your brain. Movement not only affects your muscles, but also your mental health. Moving your body might seem as if it will be exhausting, but when done consistently, you FEEL the rewards.

You sleep better, your digestive system applauds you, and you become less reactive to things than before.

Emotional Wellness The dimension of emotional wellness is not JUST going to therapy. Emotional wellness means learning to cope with life’s stressors and anxieties. Life is a big, long

science experiment. We learn by trial and error. There will ALWAYS be anxiety and stress. Seeking an outside, non-judgmental, perspective to help guide you is an option.

Finding the right therapist can be a process.

I have gone through it, as I am a therapist who sees a therapist. Think and know your

All eight dimensions link to our mental health.

If one of them is off, we feel WONKY. This is my encouragement from one human to another human to create intentions in each dimension to explore different activities helping you feel grounded, empowered, supported, and satisfied.

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expectations, and give yourself time and space to understand your feelings and stressors. Therapy is about YOU. Emotional wellness can include journaling, reflecting after reading a selfhelp book, meditation, yoga, and finding gratitude in each of your days. I took my yoga teacher training with Gabrielle Roberts and Lindsey Lewis at Minneapolis’s only hip hop yoga studio 612 Jungle. I learned that being grateful for the things in my life — such as time, space, and the sun — brought me joy I did not have perspective on prior to our assignment to find gratitude in every day. A powerful resource, meditation grounds you with intentional breathing.

I heard over and over from some of my clients, “Oh Nique, meditation does not work.” When implemented into our day-today routine, meditation decreases anxiety and depression symptoms. Meditation gives you time and space to breathe intentionally with purpose. “WHAT!? Giving myself 5 minutes of time to breathe, no way. I can’t do that.” For your emotional health, why not?

Environmental Wellness The dimension of environmental wellness is about — you guessed it, your environment! How does that impact your mental health? When your room is a mess, do you feel chaotic? When your work desk is disorganized, do you feel stressed? By keeping your belongings organized, this decreases the stress you feel. Environmental wellness also includes home life and nature. Chaotic, toxic, and unsupportive home life impacts your mental health. You could likely feel stressed, chaotic, depressed, anxious, irritable, and hopeless. This could affect your work, your social life, school responsibilities, sleep, and diet. We Minnesotans tend to gravitate towards being outdoors when the sun is out, and the temperatures rise. Why do you think that is?

Intellectual Wellness The dimension of intellectual wellness expands knowledge and skills through

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intellectually stimulating activities. This could look like having a conversation with a friend, attending a workshop of your desired interest, attending conferences, taking classes, and reading interesting books. Your motivation and efforts in learning help you increase your intellectual wellness. Mental health connects to intellectual wellness based on your motivation and desires. You are never “too old” to learn something new. Statements such as “I am too old to learn” are rigid in thinking and fear based. Fear prevents us from exploring the unknown, which helps us GROW and fills our knowledge bank, increasing our motivation to learn.

Occupational Wellness The dimension of occupational wellness focuses on finding satisfaction in one’s life with work. Finding a satisfying job that enriches your life creates positive emotions as well as experiences. When dissatisfied with your job, this increases anxiety, depression symptoms, and negative selftalk, impacting your social life.

Social Wellness The dimension of social wellness develops connections and a sense of belonging while finding your support system. When social wellness is impacted, mental health symptoms are impacted too.

As COVID-19 taught us all, even if we like to be alone, being in the same space as others impacts our mental health in a positive way.

As humans, we desire a sense of belonging, to be seen, and to be heard.

Spiritual Wellness The dimension of spiritual wellness includes exploring our sense of purpose in life. Will we ever truly understand our individual purpose in life? I can not answer that for you, but I encourage you to explore it. This may look like practicing mindfulness (being in the moment), spending time alone to reflect, defining your personal values, morals, and ethics while making decisions in your life complementing them; and

exploring different cultures and religious affiliations. Without this, your mental health symptoms could look like depression and anxiety. This could also be confusing, which may lead to second guessing your decisions and needing others’ approval.

Financial Wellness The last dimension of wellness is financial. Does money increase happiness?

Money can create stress when we do not have it and bring a sense of relief when we do. Financial wellness means creating habits to lead you to satisfaction and certainty of your current and future financial situations. Money provides us stability and experiences which impact our mental health. Budgeting, planning, and seeking professional guidance increases certainty and confidence financially.

All eight dimensions link to our mental health. If one of them is off, we feel WONKY. This is my encouragement from one human to another human to create intentions in each dimension to explore different activities helping you feel grounded, empowered, supported, and satisfied. +

Jennifer Gray Cultivating Soul Traits

www.mnyogaconference.com

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

CREATING

SACRED SPACES

BY DANIELLE VENTICINQUE (SHE/HER) 38

A

s the days shorten, many of us shutter our windows and hunker down for the season. This can affect the energy within our space, making it stagnant, drab, or perhaps even uninspiring or negative. For this reason, it’s essential to practice cleansing ceremonies or rituals within our homes to keep the positive energy peacefully flowing, especially during dormant months.

Before starting any space cleansing or purifying, you may want to set an intention, focusing on how you want your home to feel. Fill your space with this intention, love, and light as you perform the chosen ritual.

Many cleansing practices improving the energy within the home consist of physical changes. For example, organizing, decluttering, space-clearing, or simply cleaning or rearranging furniture for better flow are excellent ways to change, rebalance, and harmonize the energy within a space.

As a reminder, your home should only contain items you find beautiful or useful, and a well-organized, clean home will calm and clear the mind.

The positive energy of this feeling will spread throughout the home.

Energy can also build up over time within our homes and cling to the nooks and crannies. A few options can cleanse this trapped energy. First, try to clap out the corners. Starting in one part of the room, walk to each corner, clapping along the wall seam from bottom to top. This will disperse the stagnant energy. Be sure to wash your hands when you’ve completed this ritual.

Another option to clear trapped energy involves smudging your space using white sage or a room smudging spray (see bio). This ritual’s ancient spiritual roots lie in the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

For a smudging ritual, you will need a sage bundle, a fireproof container, matches, a feather, and an open heart

and mind. Crack open a few windows so the negative energy has a place to escape. Light the bundle on the fireproof surface, allowing it to smolder and smoke, then blow out the flame.

It should continue to smoke. Set an intention or meditate to complete the ritual with full awareness. While you focus your intentions into the smoke, use your hand or feather to direct the smoke around your body until you sense a shift in your personal energy and feel ready to smudge your home. Start at the threshold and move clockwise around each of your rooms, including your pantry and closets, wafting the smoke into the air focusing on the corners and other areas where energy could get trapped. Visualize the smoke clearing out the negative energy as you continue throughout the whole house. With many spiritual benefits, burning sage also changes the molecular structure of the air and energy by releasing negative ions, a natural antidepressant increasing the body’s production of serotonin.

Once your space is cleansed, you may want to bring in some earthly elements promoting positive energy, such as houseplants or crystals.

Try rose quartz for loving energy or amethyst for serenity and relaxation.

Perhaps diffuse some essential oils like lavender for well-being, sweet orange for an uplifting boost, or frankincense for inner peace; or use a Himalayan pink salt lamp to increase the negative ions in the air.

Ultimately, your space will continue to take on the energy you express, so practice daily rituals that uplift your soul, and fill your space with natural light and elements pleasing to your senses. Your home is your haven and should be a sacred retreat filled with positive energy where you feel calm and safe. Honoring your home means honoring yourself.

Follow @Thrive_Betterments on IG for more wellness tips and positive vibes. +

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COME AS YOU ARE …

BY CORTNEY FRANKLIN (SHE/HER)

H

ave you ever been on your way to a yoga class and spent the entire time talking yourself out of going? You sit in your car and mentally list all the reasons you should not walk through the doors. Maybe you’ve had a difficult day. Maybe you are just simply grumpy. Your to-do list is a mile long and the deceptive pang of guilt makes you want to put your car in reverse and attend to all the stuff you must do.

I’ve been there. In fact, there have been times when I drove all the way to class only to put my car in reverse and get the heck out of there. Who loses in this situation?

While it may not be apparent, there is a ripple effect when we choose to neglect ourselves. When the push and pull of our daily lives wins, we choose to abandon ourselves. In these moments, we really need to press our forehead into the mat and take care of our mind, heart, and body. Just one hour.

The beautiful thing about the practice of yoga is that you arrive just as you are.

Encouraged to show up for yourself, all you must do is make it to the four corners of your mat without wishing for change or putting on a facade for those around you.

While you may not realize it, walking into a studio space raw and honest gives those around you an opportunity to nurture you.

You see, sometimes you bring the positive energy to class. You radiate happiness, strength, confidence, boldness, and power.

Other times, you receive the energy. You need to be lifted. You crave in that moment some reprieve and perspective that our struggles or problems are not unique. As

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a human, without struggle we would not appreciate ease. Without pain we would not appreciate joy. Without heartbreak we would not know the greatness of true love.

There is a symbiotic relationship between positive and negative energies. Come as you are with all you need.

I believe if you want to experience real change in your life through the practice of yoga, you must make it to your mat

“When life presents us with challenges or hardships, we must make a commitment to never abandon ourselves. Learn to lean on the community so special and unique to the practice of yoga: inclusive, supportive, and always there to pick you up when you’re down.”

regardless of your emotional state. The transfer of positive and negative energies grounds us in the present. When we overload on high emotional feels, we regulate back just a little. It protects us from boasting, bragging, feeling untouchable, or allowing our ego to take control. We start to feel grateful. Fortunate. Humbled. When unhappy or going through a rough spell, we are reminded that others have found and created happiness in the face of adversity.

The earth continues to spin even when we feel at a complete standstill.

When life presents us with challenges or hardships, we must make a commitment to never abandon ourselves. Learn to lean on the community so special and unique to the practice of yoga: inclusive, supportive, and always there to pick you up when you’re down. In reality, no matter how hard you feel like you are going to fall, your mat is always there to catch you.

Show up. Share your smile and happiness. Create laughter and share stories. Bring the pain with you. Create an intention focusing not on what you can get out of class but what you can let go of. What can you leave behind that no longer serves you? By what means can you walk out of the space a little lighter? Make the promise to yourself to always come as you are. +

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

BY MEGHAN HATALLA (SHE/HER)

I

EXPLORING EMPATHY

’m 21 years old, on my semester abroad, and slowly making my way up the steps toward Sacré-Cœur on my first night in Paris. It’s dusky. The lights start to turn on throughout Paris, and from the height, the sight is literal magic. I decided to lean in fully to the tourist experience and order a crêpe aux fraises.

“Wait, does she know that you can get chocolate?!”

I hear someone frantically trying to get my attention.

“Wait, you can get chocolate!

Don’t you like chocolate?”

That interaction set the foundation for one of my longest-standing, closest friendships. Her attempt to save me from me continues to echo to this day, her advice usually framed as a cautionary tale or an admonishment steeped in facts mixed with values. We share a lot of the same values as moms with young girls. It’s part of what keeps us in sync even when we can’t see each other often during a pandemic.

”[N]o single person has the perfect outlook and perfect values from which all others should be derived.”

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As we continue to move through COVID-19, being in sync with my circle becomes more and more important. From March 2020 — and I might even say from the election of 2016 — people have been visibly living their values. Whether it’s through mask compliance, Black, Blue, or All Lives Matter posts, red hats, or meme-sharing, it’s never been easier to know where everyone stands on an issue.

With social media extending relationships beyond their natural cooling point (think old coworkers whom you’ve followed on social media or hometown classmates), there’s a lot of potential for peripheral judgment.

What if we’ve seen parts of these people that make us not want to continue the relationship or connection? How do you continue to connect with people who don’t share your values on things that feel very fundamental?

There’s a very real ecosystem of values going into how we relate to others. It informs more than just our friendships, but how we shop, where we spend our money, and more. Value sharing is big business.

“Values are molded from factors such as religious beliefs, family and friends, life experiences, mindset, education, and socialization,” according to researcher Abel Gaia. “It is exactly because of the differences in the factors that mold values that there exist differences in values.”

It’s understandable that these factors shape our values and, accordingly, our values shift as we grow, accumulating more experiences and a higher capacity

for critical thinking. We’re able to devise a value system authentic and representative of our experiences and observations.

We found our values on skills we hone and reinforce by repeated experiences. By understanding how your values form, you can learn how other people formed their values.

Alice Boyes, PhD, shares a very real example: “If you grow up very privileged, then empathy might not have been a skill you particularly needed, therefore that skill might be underdeveloped for you. We often value what we’re better at and devalue what we’re worse at.”

Or valuing chocolate more than strawberries.

Back to my earlier question: how to handle interactions with those with whom we seemingly don’t share much of anything except an incidental connection?

It’s important to remember we don’t want everyone to share the same values.

Debate can be healthy, and believe it or not, no single person has the perfect outlook and perfect values from which all others should be derived.

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As I see it, we have three approaches: Dissociate.

Unfriend, unfollow, whatever term applies. Even though it can be good to keep *the right* kind of varying viewpoints in your feed, if you don’t receive any positive feedback from a contact, it’s detrimental to your own mental health. Reducing cognitive dissonance in your social media — or better yet, reducing time spent on social media — can be a benefit.

Deferment.

Take the time you need to respond or choose your level of interaction. For example, is there a wedding invitation you are unsure about accepting? Send a card.

Include an appropriate level of explanation if you feel it’s required.

But remember, you never — and least of all, now — need to include an explanation for why you feel a certain way.

A podcast devoted to empowering you to live your best life by taking accountability for your own personal wellness.

Special Guests Danielle Venticinique

Ellie Roscher

Creating Happiness

Claiming Your Body’s Story

Ann Blackburn

Ericka Jones

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Meghan Foley

Restoring Your Prana/Energy Bank Account

Soul Lessons from the Five Elements

Yoga as Action for Social Change

Integrating Ayurveda into Your Daily Life

Discuss.

Save this for those closest or unavoidable to you. Even if the thought of a dissenting discussion fills you with anxiety, or angry blindness, or just reduces you to tears, engaging with alternate viewpoints is one of the most effective and poignant ways to find common ground.

To paraphrase Amanda Gorman, it’s important to try even as we tire.

Living in an echo chamber has no benefit to building a better society.

It’s just like crepes: life is richer when we have more to draw from. +

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Why Yoga? Is Yoga Still Relevant Today?

Subscribe on iTunes or wherever you listen to podcasts

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

FROM BURNOUT TO BURNING BRIGHTLY:

LIGHTING YOUR PATH TO AHIMSA

BY MARIE NUTTER (SHE/HER)

Y

ou may be familiar with the Sanskrit term “Ahimsa.” If not, no worries, even an advanced yogi needs a reminder or two from time to time. Ahimsa means, “do no harm.” It is the first step within the Yamas and Niyamas which emphasize the importance of living a non-violent way of life. We are challenged to incorporate the principles of courage, balance, and selflove. My following story goes from burnout to breakthrough. I share my light, Ahimsa in sight, with the hope you will see your light too.

Finding Courage Time for myself? Boundaries? Definitely not part of my genetic makeup! Up until the spring of 2021 I thought of myself as invincible. Various roles as an operating room nurse, yoga instructor, writer, fixer, people-pleaser, and athlete set the stage for an inevitable collision with burn out. To be honest, if you asked friends or loved ones when they noticed the warning signals, they might have replied, “Several years earlier.”

All of this – despite education, titles, and life achievements – took me 40 years to realize that by not prioritizing my energy and creating a self-care plan I would slowly lose sight of myself.

Finding the courage to accept my reality required more guts than any other endeavor. Admittedly, I first thought, “This is going to be easy. All I have to do when

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feeling tired and worn down is simply slow down and rest.” If only it were that simple?

Why did I, like so many of us, wait until my mind, body, and spirit broke down before taking positive action? Under the guise of selflessness, I thought I didn’t deserve to rest. Once I found the courage to take an honest look in the mirror, I discovered that in order to give energy, I needed the energy to give.

Creating Balance Creating balance may start by recognizing what our current flames look and feel like. In my story, I began to notice moving my body no longer brought me joy.

In fact, the opposite occurred where I felt less energetic and less happy. My mental health leaned towards anxiety, inability to focus, or forgetfulness, and as a nurse working through the pandemic in a high stress position, this felt extremely scary.

As a human being simply trying to make it through the day, I also began to ask myself, “Am I really only here to survive, pay bills, and die?”

The courage to live differently supports our motivation to create real space and change in our lives. Although we may feel powerless to our responsibilities, we can seek power in the choices we make that provide opportunities to give back to ourselves. When I took the time to listen to my inner guide and double check my work schedule, it led me to seek out professional help. I built boundaries with my energy, became more grounded in my ability to fulfill my needs, and reduced my workload to match current energy levels. You may find what works for me might not work for you, and that’s completely normal. If

there’s anything you choose to remember about balance — Ahimsa itself is not a state or destination we can copy and paste from person to person. It is a free-flowing conversation between you and every moment you choose to check in, listen, and change.

Cultivating Self-Love The principle of Ahimsa teaches us to love ourselves. This includes all of us and not just the pretty productive parts feeding our ego at night. Like finding courage and creating balance, the act of self-love takes lots of practice. The heart brings energy to our daily choices and our sustainable light leads us towards optimal living. That being said, it is also possibly one of the most difficult things to do in life. Without a solid foundation to operate from, it can even be easy to blame ourselves or others for where we are and how we got there.

By choosing to show our mind, body, and spirit how we want to feel, we choose love instead. We also do this by congratulating ourselves each time we prioritize our needs.

What you might not know is this process will be HARD. Do it anyway. The peoplepleaser and fixer in me still struggles with this concept, but I slowly found the more love (aka better life choices) I put back into myself, the sooner I am capable of breaking through my level of exhaustion.

Hopefully by the end of this story, you find yourself worthy of your love and energy too. +

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LIFE ENERGY

Comes from Within

W

hen we think about the word energy, many times we connect it with high output, constant motivation, and continual movement. This single focused perspective can contribute to extreme fatigue and overwhelm, especially when it comes from obligations and expectations.

What if, instead, energy came from going within? Can introspection and selfawareness really bring us a burst of energy?

Many people think of meditation or mindfulness as a practice making us feel weighted down or sleepy. True, some days our meditation will make us tired, especially when we look at some deeply held, ingrained subconscious beliefs. However, there are just as many other times where spending 10 minutes a day focused inward, asking and giving ourselves what we need, will elevate us, bringing a burst of energy.

When done consistently, this grounded, internal energy, birthed from retreat, creates the sacred space to reconnect with ourselves. Our energy reserves begin to fill up through self-love, self-compassion, and self-acceptance. In this reconnection, we show ourselves we are loved, cared for, and supported. It releases the stress and tension of always protecting or defending ourselves. We can collapse into our own arms as we begin to trust we will show up for ourselves. This creates movement of energy and flow, as well as a receptive openness to our internal guidance.

So, how do we reconnect with ourselves in a way building authentic, empowered energy we can then bring out into the world in more sustainable and meaningful experiences?

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CARRIE JEROSLOW (SHE/HER)

Through my own journey, I found three significant ways to help me gain energy from going within.

FIRST, THROUGH A DAILY SELF-CARE PRACTICE. I define self-care as “connection to self.” It is not about luxury, but about gaining a deeper sense of intimacy and understanding with myself. The simpler we make self-care, the more likely we will be to show up and make it a part of our lives each and every day. In just three to five minutes, we can close our eyes, bring our attention to our breathing, feel our body in space, and begin to fill our container. Without it, we feel depleted and no amount of pushing ourselves physically will help.

SECOND, FIND TIMES IN THE DAY TO CHECK IN WITH OUR EMOTIONAL STATE. By listening to non-verbal communication from our body and mind, we begin to tune into what we really need at any given moment. Being heard by ourselves is transformational and activates self-love and self-worth. To do this, take a few minutes throughout the day to ask yourself how you feel. Often, emotion will sit before we become aware and begin to understand what it is about. I like to do this by excusing myself to the bathroom — sometimes the only place where I get a little privacy from young kids. When I close

my eyes, I place my hands on the part of the body I feel discomfort in. I see if I can connect the sensation to something that happened earlier and breathe into it. If not, I feel it and ask it what it needs to feel heard.

THIRD, LEARNING THE EMPOWERING SKILL OF SELF-ACCEPTANCE. The third way really allowed me to gain energy from going inward and learning selfacceptance (even for the parts that I judge).

Karl Jung said, “What you resist, persists.”

When we judge certain aspects of ourselves or allow the fear to keep us from feeling what is really going on, energy gets stuck.

When energy isn’t moving, we feel stagnant and depleted. I subscribe to the belief that, “What we allow, moves.” So, when we learn to accept all the messy feelings, it moves the energy, allowing us space to breathe and BE. An incredible mantra to use is, “I feel _______ (insert emotion or thought), and it’s okay. It’s really okay and I choose to love myself anyway.” Repeating these sentences over and over again allows the breath to deepen, the body to relax, and energy to flow.

When we first focus our energy inwards, the energy radiating outwards to our family, friends, careers, and causes can be much more impactful. This kind of transformational, nurturing attention creates a ripple effect, helping to bring healing into a world in such desperate need of it. +

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

CULTIVATING YOUR

INNER ENERGY

BY MONICA DELIUS (SHE/HER)

O

n a beautiful summer evening in July of 1979, at the age of sixteen, Eileen Andrews’ life changed forever. A passenger in a tragic car accident, she holds a sad recollection of the details leading up to the crash.

Found unresponsive at the scene, an ambulance took Eileen to the hospital with life threatening injuries. The medical team temporarily revived her, but did not expect her to live. On the second day Eileen stopped breathing again, and doctors rushed her into surgery for an emergency tracheotomy, where they discovered a

“Eileen does not allow obstacles to stand in her way. She doesn’t let her visual impairment hold her back and considers it to be her superpower along with her photographic memory. This benefitted her greatly when she decided to learn yoga.”

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complete separation of her trachea. The medical team performed a miracle and saved her life. At that time, it was unheard of for anyone to survive this type of injury.

The results of the trachea injury left her with paralyzed vocal cords and caused her to be in a chronic state of respiratory distress. She also incurred a traumatic brain injury which resulted in cortical blindness and deficits to her balance and coordination, but her intellect and memory stayed intact.

Eileen was in a coma for approximately four weeks. She remembers waking up in the hospital and knowing she was in a car crash, but not fully understanding the significance of her injuries. Eileen learned how to walk, talk, dress, and feed herself all over again. Since she couldn’t speak for a period of time, Eileen communicated with her mom through hand squeezes to spell letters of words she wanted to say.

Her biggest cheerleader, her mother never allowed Eileen to give up.

An aspiring athlete prior to the accident, Eileen competed in gymnastics, swimming, ice skating, skiing, and diving. She was the first sophomore to make varsity hockey cheerleading at her school. She loved to sing as well, but her love for horses shined above all else.

While hospitalized for five months, she received physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Life was frustrating because her brain would not send accurate messages to her physical body. Eileen decided to

Eileen Andrews

“Eileen uses yoga as a tool to deal with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and chronic pain.”

have the trach removed before getting discharged, because life would be very difficult for her if she kept it in. At that time, no surgery could help her breathing without damaging her voice. Upon release, Eileen walked with crutches and continued outpatient physical therapy for many years thereafter.

Once back home she received tutoring and graduated from high school. Eileen was grateful she had a supportive group of friends to socialize with who accepted her limitations.

At nineteen Eileen moved out of her parent’s home, purchased her first horse, and started college at North Dakota State University. She eventually graduated with a BA in Sociology and a minor in Psychology.

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After college she built a home next to a boarding stable so she could walk back and forth to ride her horses. Shortly thereafter, a private entity bought the boarding stable and refused to keep boarders, so Eileen needed to find another boarding stable. This incident triggered feelings of depression and anxiety.

“I want to be an inspiration to others and encourage them to follow their dreams and let nothing stop them.”

She would be tested over the years more than the average person. She endured a violent sexual assault, the loss of her father in a car accident in 1998, and her sister passing in 2018.

Eileen does not allow obstacles to stand in her way. She doesn’t let her visual impairment hold her back and considers it to be her superpower along with her photographic memory. This benefitted her greatly when she decided to learn yoga.

After rehabilitating from a broken ankle in 2016, Eileen decided to try a yoga class at a local gym. She wanted to improve her balance, coordination, strength, and flexibility while working on her walking.

Eileen started coming to yoga classes one day a week and initially used the wall for balance. She told the yoga instructor about her visual impairment and how it would be difficult to follow visual cues.

Sold after her first class, Eileen loved how she felt. She experienced a calmness and peace often elusive to her. Eileen says practicing yoga really helped her deal with life’s challenges, and gave her more confidence in herself and in her body. It helped her feel young and vibrant again.

She started retraining her brain to send accurate messages to her body.

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Eileen credits yoga with saving her life by providing her with purpose and meaning. Grateful to find a physical activity she could excel at, yoga ultimately led to Eileen’s self-love and acceptance. Coming to yoga helped with feelings of loneliness and isolation, providing her with a sense of community. Eileen uses yoga as a tool to deal with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and chronic pain, which exacerbated during the pandemic when her gym closed.

Pre-pandemic, Eileen practiced approximately four days a week — sometimes two to three yoga classes a day.

She began to feel strong and confident with her practice.

In true warrior fashion Eileen signed up for yoga teacher training in 2019 and became a certified instructor. Her photographic memory allowed her to learn all the poses and sequences with ease.

Eileen says, “I want to be an inspiration to others and encourage them to follow their dreams and let nothing stop them.”

She truly achieved this goal. +

Eileen Andrews

Kristen Brown Opening Keynote:

Evolve Your Energy Learn how to turn up your energy centers for work and life success.

www.mnyogaconference.com

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

ENERGY AND HEALING:

Connecting My Strength to Energy

I

was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy in August of 2020. After about fifteen years of worrying my legs did not work the way they should, the diagnosis almost gave me relief. Almost.

I remember how the silence expanded to fill the room after the doctor said, “You may be in a wheelchair in five years, or you might be exactly the same as you are now for a very long time.” Because of the rarity of Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy (OPMD), he declined to give me odds or even hazard a guess on my future abilities. The zoom appointment ended with him saying medicine could do nothing for me. Go live my life and come back when it wasn’t possible anymore. It felt

By constantly battling my disease, I battled myself.

It took a long time to see all the sneaky, subtle ways I fed into these cycles of negativity.

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BY SANDY BARRY (SHE/HER) so dismissive, like snapping a book shut.

Nothing to see here, move along.

As a yoga and meditation teacher and Reiki practitioner, I’ve seen how powerful these practices can be for healing. So when I received my diagnosis, you’d think I’d instantly lean into them for support. Nope.

I instead alternated between freaking out and ignoring the diagnosis all together.

Eventually I landed squarely in the panic zone and got quite good at feeling sorry for myseIf. It took months for me to realize what the constant stress and anxiety did to both my body and my mind. My symptoms progressed much faster than I anticipated, I wasn’t sleeping well, and it started to be a struggle to feel happy. Always on high alert, I looked for signs of the disease. Every day my legs felt like lead, every time I smacked into yet another wall of fatigue — it felt like another battle lost.

I started to sense how choosing to focus on the effects of OPMD closed me off to the energy around me. By constantly battling my disease, I battled myself. It took a long time to see all the sneaky, subtle ways I fed into these cycles of negativity. How my

“I saw myself walking up to this amazing ocean of abundant energy with a teacup … then a bucket … then a pipeline … Until finally I just walked right in.”

inner dialogue obsessively cataloged all the ways my body failed me. How I let the need to slow down and rest become signs of weakness instead of acts of self care. While so busy trying to keep up physically, I didn’t allow myself to slow down mentally. Even my meditations had an agenda. I focused on what I wanted instead of allowing for what was present.

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A year after my diagnosis, I sat again in meditation. Spinning in all the loops became habitual for me. A quiet voice said very clearly, “my strength does not come from my body.” The spinning stopped and I listened harder and I heard it again …

“Aligning my words and actions with the energy I want in my life opened me to endless possibilities for happiness and connection with the people and the world around me.”

My strength does not come from my body.

I felt a subtle shift as I considered what strength really meant to me, why the lack of it made me feel so desperate and sad. What would my life be like if I broke with the stagnant patterns of energy I surrounded myself with and embraced a strength unrelated with the power of my legs?

What might it feel like physically to orient my everyday choices with this optimistic energy?

And then I saw myself walking up to this amazing ocean of abundant energy with a teacup … then a bucket … then a pipeline … Until finally I just walked right in.

When I choose to focus on the good and the joy in my life instead of the presence of OPMD, I not only can feel the flow of energy around me, I can become it. Within this energy, I am sustained, nurtured, and whole. There are no battles to be fought, just peace.

I still wake up every day with a chronic, progressive disease — and it no longer defines me. I use yoga and meditation to cultivate the habit of paying attention to my thoughts.

The energy my thoughts and emotions carry is tangible. When I mind my thoughts, I am better aware of what I say and what I do. Aligning my words and actions with the energy I want in my life opened me to endless possibilities for happiness and connection with the people and the world around me. It is such a relief to be in this space of conscious, positive flow.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Some days I’m physically drained and fear tries to sneak back in to mess with my head – she can be a persistent little bugger.

But when I allow myself to face my fear while connected to the bountiful presence of energy surrounding me, fear doesn’t stand a chance. +

Cortney Franklin

Turning Passion into Prosperity

Allison Rissel • Restore Your Pelvic Floor + • Journey Through the Koshas www.mnyogaconference.com

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

A VATA Imbalances

AUTUMNAL

s the weather turns colder, dryer, and darker here in Minnesota, I can feel it reflected in my reactions. I’m a little more nervous but I don’t know why; I’m anxious about work but without a cause. For Ayurvedic practitioners, they recognize this as a Vata imbalance:

There’s nothing wrong with taking this kind of day occasionally. But when it’s stopping you from engaging with friends and family and the outside world? It’s time to shake it off. Spending time with the ones we love is another facet of warmth; opening ourselves up to interaction and receiving their warmth brightens our own lives.

“The light, rough, cold and dry qualities are depleting to the system, lowering our immunity and resistance to illness. This is why the onset of fall and winter can trigger many seasonal imbalances, such as allergies, colds, fatigue and digestive sensitivities.” (Kerala Ayurveda)

PRACTICE YOGA DAILY: Even if it isn’t

There are many ways to combat this imbalance lying outside of Western medicine prescriptions. Feeling your best starts by understanding your dosha type.

The three main types include Kapha, Pitta, and Vata, and everyone falls into some combination of earth-fire-air with one usually presenting itself as the dominant force in your mind-body connection.

MANAGING A VATA IMBALANCE STAY WARM: I know, I know, this might be an obvious one. But once I started to look at the frozen elements around me, it was enlightening. Take care to wrap up in scarves and extra layers when outside and at your desk. Avoid iced coffee (a huge one for me!) and indulge in hot beverages, from tea to coffee. Same with foods. I’d pack cold salads and vegetables and feel dissatisfied.

Limit raw, cold foods. Make extra leftovers so you can prepare hot soups, pasta, and other warming food quickly and without too much hassle.

MEDITATE: It’s like turning on your internal furnace. I use Insight Timer for their guided meditations (look me up as ‘megtalla’).

GO OUT: When I’m down, I shut down. I

BY MEGHAN HATALLA (SHE/HER) 48

don’t want to talk to anyone, I don’t want to go anywhere or do anything. I just want to curl up in bed with a book or Netflix.

feasible to make it to class everyday, start your day with a few sun salutations. Lift one leg into tree pose as you brush your teeth.

End your day in supta baddha konasana, legs up the wall, or other restorative poses.

Take time for you, and use the asanas to strengthen the connection between body and mind.

READ: Keeping your mind occupied is a great way to combat fall freakout feelings.

Taking a lot of “you” time is an Ayurvedic prescription ideal to fill via reading (or podcasts, or audiobooks, something engaging you besides doom scrolling through social apps).

In addition to these Vata-specific countering things, I’ve also given up caffeine completely and am gradually decreasing white sugar and flour in my diet. These things, in addition to making me *feel* more alert and less groggy, also aggravate Vata. Dropping them is another way to combat feeling logy in the fall.

SELF-CARE IS YOU-CARE While the pandemic continues to sow uncertainty in its third year, that uncertainty can show up in our lives in different ways. Maybe we internalize it, maybe our decision-making becomes a little more chaotic. While we can’t always control what happens around us, we can control our responses.

Learning more about your primary doshas can help you through many of the imbalances in life. Understanding why you feel the way you do is step one. And I would argue a good meal — and a few good books — is an excellent step two. +

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WHERE IS

YOUR FUEL?

BY JC LIPPOLD (HE/HIM)

T

ake a moment to consider the last 10 minutes of a yoga practice, a workout, a run, or a work week you recently experienced. Close your eyes and think back.

I love reminding people in the final minutes of a yoga practice or workout that they are not automobiles — your body doesn’t start at the beginning of the hour with a full tank and end up with the gas light on, sucking fumes as the final moments wane. Rather, we tap into our intention, we become inspired, we find the zone, then the body lights up, warms up, taps in, digs deep, and keeps going. Even from a physiological perspective, our slow twitch, marathon-style muscle fibers come to life to endure the work at hand. They do what they are designed to do.

In short, our relationship with fuel is not compatible with an automobile analogy.

So where is your fuel? To be more precise, what will fuel you right now?

Lots of stuff fuels the human experience: calories, sunlight, love, music, sleep, critical thinking, inspirational magic, tasty noms, deep breaths, indulgence in one-size-doesnot-fit-all moments of self-care, and so on.

When running on empty, make sure you ask yourself which of your tanks is tapped.

If your brain hungers for knowledge, sleep won’t fill you up. If physically exhausted,

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rolling out your mat and perfecting someone else’s fullest expression of asana will not provide tomorrow with a refreshed and rested version of you. If you need sunlight and fresh air, pounding Mountain Dew and those white and pink frosted animal crackers on the couch in the basement watching season 6 of Grey’s Anatomy will not quench your thirst.

Do the things that fuel the incredibly, uniquely designed you.

Conversely, if you do crave Mountain Dew and those white and pink frosted animal crackers … kale and burpees ain’t going to stop the grumbling. Consider where you feel empty before you start filling up.

You may say, “I am empty. But I don’t know where I am empty.” We exist in a culture often encouraging solely listening to the expert or the influencer, or mimicking the actions of the person leading the yoga practice rather than the powerful and

persistent voice inside of you. Listen to it right now. What is it saying?

Your intuition may not have a large following on Instagram, but it has a huge interest in your well-being. I always like to define intuition as the voice that says, “Hey! Do that. That will feel good. That is what we need.” This voice will often say things contradictory to the cultural current, making it easy to write it off as an unreliable, uneducated, inconsistent guide to lead our path. But ask yourself, have you ever found success walking a pathway contrary to what your gut told you didn’t feel right?

What if you listened to that voice? What if you are so incredibly, uniquely designed that the pathway to your magic wasn’t found within someone else’s journey or experience? What if it sat stored within the messages from your intuition right into your body, mind, and soul?

Consider this moment. Where are you running low? What will fill you up? Where can you access that fuel?

One last thought about your intuition. It innately knows what you need because its genesis lies without your mission, purpose, vision, and vocation. You can find your truest fulfillment within, providing yourself the fuel you need in order to accomplish the things you feel called to do and be in this world. Do the things that fuel the incredibly, uniquely designed you. +

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

AYURVEDIC LIFESTYLE PRACTICES

IMPROVE YOUR ENERGY

BY KAMIE SLEGERS (SHE/HER)

W

hat do you do to boost your energy and rejuvenate? Do you grab chocolate, a soda, or a strong cup of coffee?

These provide a buzz for the moment, but quick fixes lead to crashing consequences on long-term health. As the body’s first alert systems, low energy and fatigue urge us to take a closer look at what we do or neglect to do.

Plenty of demands drain our energy.

Constant stimulation and fixation on electronics preoccupy our attention.

When always on-the-go, many people feel depleted and overwhelmed, proudly trading time for self-care for physical and emotional exhaustion.

Ayurveda’s holistic approach to wellness and energy considers whether

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we overstimulate, underuse, or abuse our bodies, minds, and emotions. It examines social life, daily routine, nutritional habits, and spiritual practices, searching for the root cause of health concerns rather than treating the manifesting symptoms. When “dis-ease” appears, poor choices can overload or even obstruct the movement of vital energy. Fatigue, lethargy, loss of interest in life, inadequate digestion, aches and pains, depression, anxiety, and lack of energy result as a consequence. To find unlimited energy, we must understand the underlying cause of fatigue.

Build a foundation with the four pillars of Ayurveda.

Begin with reasonable lifestyle practices, quality sleep, proper nutrition, and energy management.

inclusive of practices supporting energy needs, required nutrition, and coping skills to manage stress.

• Have a regular bedtime and rise at the same time each morning. The body’s internal circadian clock knows when to release the right hormones for sleep and wake.

• Eat meals at regular times. Breakfast

before 9 a.m., a meal between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., and an evening meal before 6 p.m.

• Proper rest and activity are critical to

preserving health and having energy to thrive. Allow time to start the day with exercise and end with a gentle walk or yoga to unwind.

• Bookend each day. Start and end the day the same way. Build a routine

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

Understand why stress management is crucial, and make adjustments with routine and lifestyle changes.

Chronic stress can drain the body’s stress response resources, causing it to siphon stress-fighting assistance from locations other than the adrenals. When we exhaust the adrenals, our body steals hormonal precursors from the reproductive system, blood sugar, and the thyroid to combat stress. Managing stress is not just crucial for staying healthy and losing weight, but also for hormone balance and overall longevity.

Sleep to repair and rest Sleep is critical. When the body’s resources are completely exhausted and if cortisol levels remain high, the nervous system can’t adequately lower cortisol levels. Too depleted to supply sedation, this causes difficulty falling asleep even when we are tired. The key to most sleep issues is to discover the underlying cause of the energy deficit or adrenal strain.

• During sleep, the body detoxifies and

repairs itself. The body needs seven to eight hours of sleep for this process to occur. The most critical period of sleep occurs between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.

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Hints for healthy digestion It is important to retrain the body to burn fat from stored energy between meals.

• Make the noon meal the largest meal of

the day, when digestion is the strongest.

•

Snacking does not provide sustainable energy. The body does not use its reserves if continuously being fed.

• Make 6 p.m. a cut-off time for supper.

Practice intermittent fasting throughout the night for detoxification and restoration.

Hydration Hot lemon water should be drunk first in the morning and then 20 minutes before each meal to pre-hydrate the digestive system. Hot sips throughout the day also helps combat lymphatic congestion, deeply hydrates the body, and improves energy levels.

Engage in Energy Building Activities Having a supportive community or connecting with loved ones builds oxytocin levels. Our body creates

oxytocin when we unconditionally share, love, interact, touch, and care for others without requirements or expectations. Other supportive practices include:

• Appropriate exercise. Some movement

is better than none, but too much can be depleting.

• Breathing exercises. Pranayama has

been used to regulate and balance the human body for thousands of years.

• Nature heals. Take some time outside and away from technology.

Spiritual Fitness Spiritual fitness comes in a variety of forms: meditation, prayer, religious, and spiritual practices. A spiritual connection changes the effects of chronic stress and potentially reduces other factors contributing to disease and fatigue.

Self-care is not selfish.

Life will always be busy. When we sleep better, eat meals at appropriate times, and recuperate with time off, the body can recover and handle stress appropriately.

Lastly, enjoy what you have and do what you love. Life is too valuable to let slip away. +

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

SEASONAL TRANSITIONS

An Ayurvedic Approach

BY MEGHAN FOLEY (SHE/HER)

M

ost of us have a favorite season; the time of year we feel most like ourselves, most comfortable, and most at ease. We usually also have a season when things go awry (eg. allergies, congestion, intolerance to excessive heat or cold, trouble sleeping, etc). Seasonal transitions can be particularly challenging in geographical locations experiencing drastic changes from one season to the next. As Minnesotans, many people experience health issues with the extreme changing seasons.

Thankfully, yoga’s sister science Ayurveda offers many tips and tools to live more harmoniously with the constant changes in our environments. One of the oldest consistently practiced forms of medicine, the Sanskrit word “Ayurveda” means “science of living” or “knowledge of life.” A holistic system, Ayurveda cares for the body, mind, and spirit with precise application of herbs, foods, oils, daily practices, exercises, and breathing techniques. Ayurveda teaches that suffering comes from disconnection from our natural habitats, and uses a one-size-fits-none approach to healing. Each individual is a microcosm of the macrocosm, made up of the five main building blocks of life (earth, water, fire, air, and ether) in different ratios.

Our unique constitution is known as our

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“dosha,” with three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.

Just as humans have a unique constitutional makeup, so too do the seasons hold special properties and characteristics. Late fall and early winter is Vata season. Air and ether elements make up Vata dosha, characterizing this time of year with qualities of dryness, lightness, mobility, roughness, subtlety, and coldness.

From an Ayurvedic perspective, when our external environments shift, so do our internal environments. As the world changes around us, we must also change our daily practices in order to move through these shifts with grace and harmony. If we do not live in accordance with the seasons, imbalances can build overtime, leading to more significant illnesses and conditions.

According to Ayurveda, one main cause of disease is resisting, fighting, or negating the seasonal changes, whether that be actual weather or phases of life.

How often do you hear people getting upset about the weather, wishing things were different? Acceptance is an integral aspect of Ayurveda. When we stop fighting what we cannot control, and begin learning how to best navigate the ever-changing winds around us, we become more resilient.

Hence why we sometimes refer to Ayurveda as the “quest for longevity.”

Ayurveda abides by two maxims in order to find harmony: like increases like, and opposites bring balance. Therefore, as we move into a drier, colder, lighter, rougher season, we bring about balance

by incorporating the opposite qualities into our food and lifestyle practices. In this time of year, favor warming, grounding, stable, heavy, and moist foods. Get out your instapot and lean into the season of soups, stews, and comfort foods.

Transition with ease into Vata season with these tips:

• Sip warm water throughout the day. Not only does warm water in the morning cleanse the digestive tract, it also stimulates your appetite and hydrates the tissues more effectively than cold water.

• Favor foods that calm, warm and

ground air and ether elements. This is the time of year for hearty soups, stews, and roasted vegetables. Add ghee (clarified butter) and warming and grounding spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper, turmeric, cardamom, fennel, mustard seed, and cumin.

• Incorporate abhyanga, Ayurveda’s

frequently prescribed full body selfmassage done with warm oil, ideally in the morning on an empty stomach.

• Practice warming and balancing

breath techniques, and favor yoga slightly heating to the body, but deeply grounding for the mind.

• Mirror nature’s ability to shed its leaves and turn inwards. Let this be a time to also self-reflect, journal, meditate, and give yourself ample time to just be.

The seasons do not need to be something we resist, but rather reminders: just as the world is in constant flux, so too are we. The more capable we become at listening to our natural surroundings, learning about our local environments, and honoring the cyclical nature of life, the more easily we will be able to connect with the cycles of our own body. We can understand how the earth connects and supports us and one another more than we may ever realize. +

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

A NEW PERSPECTIVE

ON ENERGY

BY ZARA ZANUSSI (SHE/HER)

L

eaves are falling, school is starting, and summer’s respite is fleeting.

As a journalist’s daughter, I looked up the word “energy.” All the sources I reviewed referred to some type of work, effort, or activity. No wonder our society feels the need to be so busy! But like day can’t exist without night, neither can yang energy (the busy, doing energy we all know so well) exist without its counterpart, yin; at least not in a sustainable way. As schedule obligations increase, I invite you to explore an alternative perspective of yin energy.

In one of my favorite books, Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown refers to exhaustion as a status symbol. Her statement is not a hyperbole. We cram as many events in as physically possible, brag how long it’s been since we’ve taken PTO, and become almost robotic in our unquestioned bursting-at-the-seams schedules.

And then 2020 hit and the world we knew was over, with no ability to escape to exotic places and minimal outlets of connection. As the only way this purely yang lifestyle felt sustainable, we had to rejuvenate from our “full” life!

I by no means want to minimize the sadness, stress, and exhaustion of the pandemic itself. In yin energy, important teachers presented themselves. Humanity found empathy – for the first time in our lives every human in this world could relate. A social uprising happened where

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we as a community began to speak out against injustice systems. Through the exhaustion and the pain, we realized how interconnected we all are and were reminded that life is short.

Pre-pandemic, I signed up for Baron Baptiste’s “40 Days” not knowing what to expect. In addition to sharing and selfinquiry, you commit to practicing asana (the physical poses of yoga) for up to 90 minutes and meditate for up to 30 minutes twice a day. In my previous life, this commitment wouldn’t have been possible with my schedule. Now, in such a world of unknown, I welcomed the structure.

For me, the pandemic was a point of self-transformation. Instead of living life to the fullest measured by how much I did — something no longer physically possible — I measured life as living each moment intentionally. Part of that was committing to moments of stillness and reflection on a regular basis. After all, we are human beings, not human doings.

I first felt the change physically; my stress evaporated and my vivacious spirit previously buried beneath all of my scheduled commitments came alive. I could prioritize being present and just breathe.

Instead of multitasking by trying to get a work call in while walking on a nice day, I went on a walk to purely enjoy the moment and be. In these moments, I noticed the prevalence of wildlife right in my own backyard in the middle of Minneapolis, including red-wing blackbirds on the cattails at Lake of the Isles. One evening, I even saw my first muskrat that I would have missed had I not been in the present moment.

Of course, the world opened up so I want to extend my personal challenge to you. Even if it’s not every day, even as you start scheduled commitments again, how can we prioritize a regular time for reflection, noticing, and awareness in our lives before we take action? Whatever your medium, creating this space will help us as a society to live more intentionally.

It is in this space where we can explore the creative, the introspective, the "being" aspects of life, and through these truly live life to the fullest in every moment, even in life’s chaos. There’s no right or wrong medium, whether that be journaling, meditation, walking, or expressing yourself through an art form — only that you practice “being.”

As Baron Baptiste says, we have an opportunity to begin again at every moment. Put aside any regret, shame, or “shoulds,” and commit the next 15 minutes to yourself. I invite you to sit in quiet meditation.

Afterward, in whatever medium feels best to you, reflect on the following questions:

• What would it look like to just be?

• How would “just being” feel physically?

Emotionally? Spiritually?

• What space is possible? More creativity?

More introspection? More selfawareness?

• What do you need in order to make “just being” a regular practice? +

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

SVASTHA:

THE ENERGY OF HEALTH from the Ayurvedic Perspective

I

n a culture inundated by the conflicting messages of both do-more-bemore-get-more-done, and the new expectation of spa-like practices of self-care, what deals with the true nature of our health? Ayurveda may provide some straightforward answers to this in classic texts, including The Sushruta Samhita, which gives us the Svastha-Vritta-adhyaya, or “Rules of Health.”

BY MOLLY MCMANUS (SHE/HER) + ILLUSTRATION BY JANICE NELSON

Rules of Health: Samadoşa samāgni ca sama dhātu malakriyah Prasanna ātma indriya manah svatha iti abhidhīyate One who is established in Self, who has balanced doshas (fundamental principles), balanced agni (fire of digestion), properly formed dhatus (tissues), proper elimination of malas (waste products), well-functioning bodily processes, and whose mind, soul and senses are full of bliss, is called a healthy person.

— Sushruti Samhita 15/48 Svastha or Swastha is the Sanskrit word for health: sva = my own self, and stha = to be stable. The sloka, or stanza, begins to give us some interesting tools when looking at our health. This sloka can be divided into two sections and states that both the physical body and the human mind and spirit must all be established in harmony for true health.

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HEALTH + WELLNESS

•

INDRIYA = JNANAINDRIAYA (SENSE ORGANS) AND KARMANDRIYA (MOTOR ORGANS): An area of expertise in yoga and Ayurveda, and it is said that misuse, overuse, or underuse of the senses is a main cause of disease. If the sense organs malfunction or go beyond their capacity, we cannot connect or experience the world well.

Beginning to consider your own ability to control, nourish, and support your senses is a tool for wellbeing.

•

Second Line – Human Spirit at the Soul and Mental Level:

MANAH = MIND: One of our greatest gifts and a powerful part of our nature, when we work with our minds we can live more peacefully and joyfully. Yoga’s Antakarana model is a helpful tool to start to understand the mind’s functions and the need for practices supporting equanimity. Mindfulness, gentle movement practices, meditation, and contemplation all help grow the resource of our mind and bring it into a state of well-being.

•

Prasanna ātma indriya manah svatha iti abhidhīyate

SVASTHA = HEALTH OR BEING IN ONE’S NATURAL STATE

•

ABHIDHIYATE = SITUATED OR ABIDES: The sloka says when the soul is happy, the senses are serene, and the mind is lucid and tranquil, the person abides in their natural state or health.

body, but from an Ayurvedic perspective they are the product of all the decisions we make in a day. What are we consuming that will later turn into our muscle and brain tissue? Are we keeping our agni strong so it can digest all that we bring in? Are we doing the simple practices like tongue scraping, neti pot, and self-massage that support keeping the doshas in balance?

First Line — Physical Body: Samadoşa samāgni ca sama dhātu malakriyah

•

SAMA: in this case is the Sanskrit word describing balance. When something is in its natural healthy state, it is balanced.

•

SAMADOŞA = BALANCED DOSHA: Doshas are the forces at play within us and around us that can become aggravated or unbalanced, leading to ill health.

These forces are known as Vata or Air principle, Pitta or fire principle and Kapha or earth principle. We are each a unique combination of these, forming our individual constitution or prakriti. When our state becomes unbalanced, one or more of these may become aggravated and lead toward diminishing health. Having a dinacharya or daily routine of self-study that helps you notice your state and respond with practices to help you stay in balance is the best way to stay in a state of health.

•

•

SAMĀGNI = BALANCED AGNI: Agni is the fire element governing all digestion, absorption, and transformation in the body and being. The strength of Agni determines how anything we take in from food to experiences turns into the literal fabric of who we are. The quality and quantity of what we take in daily affects our wellbeing. Making changes to make sure the raw materials you consume benefit you the most is a kind of accessible and powerful self-care.

SAMADHĀTU = BALANCED DHATU: Dhatus are the seven tissues making up our physical body - Plasma/ Lymph, Blood, Muscle, Fat/ Adipose tissue, Bone, Connective/Nerve, and Reproductive. You might think of these tissues as just your

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•

•

MALAKRIYAH = HEALTHY WASTE PRODUCTS: The quality, quantity, and correct timing of elimination are important considerations in health. Waste is divided into two categories. Ahara mala waste from food includes purisha (feces), mutra (urine), and sveda (sweat). Dhatu mala waste from cells and tissues includes secretions from nose, eyes, ears, and elements like hair, nails, carbon dioxide, lactic acid, and nails. Constantly in the process of creating ourselves and recycling or releasing waste, some guidelines in Ayurveda are to create routines around elimination and to not suppress natural urges.

PRASANNA = THE SANSKRIT WORD THAT DESCRIBES HAPPY + ATMA = SELF OR SOUL: When placed together, these two words translate as “fully joyful”, a satisfied, clear, lucid, bright, kind, cheerful, serene, and tranquil state. This is a kind of happiness found when one is present, contemplative, and engaged in creating their own day-to-day existence consciously.

Whole-being well-being requires being in a deep relationship with ourselves.

Whole-being well-being is a balanced state of the doshas with good digestion, proper ability to build tissues, and elimination in right timing. A state for protecting and honoring the senses, we can use it to practice balancing the mind and live in accordance with the desires of our soul. +

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LIFESTYLE

EDITOR’S PICKS

BY AMY ZELLMER (SHE/HER)

COASTL STUDIO OCEAN TIDE YOGA TOWEL

$45.00 - $55.00 — society6.com/leahwk/yoga-towels

This super absorbent yoga towel makes a crucial addition to your yoga and wellness setup­— these towels give you the added stability you need for hot yoga sessions — simply lay it down over the mat and you’ll immediately feel the difference. The sweat-wicking, quickdrying fabric is extra thin, making it easy to roll up and stash in your yoga bag or you can take it to the beach for a beach towel that won’t trap the sand. +

SIMPLS

VIBRANTLY DELICIOUS FOOD DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR $15.99+ — www.simpls.com

Simpls was dreamed up by co-founders Mike and Ryan with the vision to make it easy to eat delicious, wholesome, and sustainable foods.They launched in 2014 and by 2020 Simpls had grown to three locations in Minneapolis! Their food is scratch-made with simple, nutrient-dense ingredients to nourish your mind, body and soul. They support small farms using organic and regenerative growing practices, with at least 70% of ingredients in all of their products being organic. You will never find anything artificial in their ingredient lists, just wholesome goodness and adventurous flavor! +

BOOST OXYGEN

ON-THE-GO SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN $8.98+ — www.boostoxygen.com

Boost Oxygen is portable 95% pure supplemental oxygen, no prescription needed. It is used by older adults for an active lifestyle, athletes for recovery and performance, people at highaltitude for altitude acclimation and those experiencing poor air quality. Did you know the air we breathe contains only 21% oxygen?

The majority is 78% nitrogen. At nearly 5X the pure oxygen you normally breathe, Boost Oxygen provides easy and immediate access to supplemental oxygen. +

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LIFESTYLE

PERFECT BARS

THE ORIGINAL REFRIGERATED PROTEIN BAR™ $3.95 — www.perfectsnacks.com

Perfect Snacks has become a leader in fresh snacking by relying on the food principles the Keith’s learned as kids and committing to the power of quality, whole-food ingredients.

All Perfect Snacks products are stored in the fridge — no artificial preservatives here — but crafted to be enjoyed on the road, on the go, before work, after school or wherever life takes you. They stay fresh at room temperature from 2-7 days depending on the product — just check the back of your snack for best guidance! +

WORLD FINDS ETHICAL STYLE

KANTHA TASSEL NECKLACE $34.00 — www.worldfinds.com

Kantha Tassel Necklace This relaxed style is oh-socasual when worn alone and makes the perfect boho statement when layered. Colorful, repurposed Kantha + gold beads alternate to form a long strand and finishes off with a tassel. Each piece is made from recycled Kantha textiles, so colors and patterns are all one-ofa-kind and will vary. Measures 32” long. Sustainably handmade by women artisans in India with repurposed materials and scraps. Creating change with each product purchased. +

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LIFESTYLE

BOOK REVIEW:

THE ENERGY TO HEAL

Find lasting freedom from stress + trauma through Energy Yoga Medicine BY: REEVE KLATT

T

he Energy to Heal, written by yoga and meditation teacher Lauren Walker, is a guide to how harnessing the body’s energy can help us heal from physical and emotional trauma. Using a mixture of yoga and energy work combined with the five elements, this book teaches you how to respond to triggers rather than reacting.

Published in 2022, Walker incorporates dozens of illustrations, hands-on practices, yoga nidra, and more to create a holistic approach to healing.

Walker knows first-hand what it’s like to experience something traumatic. After the death of her best friend and ex-fiancé at the hands of the Canadian Police, Walker hit rock bottom. “I spent a full year in shock, rage, and grief before I realized I was going to live. And since I was going to live, I’d have to figure out a way to do it better than what I’d been doing,” she writes. After finding freedom and peace, Walker knew she must share what she’d learned to help others in the aftermath of trauma. “What if I could reach even one person and help them out of their pain? What if I could reach more?”

Walker uses Energy Medicine Yoga (EMYoga), a program she created herself to address how the body responds to trauma. Grounded in science and founded on ancient healing practices, EMYoga taps into the built-in operating system of the

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body. It’s all about power, not pills. You have the power, Walker says, to “work with your mind, body, and energy to reprogram it from holding on to difficult patterns and chemical releases.”

Walker first introduces the practice of “OMG points.” You clasp your palm to your forehead as if taking your own temperature (also a pose often taken in movies when a character is shocked — hence the name).

Walker explains when you have a stress response, the blood leaves your forebrain and heads to your limbs to prepare you to fight or flee, starting a process in the body that kicks out stress hormones. By gently holding your forehead, you draw blood to the area, calming your thoughts and decision-making skills. This interrupts the stress cycle that normally takes over the body and brings a sense of grounding and security. While it’s a simple posture, that’s the beauty of EMYoga: “It’s the most natural, intuitive expression of your energy,” writes Walker. “Your energy knows what to do even if your conscious mind doesn’t.”

If you’re still doubting how we can harness our own energy, Walker dives deep on explaining what energy is and how it’s medicine. Through easily readable scientific data, Walker clarifies that energy (also called chi, qi, prana, or life force) makes up everything in the universe. “Although you feel solid, you are actually a latticework of energy systems. You are vibration and light.”

EMYoga uses nine energy systems all interconnected to work through trauma, including the aura, chakras, and the five elements. While the book touches on all of them, Walker focuses the most on the ancient Chinese medicine of five elements, also called the “five rhythms” (fire, earth, metal, water, and wood). Each person has all of these elements inside them, Walker explains, with one or two dominating elements. Each element ties to different parts of the physical body as well as the emotional body, and can be helpful in processing trauma. “If you have trauma or stress that is causing physical symptoms,” writes Walker, “it is helpful to know what … element to turn to for respite.” By using the 5E Star tool, Walker shows you how to incorporate the five elements through processing fear, anger, anxiety, worry, and sadness.

Within Energy Medicine Yoga, Walker gently guides the reader how to process, move through, and release stress and triggers. With a chapter focused on each element, Walker provides guided practices, breathing techniques, and EFT (emotionfocused therapy) to give you the power — and courage — to heal. Perfect for experienced yogis and teachers as well as those who are new to the practice, Energy Medicine Yoga is a timely book on how to approach healing trauma from within. +

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LIFESTYLE

BOOK REVIEW:

SOMA

100 Heritage Recipes for Self-Care BY: REEVE KLATT

S

oma, 100 Heritage Recipes for Self-Care, is the latest book from Indu Arora, an Ayurveda and Yoga Therapist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Arora created Soma in gratitude to her mother (and all those who mother), and to honor the years of Arora’s childhood spent with her grandmother. At its center, the book is a collection of recipes passed down from generation to generation. “Each of these 100 recipes is picked carefully for you,” Arora writes, “to bring ease in pain, peace to an ailing heart, and relief to the tired bodies.” In the introduction, she explains the keyword soma in her book. “SOMA means tender, soft, radiant rays of the moon. It is the nectar of the moon. When the mind is peaceful, it is called saumya which means ‘moon-like.’”

With eight different sections, Arora brings the reader through an understanding of Ayurvedic practices to help soothe the soul and bring the body and mind into harmony. She begins with “Dancing to the Tune of Circadian Rhythms,” a section highlighting morning and night rituals. She continues with prescriptions for joy and releasing emotions (“Yoga RX”), advice on creating healthy thought patterns with mantras (“What’s Your Mantra?”), and a section devoted to healthy homemade teas (with equally entertaining names such as “Shoo-the-Flu Tea” and “Breeze

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through Sneeze)”. At the end of each heritage recipe, Aurora slips in “fun facts,” like how our nostril dominance shifts every 60-90 minutes and applying ghee to the bellybutton daily will help keep your lips soft.

In an endearing part of the book, Arora shares glimpses into her childhood, reflecting on seeing her grandmother practicing these rituals or discovering her father lying on a board in meditation.

There’s a gentle ease and familiarity with which she writes, happy to share her insights with the reader and bring joy to every area of life. One of Arora’s favorite memories is listening to her father recite passages from the Bhagavad Gita: “Whatever you do, do it as an offering to the Divine. This will bring you the tremendous experience of joy, peace, and eternal freedom.”

Every heritage recipe is short and sweet, making it the perfect book to pick up when you only have a few minutes. Arora shares how to tell what quality saffron to buy as well as how to calm your racing thoughts. Studies show humans have 11 thought impulses per second, leading to a busy, humming mind when we’re trying to rest. “Cultivate the habit of self-reflection,” Arora instructs. “After a long day of making several decisions from mundane to important, it is crucial that we sit with ourselves before we jump from one thing to

another. The difference between a reaction and response is a pause.”

She offers some brief and to the point advice — like taking a shot of lime juice with a little salt after a big meal to aid digestion.

Other rituals offer guided practices to do at different points throughout the day, as in her guide to Swara Yoga (the yoga of rhythms) to balance the flow of energy in the body. You begin by noticing your dominant nostril by placing a finger under the nose horizontally and feeling where the air flows. Then you close the dominant nostril with your finger and actively inhale and exhale from the open nostril for up to two minutes. Arora also offers a beautiful, calming Luna routine when you come home from work (or stop working at home), where you wash the five areas of the body (hands, feet, face) with warm water (pancha snana in Ayurveda).

Arora provides a section on mudras complete with pictures, tea recipes using whole seeds and spices, instructions on creating face masks and body scrubs, and a practice to release emotions by hissing. Throughout the recipes, Arora sprinkles nuggets of wisdom clearly seen in her previous two books, Yoga: Ancient Heritage, Tomorrow’s Vision, and Mudra: The Sacred Secret.

At the heart of Soma, Arora speaks Ayurvedic truths to the weary reader. “It is not just what others say to you that makes up the mind,” she explains. “It is also about the kind of thoughts you entertain, the narrative you speak to yourself, your internal dialogue — as that dialogue is mantra. That makes up your mind. Each thought carries a voltage, energy, and impact.” A bright spot of hope, Soma offers accessible, simple guidance on how to live fully. +

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LIFESTYLE

TRADITIONAL INDIAN CHAI with a Hint of Ayurveda

BY INDU ARORA (SHE/HER)

A Seasonal Cup of (Authentic Indian) Chai Solves Everything — Even Changing Weather

“Chai can be a perfect pairing for welcoming guests, inducing relaxation, waking you up if you feel too sleepy, or at times, remedying a headache or warding off boredom.”

I

ndia runs on chai! There are endless reasons for chai. Served as an everyday morning beverage or to celebrate an everyday mundane evening, chai can be a perfect pairing for welcoming guests, inducing relaxation, waking you up if you

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feel too sleepy, or at times, remedying a headache or warding off boredom. If it’s raining and chilly outside or if it’s too hot and you need to cool down — the list goes on and on. But what you get at the corner coffee shop — that tall, syrupy drink — is that really chai? Truth is, it cannot be further from real chai: a freshly brewed cup of black tea (Assam CTC), seasoned with spices and herbs (seasonal!) with full cream/whole milk.

Did you notice there is no concentrate or chai syrup mentioned? And it is never iced.

FUN FACT: My father used to get sneezy with a runny nose very often. I remember it clearly. Using his nasal voice, his eyes peeking from above his low-setting prescription glasses, he used to call my mother very lovingly, “Rani, will you please make me a cup of Kali Mirch waali chai

(black pepper-infused tea)?” My mother used to always answer by saying “Jee,” which means “of course.” He used to slurp it from the saucer and always complimented her, “Today, you made it so tasty.”

Every. Single. Time.

I guess I am finally warming up to you.

If it were not for chai, I would have not shared my personal story with you. I would love to know some of your stories, too. Tag me on Instagram @Induaroraofficial and share when you make your version of chai inspired by this recipe. We are official chai buddies now.

The following Chai recipe is from the book SOMA 100 Heritage Recipes for SelfCare by Indu Arora. The book is available as an e-book from the author’s website: www.yogsadhna.com +

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LIFESTYLE

TRADITIONAL INDIAN CHAI from the book SOMA 100 Heritage Recipes for Self-Care

by Indu Arora

INGREDIENTS:

• • •

1 ¾ cup Water

• •

Seasonal Ingredient: See Special Tip below.

¼ cup Milk (whole) 1 ½ tsp Black tea (go for Assam CTC loose tea, in a good brand that you like)

Sugar ­— to taste

METHOD:

1 2

Bring the water to a boil.

3

Add the black tea and slow the heat to a simmer for 1 minute.

4

Add the milk. Cook until it reaches a rolling boil, and the tea starts to foam and rise in the saucepan.

5

6

Once the water comes to a rolling boil, cook for 30-60 seconds, adding the seasonal ingredient.

At this point, it is a game of simmer-to high: it rises to the top with high heat and settles down to level with simmer.

Do this 3-5 times until the fragrance of black pepper and tea fills the head space with its sharp, spicy aroma.

Strain and pour! Sweeten to taste (cane or brown rock crystal sugar are the best company of chai!).

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

•

YIELD: 2 cups, because you want to share the goodness

•

SHELF LIFE: Always fresh (Non-negotiable)

• •

DOSAGE: 1 cup, maybe more, you decide

•

INDICATIONS: Just because, there is NO REASON needed for chai!

•

BENEFITS: Will make you happy

USAGE: Slurrrp, drink, and savor this Indian gift to humanity!

SPECIAL TIP: Add the special ingredient as per the season in Step 2 of the recipe.

•

SUMMER CUP OF CHAI: 4-5 fresh mint leaves, this tea is called Pudina Wali Chai.

•

WINTER CUP OF CHAI: 1 teaspoon freshly grated Ginger, this tea is called Adrak Wali Chai.

•

SPRING CUP OF CHAI: 4-5 leaves/1 tea bag of Holy Basil/Tulsi, this tea is called Tulsi Wali Chai.

•

AUTUMN CUP OF CHAI: 2 cardamom pods, opened and seeds freshly pounded to powder. This tea is called Elyachi Wali Chai. +

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LIFESTYLE

“NOT IT” AN APPROACH TO LIFE:

ALIGNING DOLLARS TO DREAMS

BY LORI REHNELT AUFDERHAR (SHE/HER)

I

n this small business talk, we’ll look at concepts to help us understand when to say “Not It” to whatever does not align with the investment of our dollars and dreams. It’s about spending wisely and saving, too!

These concepts are about avoiding pitfalls and putting systems in place to make wise money decisions with your business. Many business owners come to me for coaching only to learn they didn’t think through what it was to run a business.

Hobby businesses at best, many struggled with avoidable pitfalls.

Sometimes we experience something and say to ourselves “I know that.” Knowing and doing are two different things. I know a warm chocolate chip cookie sample being handed out at the grocery store is full of bad ingredients and empty calories — that doesn’t always keep me from taking the sample. I know it’s bad for me, yet do it anyway; it smells so good. It’s the same way with our businesses — some concepts are so simple, we know it, yet we do not do it.

I ask you to be open, and when you say to yourself “I know,” think beyond that thought to “where does that apply in my business?” Consider possibilities.

Sometimes we see pitfalls, yet are too exhausted to avoid them, even when we “know.” Let’s set you up for success!

3 COMMON PITFALLS:

1

COMINGLING OF FUNDS: Accountants remind us not to comingle funds. Most of us get that. For example, I bought a book at an author event recently

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and the author thanked me for the cash and promptly spent it on a beverage, not keeping the book sale separate from personal spending. Was the author planning to put the cash in their business account later? Maybe …

Separate personal and business funds.

2

CHARGING THROUGH LIFE – A FINANCIAL AVALANCHE: I met with a young woman who invited me to lunch. She insisted on paying since she invited me and at the end of our lunch, after purchasing my book, she stated she was “charging through life.” Yet she didn’t have the money to buy groceries this week for her children. She hoped her business would take off so she wouldn’t have to go back to the corporate world only to get burned out again.

Be honest with yourself and your finances. When digging a hole, stop digging. Stop charging through life.

If your business really isn’t working, charging more won’t help it succeed.

Put a tourniquet on the bleed.

3

LEAKY BUCKET SYNDROME: Are monthly charges eating holes in your financial bucket? Ever have a recurring fee you forgot about?

Evaluate spending; monthly marketing for example. Do those monthly fees pay off? Are you actually using the service monthly, staying consistently in front of your following? Do your articles bring people into your studio? Are you promoting special workshops? Is it paying off? Or are you just using the service when you get the urge to “get something out there,” and hoping to draw a crowd?

What’s your ROI – return on investment?

Ex: Spending $35/month on Constant

Contact … am I seeing the value? If I’ve been sending out month after month and get people signing up for workshops, buying my book, and becoming clients — yes, the money arriving from my effort is worth the financial output. Don’t just throw spaghetti on the wall and hope something sticks.

Stop and evaluate. First, document dates when recurring fees happen.

Anticipate them, watch for them. Next, evaluate the service you’re paying for, is it worth it?

TO AVOID PITFALLS:

1

CREATE A BUDGET: This may sound elementary, yet countless business owners I’ve worked with “just roll with it”. If they had the money, they did more, and if they didn’t, they weren’t able to take advantage of opportunities, letting them go by since they didn’t plan well.

2

CREATE A CUSHION: How many of you have business savings? Just like a personal savings, our businesses benefit from a savings account. If you don’t have personal savings — start one and look at that as a potential red flag in your business financial life. You can’t save what you don’t have. If you have a leaky bucket, start with eliminating the leaks like a recurring charge for a service you don’t use.

3

PAY YOURSELF FIRST: In business, just as you would in your personal life, build a cushion.

An emergency fund and “fun money” for your business; be prepared. When you see something special, you can splurge and take advantage of a promotional activity because you planned ahead. +

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LIFESTYLE

5 ENERGETIC BENEFITS OF

Y

CLEAR QUARTZ

ou’re walking along the beach or lakeshore and a stone catches your eye. This is no accident. Rocks, crystals, gems, fossils and shells may seem lifeless but these members of the mineral kingdom are some of the most energetically-powerful things on our planet. When you feel attracted to a crystal or rock in nature or a crystal shop, there is likely something in your own body and mind resonating with the molecular and energetic structure of that stone.

Minerals have a very stable repeating atomic pattern building in an identical sequence until the mineral forms. This stable structure also emits a very stable energetic frequency with the power to influence other energies around it. This is called entrainment. Therefore when you hold a crystal or see a stone you want to pick up, the chances are good that its energy “zapped” yours and you need what it has to offer.

Whether you think crystal healing is a hippie voodoo thing or not, the science and a whole lot of proof exists out there if you open your mind to it. If that’s still too much for you then perhaps just appreciating the colors, shapes, and beauty of each unique stone can help you feel even a moment of positive energy.

Every issue we feature a healing crystal to help you charge up your life and work.

This issue is all about Energy so Clear Quartz is the perfect fit. Why? Because it’s a powerful stone with a lot of energetic benefits — plus it’s gorgeous!

of the Universe. Bring a chunk of Clear Quartz with you everywhere you go to stay focused and clear.

4.

Quartz is great for bringing clear energy when you’re overwhelmed, confused, or need guidance. Hold it in your hand while you reflect and see what insights show up. It can help you focus a big vision too, so having it around when you brainstorm or daydream is a powerful way to feel the effects of Clear Quartz.

5.

Quartz will help amplify any other healing work you do and multiply the power of any other crystals you use. Wearing it during yoga, having it nearby during massage, and carrying it with you during any body/mind/spirit modalities can create a stronger experience.

Here are five amazing benefits of Clear Quartz.

1.

2.

3.

Quartz is all around us, from timepieces to lasers to jewelry. Since it conducts energy, it’s powerful to have around you whether you wear it on your body, carry it in your pocket, or set it near you at work or at home. Notice the clarity it brings when in meetings or at home.

A great stone to use for meditation, quartz will help thoughts flow more peacefully and clearly. As a gentle yet powerful crystal, you can either hold it in your hand or use it as a focal point to view while you meditate.

Quartz is made of silicon and oxygen, two of the most abundant elements on the planet. This means it can help you align with your goals so they fit into the grand scheme

Clear Quartz can be purchased from crystal and metaphysical shops and online.

However, choosing a stone at a shop is much more fun and powerful because you can see, touch, and feel the “zap” of the crystals and experience how their energy impacts yours. Stock up because Clear Quartz and crystals of all types make great gifts that can be customized for the recipient’s healing and energy needs or simply given for their beauty. +

BY KRISTEN BROWN (SHE/HER)

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63

LIFESTYLE

MOVIE REVIEW:

MOVE ME

Minnesota Artist Creates New Paths in a Wheelchair

I

n Move Me, Minnesotan Kelsey Peterson speaks with unflinching honesty, humor, and hope about her life in a wheelchair after a spinal cord injury.

Co-directed by Peterson and Daniel Klein (The Perennial Plate), this documentary is “Part memoir, part cultural artifact, part awareness-raising, and all riveting” (Documentary.com). Move Me asks, “How do you find yourself when your body, your identity, has been taken from you?”

In 2012, at the age of 27, Peterson dove into Lake Superior and hit her head on the shallow bottom, ending up a quadriplegic paralyzed from the chest down. “I spend a lot of time imagining moving and remembering that feeling,” Peterson says while we see home videos of her as a giddy teen. “I wonder if it would just be easier to not have a memory of a life that I miss and a life that I want.” From the very beginning of Move Me, Peterson doesn’t shy away from explaining exactly how she feels and what her disability really means.

“I used to be Kelsey, the dancer, and now I’m Kelsey, the girl in a wheelchair,” she explains, noting how people underestimate her just because she shows up in a wheelchair. “People out of their periphery see a chair, and so they don’t even bother to look at the person.” It’s strained her relationship with her parents, especially her dad – her hero growing up. When she asks him over Facetime if he is mad at her after a conversation, he honestly tells her, “It’s a constant challenge to try to not be hurt and

64

angry at this point,” which causes Peterson to hide her face in her hands. Peterson had been drinking the night of her accident, something her dad has been unable to get past. “Dad, you have to forgive me,” Peterson says through tears and he’s quick to respond that he forgave her. “You can still be angry about something and forgive someone for something that happened,” he says, explaining you’re only as happy as your least happy child. “I should have, and I could have done better,” Peterson acknowledges about that night over ten years ago. “But I didn’t. This chair puts up a wall between me and people that I love sometimes.”

But it’s not just the people she loves who bring her challenges, as she’s discovered how the world really isn’t made for people like her. We see shots of a determined Peterson trying to spray dry shampoo in her hair and struggling to pull out a ticket at a service counter. “You have to constantly be thinking ahead and creating this new dynamic between you and this thing that you’re still attached to,” Peterson narrates over visuals of her stretching in bed. “You still have to love [your body] though you feel removed from it a lot of the time.”

BY: REEVE KLATT (SHE/HER) Despite the hurdles she faces, she slowly made a way of life for herself, living independently with rotating personal care attendants, re-learning how to drive without her feet, and dancing. A large amount of the film shows the lead up to Peterson helping choreograph (and ultimately perform in) “A Cripple’s Dance,” a dance production with live music. Peterson has her BFA in dance and is also a certified yoga teacher, both put on hold after her accident. You can see how Peterson longs to create, to tap into that part of her that used to leap across the stage, working out her frustrations with movement. A whole new world for her, choreographing in a wheelchair constantly reminds her of what she’s lost.

“With dancing again… I’m excited for the possibilities,” she explains to a friend. “But these first few rehearsals are like a punch in the gut or a slap in the face.”

One of her good friends in a wheelchair as well, Gabriel Rodreick, provides the live music for the show (as well as the soundtrack for the documentary). Their beautifully raw friendship easily slips in and out of laughter and serious conversation. “I was just thinking about grieving my body,” Rodreick says to her at one point. “The loss of my body feels like grieving a death.”

Peterson agrees, adding, “I don’t feel like I can be the person I used to be in many ways.” Perhaps, Rodreick wonders, they can still search for the feelings they experienced before their injuries, just through different avenues. “I’m not chasing what I used to have,” he explains. “I’m chasing those feelings that I got from dancing and singing and playing piano, because they can be found in so many different ways.”

With the use of old family videos, personal interviews, and beautiful cinematography, Move Me follows Peterson as she faces the unknown with courage, determination, and a few coarse words. We witness Peterson charting a new path as a woman and an artist, desperate to find herself in a differently abled body, but one that is still hers. +

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LIFESTYLE

BY BETSY WEINER (SHE/HER) PHOTOS BY GENE GARVIN (HE/HIM)

FASHION WEEK MN

F

ashion Week MN kicked off in a big way at the W Hotel this year. An event to impress with a fabulous mix of models, organizers, and media, Fashion Week MN (FWMN) was held over a full week with multiple designers in multiple locations.

With high energy and buzz , the crowd was palpably thrilled to share the messages of diversity and sustainability spotlighted this year. Sarah Edwards, one of the co-founders of FWMN, commits to accessibility, equity, and inclusion, and this came through at the kickoff event. Since its inception in 2015, FWMN is a place for both established designers and up-and-coming designers to be showcased. Do yourself a favor and mark your calendars for next year, you will not want to miss the opportunities to be wowed and inspired by the talent, creativity, and energy. +

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LIFESTYLE

EMBODIMENT AND INCLUSION An Interview with Ellie Roscher

BY ERICKA JONES (SHE/HER)

E

ricka Jones, who leads workshops on diversity and inclusivity in yoga, sat down with fellow yogi Ellie Roscher to talk about her new book, The Embodied Path: Telling the Story of Your Body for Healing and Wholeness. In the book, Roscher interviews people about their body stories and invites readers to breathe intentionally, move intuitively, and tell their own body’s story. By turning toward our bodies with curiosity and honoring our body stories, we can help build communities where every person’s body is safe and belongs.

ERICKA JONES: How does having “an embodied path in and through our bodies with no arrival” align to no arrival with social justice?

ELLIE ROSCHER: Our culture conditions us to drive toward a destination. We pitch our happiness into the future instead of living the present moment. The world entices, “You will be happy when you earn more money, when you find a significant other, when you lose five pounds, or when you retire.” We strive and never quite arrive because the destination is a mirage. It is our work to cultivate a defiance toward these messages and embrace the body and life right in front of us with reverence, joy, and delight.

Yoga, meditation, and writing are three rigorous practices of remembering that lead me to deeper embodiment. They invite me back home to my body and the present moment. One breath at a time, I remember there is no arriving. Inhabiting my own body more deeply as I age and unfold is the work of my life. Connected, social justice work is

66

also the work of my life. We will not arrive fully in our bodies or fully in a just society.

Yoga, meditation, and writing build resiliency in me. It strengthens my inner ethical intelligence. I respond more and react less. I come to more moments of conflict resourced with a settled body. I can cultivate a sustainable pace, flowing on this journey of which there is no arrival.

E.J.: In 200-hour and continued practices, yoga focuses so much on asana and poses versus the energetic benefits of each pose. How do we shift this focus in western/modern culture? What connects breath and liberation in social justice?

E.R.: We live in a culture valuing speed, productivity, and efficiency. I first tried yoga after my college gymnastics career. I entered the studio to burn calories and achieve. I tried to win yoga.

Gymnasts hold their breath. Yoga, conversely, gently invited me to breathe mindfully. As my breath slowed, so did my thoughts. As my breath expanded, so did my being. The sound and rhythm of my breath soothed me. It anchored me in my body and in the present moment. I explored how breath can build heat, calm nerves, release tension, increase energy, and increase grounding. The more I synched my movement with breath, the more my asana practice prepared my body for stillness. In stillness, I could take the witness perspective and observe my thoughts without attaching to them. In stillness, I could surrender, practice non-doing, and allow my body to feel what it feels. I got access to the subtle energies of my body. Then when I returned to my asana practice, my attention and awareness shifted from striving to dwelling. I entered my body more fully, and there I experienced moments of liberation.

It is helpful to name how not just asana but all of yoga addresses and contends with our fixation on speed, efficiency, and productivity. It offers a different path to peace, liberation, and healing at the body level so we can work with others in our communities toward collective healing and communal peace.

E.J.: With diversity of bodies and embodied paths, how do teachers teach embodied within their own body, while creating space for others to be in their body?

E.R.: Instead of making it about me, I can take on the posturing of a guide and teach in a way inviting yogis back to themselves.

I practice the types of asana I lead, in part so my cues stay embodied. I live what I say. When I feel poses in my body, when I breathe to the other side of resistance, when I notice energetic shifts in my own body, the yogis I am guiding feel invited to deepen their own experience in their own bodies.

When I attempt to speak to all bodies at the same time, it lands flat. When I listen deeply, look intently, see individual bodies, and speak specifically to the energy in the moment, yogis feel seen, heard, and invited to have their own experience in their own specific body.

E.J.: Thank you for the book and the chat, Ellie!

E.R.: Thank you!

The Embodied Path is available now for pre-order at your favorite bookstore or find links at ellieroscher.com +

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LIFESTYLE

RECLAIMING YOGA + DECOLONIZING THE MIND An Excerpt from Reclaiming Wellness

BY JOVANKA CIARES

“T

hose who are new to yoga, particularly people of color, can have lots of misconceptions about what yoga is and who it’s for. Those were my confusions when I first started. Yoga was created as part of a religious practice, and for Buddhists and others, it is still used that way. However, yoga today, particularly in the West, is a mostly secular practice. It doesn’t adhere to any religion, dogmas, or spiritual beliefs. Doing yoga doesn’t require joining or belonging to a particular faith, community, culture, or ethnicity. Yoga is simply a tool to harmonize and balance your mind, your body, your breath, and your inner self.

I had a chance to chat with Melissa Shah, a yoga instructor of Indian descent, who is originally from Brooklyn but now lives in Memphis. Melissa said that, for her, yoga is the practice of being present: “It’s practicing this ability to direct your mind from something deeper within yourself. It’s tapping into something deeper within you that’s unchanging and being able to see and observe things from that place.”

In other words, yoga is a very personal practice, with many of the same benefits as meditation. In addition, yoga has many different styles, and every class is different.

Some are more contemplative, and some are more physical. It’s important to find the style of yoga that works for you, since the rule that one size does not fit all certainly applies here. I suggest researching the most popular styles of yoga online and trying several different classes to see which one appeals to you and works best for your lifestyle. For people of color in the West, there is the further issue that yoga can seem like something for only elites to enjoy. Melissa said: “In a world where so

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many countries have been colonized and Westernized, it can feel that way. It makes me wonder how far do we need to trace back to see what these practices really were without the influence of white people?”

We both agreed that we don’t have the answer to that question. Growing up, Melissa struggled for years to fully embrace her heritage and culture while living in white American society. “Looking back,” Melissa said, “I never actually felt like I belonged, and I also hid the fact that I did yoga after school two or three times a week with my sister, at our family friend’s house, or that I was studying to be a teacher when I was in high school and college. I remember I had frames of one of the enlightened beings, and he’s kind of sitting like the Buddha, in a cross-legged position, eyes closed, meditating, not wearing any clothes. That was a very customary thing to have in your house, of this being. I remember my friends coming over for some birthday party or whatever, and I hid all of those things. I put them in a piano bench. I thought, they’re just going to make fun of it, like why is there a naked man on the wall?”

Melissa said it took years before she felt confident enough to handle those situations and proudly display her Indian heritage.

Melissa also now sees her nieces and nephews growing up as second-generation American children with parents who are helping them bridge the two worlds in a proud manner.

Melissa said that she and other yoga instructors of color are embracing the concept of “decolonizing my mind.” Like yoga itself, this is also a very personal experience and different for everyone. She said, “If I want to decolonize these spaces, it has to start with me doing that for my own patterning and my own brain. If I’m doing that, then that is going to be what I’m going to put out there as well. I think one way I do

POD

CAST !

that is by always sharing that there’s always going to be something to learn, but I think a part of decolonization and helping people to reclaim these practices is forgetting about being perfect at it. Because that’s very much a Western mentality that most of the world has adopted. It’s not just unique to America.

The idea of ‘If I don’t do it perfectly, then I don’t belong here at all.’ If that’s the model we’re going with, then BIPOC can never reclaim these practices. Because if we’re trying to strive to be how the white dominant culture is, how whiteness has done it, we’re never going to get there.”

I also believe that people of color should feel like they belong, whether in a yoga studio or in a wellness conference.

No one has to be perfect; everyone just has to believe in themselves and their own wellness. Since that fateful day in a New York yoga studio, I have practiced with dozens of amazing yoga teachers in New York, Los Angeles, and beyond. I have taken classes in five different continents and have practiced alone in hotel rooms. Yoga comes with me wherever I go because it is an important part of my wellness routine.

This is the way those initial yogis wanted it: Yoga is a tool for wellness that everyone can embrace and make their own.

”

Jovanka Ciares is the author of Reclaiming Wellness: Ancient Wisdom for Your Healthy, Happy, and Beautiful Life and several other titles. A certified wellness expert, integrative herbalist, nutrition educator, and coach, she offers lectures and workshops in Spanish and English. A native of Puerto Rico, she lives in Los Angeles. Visit her online at www.jovankaciares.com.

Excerpted from the book Reclaiming Wellness: t. Copyright ©2022 by Laura McKowen. Printed with permission from New World Library. www.newworldlibrary.com +

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LIFESTYLE

SIMPLE, HEALING,

COOKING ENERGY

BY MICHELLE SKALLY DOILNEY (SHE/HER)

I

t started with my co-worker Sera.

December deadlines smashed into holiday expectations, life a mash-up of thin Minnesota nice on the outside and messy mess on the inside. Snow slush both ways in work traffic, slacks over long underwear over nylons to keep warm in joyless custard-colored cubicles. Twentythree years ago, Sera stopped by my workstation with a Bell jar in her hand. Then, my life changed.

Bright orange behind glass, lid capped in checked gingham. She wished me Happy Holidays and gave me the jar, index card attached with a curled red ribbon. “This is my family’s favorite Turkish recipe,” she told me, her dimpled smile bringing me out of my email fog. “It’s so easy,” she said. “It’ll warm and soothe you.”

She didn’t ask me to try it, to report back. She just turned her sunshine-self back into the fluorescent hallway, back to 47,000 tests (yes, 47,000) she’d written to make or break the software we worked on together with our team.

I looked closer. Lentils. Lentil soup recipe. As a vegetarian, I should have danced in my 5x7 space. But I didn’t like lentils, not at all. Love and respect for Sera outweighed my lentil-aversion. Within two weeks, I made the recipe. I fell in love with red lentils.

I’ve cooked this soup hundreds of times.

Wintertime warmth, summertime simplicity, under-the-weather comfort, and especially when I felt too tired to forage in the fridge for food. At some point, I let go of the recipe and made it from experience and from my

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heart. I modified it to different dietary needs of my diners. I made extra batches to give away when I couldn’t find words.

Sera didn’t just share her family recipe with me, she shared the soul of the soup, adding me to this generational lineage.

The tree of Turkish Mercimek now had my branch rooted up through the trunk, sharing the recipe and soup as often as I could. Soup still connects me to Sera, her family, generations before her, and now to the people I’ve fed into this culinary forest.

We bring ourselves to a communal cooking forest. When we pay true attention, we’re no longer sitting separately under shade or sunshine, we are alive and connected.

Food is food. But it is also energy. Not just energy according to nutritional charts on the sides of packages, but energy we radiate as we cook, as we plate, as we

bring silverware towards our faces. How do you deepen a recipe and turn food into nourishment for body and soul? How do you do that if what cooking time you have is also time you use to think about how much ingredients cost, will they eat it, why did I say that today, did I forget to text back, are the stains on my clothes obvious or can I wear them again? Even, who am I, like really?

My experiences and teachings from Himalayan cooking classes I took truly taught me how to make food. My teachers taught me to attend to food as I prepped and cooked. “Attend” means being in the moment, focusing on food with whatever calm one finds. To calm further, I shoosh my mind by breathing deeply through my nostrils from my belly. Let go of what just happened or what might happen next. If I cut onions, all I do is cut onions. If I sort rocks out of dry rice, I feel rice with my skin, making sure nothing would crack my teachers’ teeth. I don’t have to be happy or perfect, I only mind the food and mind my mind. I learned to chop, stir, and serve with compassion. I didn’t realize the power of this prep until I ate at restaurants where cooks argued, words and energy spilling into food and people. It took me many meals before I connected the people prepping food to how I felt when I ate it.

After decades of cooking, lessons, and eating, I know WE are the main ingredient. How you feel and what you think while you prepare food affects body, mind, heart, soul. Yet, no pressure! If you go in many directions when cooking (which includes pulling pre-prepped food together), just breathe and refocus when you remember. Working on this article, I realized I always did my best when cooking for others. I was blind about making food for and caring for myself. I thank Sera for opening my heart to this healing soup. I thank this writing process for showing me I am just as important as any person I feed.

Energy is energy. Open your mind and heart to the many levels. Infuse love as you feed yourself and others, even if the phone chirps while you’re stirring the pot. +

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LIFESTYLE

MERCIMEK: Turkish Creamy Lentil Soup YEILD: 3-4 Servings + PREP and COOK TIME: 55 minutes (includes home interruptions) LEVEL: Easy

+

MAKE AHEAD or FRESH

INGREDIENTS:

+

REFRIGERATE: up to 2 days or FREEZE

COOKING VARIATIONS:

• • • •

1 cup dry red lentils

•

Salt** to taste

1 cup chopped onion

•

6 cups vegetable broth 3 tablespoons ghee*, butter, or cooking oil

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Rinse lentils until water runs clear. Drain and set aside.

2.

Add ghee, butter, or cooking oil to a large soup pot. Sauté onions over medium heat, adding salt to taste.

3.

Once onions are soft, brown, or caramelized, add broth and lentils.

4.

Bring to a slow boil, then turn heat down to a gentle simmer.

5.

Cover pot with lid slightly open and simmer for 20 minutes.

6.

Puree soup in pot with immersion blender or transfer to blender, then reheat in pot.

7.

Serve hot soup in bowl or mug.

*

GHEE: regular butter melted to separate out liquid fats from milk solids. Milk solids are removed, less lactose but not dairy-free.

Co-ops and most grocery stores sell ghee.

** SALT: Use what you have on hand. I use kosher salt, sea salt, or the regional salts I collect from places I travel. If using packaged or bouillon broth, check sodium content and adjust this extra salt accordingly.

•

• •

THICKER SOUP WITH ROUX: in a separate small fry pan, low heat 2 tablespoons of ghee, butter, or cooking oil. Add slowly and whisk in 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, regular or gluten-free. Whisk for 2 minutes or until flour mix turns a light golden brown. Gradually whisk this roux mixture into cooked onions before adding broth and lentils. Stir soup to prevent lumps of roux.

THICKER SOUP WITH VEGGIES: add 1 medium carrot and/or 1 medium potato of choice, finely-chopped, to broth before boiling. High altitude cooking: parboil medium chunks of vegetables in separate pot of water, then add to soup before boiling.

TEXTURED SOUP: Blend none or half of the soup, or any proportion you choose, keeping the remainder of the soup chunky.

DOUBLE BATCH: Make for larger meals, to freeze for later, or to share with someone who loves your care.

SERVE AS/WITH:

•

APPETIZER OR SIDE SOUP: Pair with your meal of choice.

Consider other Turkish or Persian recipes. Or, make a substantial salad with ingredients on hand.

•

MAIN DISH: Serve larger portions with crackers or bread, salads, and/ or spreads of choice. I pair soup with almond or gluten-free crackers,

Turkish or challah bread, mixed olive bowl with chunks of feta, fig spread, and/or large and variety-veggieheavy salad. Dietary Variations:

•

KOSHER: check labels and adjust cooking fats.

•

LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX (GI): Use ghee, or cooking oil with Low GI. Do not use butter.

•

LOW SODIUM: If using packaged or bouillon broth, find a low sodium version. Control salt to your level in homemade broth.

Reduce or eliminate salt to taste.

•

GLUTEN-FREE; WHEATFREE; SOY-FREE; NUT-FREE; VEGAN: check ingredients of packaged or bouillon broth.

DEEPER:

•

YOU ARE THE MAIN INGREDIENT: As much as you can, create your meals with deep, even breathing and focus your attention on the process with love, as slowly as you can.

•

FOCUS: Even if you’re interrupted or find your mind wandering during the process, just bring your focus back to now and cooking. Reality is both distraction and moments of focus.

•

HEALING ENERGY: Love and compassion while cutting and stirring add your healing energy to the food. +

VARIATIONS FOR: Vegan + Vegetarian + Kosher + Low Glycemic Index (GI) + Low Sodium Gluten-Free + Wheat-Free + Dairy-Free + Soy-Free + Nut-Free + Egg-Free + Coconut-Free

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EVENTS / Directory

EVENTS OCTOBER

200+ HOUR THERAPEUTIC FOCUS YOGA TEACHER TRAINING AND LIVE YOUR LIFE AWAKE YOGA STUDY ONLINE (one cohort) + Des Moines, IA (one cohort)

October 7–9, 2022, November 4–6, 2022, December 2–4, 2022, January 6–8, 2023, February 3–5, 2023, March 3–5, 2023, March 31–Apr 2, 2023 Yoga North’s innovative curriculum and pairing of the neuromuscular re-education discipline of Somatics with the ancient wisdom of yoga is a unique blend that brings profound results with less effort in advancing even the seasoned yogi’s practice. Our goal as faculty is to provide: thorough knowledge of postures and a comfort level in teaching and assisting postures in others; comprehensive knowledge of yogic philosophy and ability to relate this understanding to life; & opportunities for each student to leave with a much deeper understanding of themselves.

Cost: $3000 Early Enrollment prior to August 7th; $3200 Regular Enrollment www.yoganorthduluth.com/classes/ teacher-training/essenial-program/

START A FULL MOON RITUAL

The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

Oct. 9 The Full Moon is an energizing time and also a time to let go of what is no longer serving you physically, spiritually and emotionally. Together we will talk about the significance of the full moon and reflect on what we need to let go of, and conclude with a Full Moon sequence to seal our intentions.

Cost: $45 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

MEET + GREET + MAGAZINE LAUNCH PARTY

The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

Oct. 13, 5-7pm Join us for a celebration of the Fall + Winter issue featuring Mary McCallum.

Cost: FREE Register: www.eventbrite.com/e/meet-greet-atthe-yoga-center-retreat-tickets-402675482207

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MUDRAS IN YOGA: FOUNDATIONS, PHILOSOPHY + APPLICATION TRAINING Livestream

October 12–16 Mudra study is an essential study for a sincere practitioner of physical practices as well as subtle practices of Yoga Cost: $900 Register: www.yogsadhna.com/upcoming/ details/mudras_in_yoga_foundations_ philosophy_and_application_training_

PLANT MEDICINE CIRCLE Svalja Yoga, Duluth, MN

Oct. 14 Join local herbalists Emma Day and Angela Krick once per month for an herbal-infused gathering.

We will taste plant medicine, journey together, and explore the ways plants work with our body, mind, heart, and spirit, moving us always towards vitality and alignment. Every month will be unique in its context with the seasons, the elements, and our approach to healing. There will be room for inquiry, discussion, and hands-on activities and medicine making/sharing. We will lead you on a collective guided meditation and end the circle with a restorative experience. Circling through the seasons will nurture our connection to the earth and our bodies. Come explore deep healing through all of your senses.

Cost: $15 Register: www.svalja.yoga/plant-medicine-circle

YOUR BREATH IS YOUR SUPERPOWER The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

Oct. 14 We all possess a superpower and that is our breath. Our breath not only keeps us alive but when controlled, it can calm us, energize us and help us be more present and mindful. We’ll begin with gentle poses to create space for our lungs and move on to experience simple pranayama exercises.

Cost: $45 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

NAMASTE & PAINT

The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

YOGA NIDRA + SOUND HEALING CLASS

Blooma Yoga 11341 Johnson Ave S Bloomington, MN 55437

Oct. 21 Join Kelly Smith for a 75 minute yoga nidra + sound healing class designed for deep stress relief and relaxation. In this class you will begin by relaxing your body and mind with a guided yoga nidra practice, then once you’re deeply relaxed you will enjoy a crystal singing bowl sound bath to align and balance your chakras.

Cost: $30 Register: https://www.blooma.com/workshops

NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S CHAIR YOGA The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

Oct. 22 A chair can offer stability, support better alignment, or create a sense of ease in the pose.

Using a chair can enhance your practice and allow you to stay longer and explore deeper aspects of a pose. A simple metal folding chair can be a great teacher!

Cost: $45 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

KITTY YOGA

The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

Oct. 23 Haven’t tried Bitty Kitty Yoga at YCR yet?! You’ve got to be kitten me! You really oughta sign up for this class right meow!! You’ll be feline great after this gentle flow class with some of the cutest, fluffiest and silliest classmates around. All proceeds from this class benefit the pawsitively pawesome organization, the Bitty Kitty Brigade.

Paws, stretch and support a great cause. We litterally can’t wait to see you on the mat!!

Cost: $20 donation Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

INTRO TO IREST YOGA NIDRA MEDITATION

Oct. 16

The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

Through the use of breath, movement, and artmaking we will explore our inner worlds. The first half of the workshop is a complete yoga class, focused on resetting the nervous system through the use of slow-flow vinyasa movements and gentle asana holds. Colorful visualizations will be used throughout the practice. The second half of class will delve into a guided acrylic paint exploration on canvas. Come awaken your creative soul, and allow it to explore freely! No painting experience is necessary. Art materials will be provided.

Cost: $75 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

Rest, Integrative Restoration, is based on traditional Yoga Nidra in conjunction with western approaches to trauma. It’s designed to bring the healing benefits of yogic meditative practices to a wide variety of people. We’ll discuss what meditation is and how iRest is different from traditional Yoga Nidra, and experience an iStress to iRest class where we’ll use accessible yoga postures to open up our capacity to breathe, unwind and settle in to set up for a 20-minute guided meditation.

Cost: $45 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

Oct. 23

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EVENTS / Directory

YOGA FOR DEPRESSION

KITTY YOGA

Oct. 29

Nov. 13

Our discussion will include a variety of ways in which to mitigate depression and resultant anxiety. The class will include a yoga posture, breath and meditation practice specifically designed to help energize, motivate and burn through depression. Perfect for all levels.

Cost: $45 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

Haven’t tried Bitty Kitty Yoga at YCR yet?! You’ve got to be kitten me! You really oughta sign up for this class right meow!! You’ll be feline great after this gentle flow class with some of the cutest, fluffiest and silliest classmates around. All proceeds from this class benefit the pawsitively pawesome organization, the Bitty Kitty Brigade.

Paws, stretch and support a great cause. We litterally can’t wait to see you on the mat!!

Cost: $20 donation Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

Dec. 4th

ROLL, RELEASE & RELAX WORKSHOP

THE EMBODIED PATH BOOK LAUNCH

The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

YOGA FOR HYPERMOBILITY

The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

Oct. 29 We’ll look for ways to find strength and safety in common yoga poses, in addition to ways yoga might help heal and release chronic pain or tension associated with a hypermobility issue. This workshop targets those living with hypermobility or whose work serves the hypermobile.

Cost: $45 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

YIN ESSENTIALS WITH JAN JOHNSON

Creators Space 218 7th Street East LowerTown Saint Paul Mn

Oct. 30, 12–4pm Discover the essentials of yin yoga to deepen your own personal practice or to level up your current teaching, understanding, and delivery of yin yoga to students. This training is an exploration for anyone just beginning to explore the practice of yin as well as teachers who are looking to deepen their teaching skills. Please email me if you have any questions at all. jan.johnsonyoga@gmail.com Cost: $95 Register: www.janjohnsonyoga.com/events

NOVEMBER

The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

Nov. 19 Learn how to use Yoga Tune-up therapy balls and self-myofascial release techniques to improve mobility, relieve pain, and tame tension from head to toe. This workshop is suitable for all levels, no previous experience is necessary.

Cost: $45 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

INTEGRATING CHANTING

The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

Nov. 20th It can be scary to bring chanting into your own practice, let alone as a part of a class you are teaching! Using our voices, and inviting our students to do the same, adds a richness to practice. You will learn simple three-to-five-word chants that pay honor and respect to nature, subtle concepts such as peace or strength, and Vedic archetypes. Eligible for Yoga Alliance CEUs. Cost: $60 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

RESILIENCE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

DECEMBER

Nov. 6

The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

Fun as they can be, the holidays tend to test our intentions and zap our reserves. This live, experiential workshop provides an introduction to a variety of natural tools for instilling and restoring resilience that can be used year-round, including managing energy, calming the mind, and enhancing connections.

Cost: $45 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

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DEVELOPING YOUR INTUITION Dec. 3rd In this workshop you will learn tools for understanding “how you know”, meditations for intuitive development, experience a development circle and work with one another to gain validation and understanding.

Cost: $60 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

YOGA TO CURB THE PRE-HOLIDAY BLUES The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

There are many reasons that we might not experience the holiday season as a wonderful time: loss, isolation, lack of family or estrangement from family, trauma, seasonal affective disorder the list could go on. Rather than focus on “why,” we’ll turn our attention to what helps us feel free and engage in practices to release heaviness, anxiety and stress.

Cost: $45 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

Open Book Performance Hall 1011 S Washington Ave, Minneapolis, 55415

Tuesday, December 6, 7pm Join Ellie Roscher as she launches her fourth book, The Embodied Path, out into the world!

There will be a short program, Q & A, and book signing.

Cost: FREE No registration needed

INTENTIONAL CRAFTING: KEEPSAKE BOX

The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

Dec. 9th Great things come in small packages! A handdecorated wooden box can be a heartfelt gift to a loved one or be a wonderful place to store your intention or a special memory. We’ll stencil the outside with your choice of decorative motifs and create a collage to match the box’s purpose on the inside.

Cost: $65 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

INTRO TO AVITA WITH MARK WHEAT The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

Dec. 9th While most yoga styles target the muscles, Avita Yoga targets the joints and the nervous system.

During the first part of the workshop, Mark will detail the primary benefits that Avita can produce through personal experience. Then you’ll merge into a 75-minute class that will reach into your mind and bones like nothing you’ve experienced before.

Cost: $45 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops Continued …

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EVENTS / Directory

… continued from previous page

FANCY POSES FOR STIFF BODIES The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

Dec. 10th This workshop looks at ways to make fancy poses more accessible to stiffer, tighter bodies. This will be a longer practice, and we will frequently stop to find ways for each individual attending to find their best versions of challenging poses.

Cost: $45 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

KITTY YOGA

The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

Dec. 11 Haven’t tried Bitty Kitty Yoga at YCR yet?! You’ve got to be kitten me! You really oughta sign up for this class right meow!! You’ll be feline great after this gentle flow class with some of the cutest, fluffiest and silliest classmates around. All proceeds from this class benefit the pawsitively pawesome organization, the Bitty Kitty Brigade.

Paws, stretch and support a great cause. We litterally can’t wait to see you on the mat!!

Cost: $20 donation Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

YOGA TO REPLENISH OJAS BUILDING VITAL ESSENCE/RESERVE The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd St. Louis Park 55416

Dec. 11th How many times have you come to your yoga mat in the last year and found that you either didn’t have the energy, interest or stamina to make it through a physical asana practice? We’ll discuss Ojas — our vital essence/reserve and practice rejuvenation and renewal even in the midst of chaos, exhaustion, burnout, depression, anxiety, etc. You will leave feeling replenished and inspired with new tools in your pocket and ideas of how to integrate into your current practice.

COST: $45 Register: theyogacenterretreat.com/workshops

WINTER SOLSTICE: 108 SUN SALUTATIONS

Svalja Yoga Studio, 16 1/2 1st Ave W, Duluth, MN

Dec. 21, 2022 Honoring the shortest and darkest day of the year, we practice 108 flows through Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutation) A together. This is a traumaconscious practice so you may join and move through as little or as many Sun Salutations as is supportive to you. If you want to join us at the start, you may choose to end your session when you feel complete, or take rest in a restorative posture, and just connect with your breath and the community, journal to reflect on this year, or chant the Gāyatrī Mantra.

Cost: $25 Register: https://www.svalja.yoga/schedule

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JANUARY

235HR YOGA TEACHER TRAINING + INTENSIVE Devanadi Yoga or ZOOM

Jan 20-Aug 20, 2023 Study Devanadi’s 200 hour (RYT 200) Yoga Teacher Training in a holistic, supportive environment in person in Minneapolis, Fargo, or St. Cloud or virtually on ZOOM. Learn to teach yoga beyond just the poses! Our exceptional teachers share their love of traditional Tantric Hatha & Vinyasa Yoga, Ayurveda, Yoga Therapy, and Energy Medicine. Be part of an abundant community that encourages personal growth, health, and well-being. Our 235 hour yoga intensive program goes beyond the required 200 hours needed for Yoga Alliance registration at the RYT 200 hour level.

Cost: $3100 Register: www.devanadiyoga.com/training/200hour-yoga-teacher-training-in-minneapolis

FEBRUARY

YOGA NIDRA TRAINING WITH INDU ARORA Livestream

February 17 - 19 + March 11 - 12, 2023 Learn The Art and Science of Yoga Nidra with Indu Arora.

Cost: $850 Register: www.yogsadhna.com/upcoming/details/ yoga_nidra_training_-__level_1_2023_Feb

APRIL

MN YOGA CONFERENCE Eagan Community Center

April 15-16 Bringing together yogis of all levels from all over Minnesota and surrounding states. This conference will have a track for self-care, workshops, and education … combining a mix of asana practices, meditation and sound bath practices, lectures, and workshops to serve the MN Yoga Community. We hope to inspire various levels of students, from the beginner, to the advanced, to the yoga teacher.

Cost: $275 Register: www.mnyogaconference.com

PARTNERS / Directory

PARTNERS TWIN CITIES METRO AREA AromaWell

Jessica Wiehle www.aromawell.com

Blooma 5315 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapolis, MN www.blooma.com

Crystal Healing Collective crystalhealingcollective.com

Crystalline Light www.crystallinelight.com

Cyclebar Ridgedale www.cyclebar.com/location/ridgedale

Devanadi Yoga 2711 44th St W, Minneapolis, MN www.devanadiyoga.com

Excelsior Candle Co. 1500 Jackson St NE, #206, Minneapolis, MN excelsiorcandleco.com

Functional Health Unlimited

Dr. Lori Lee 724 Bielenberg Dr, Suite 154, Woodbury, MN www.functionalhealthunlimited.com

Helen Wang Jewelry helenwangjewelry.com

Ignite Joy Coaching www.ignitejoycoaching.com

JADA Studios 275 Market St, Suite 409, Minneapolis, MN www.JADAstudios.com

Kirk House Publishers 1250 E 115th Street, Burnsville, MN www.kirkhousepublishers.com

Kula Yoga 4402 France Ave S, Edina, MN www.kulayogamn.com

Mary Hirsch Yoga maryahirsch@gmail.com

Mary McCallum Yoga + Fitness www.marymccallum.co

Mastel’s Health Food 1526 St Clair Ave, St. Paul, MN www.mastels.com

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PARTNERS / Directory

Michelle Carlson michellecarlson1406@gmail.com

Mindful in Minutes Podcast www.yogaforyouonline.com

MNyoga www.mnyoga.org

Moxie Malas www.moxiemalas.com

Mpls Yoga 2836 Lyndale Ave S, Suite 100, Minneapolis, MN www.mpls.yoga

Mudita Wellness MN 1903 Greeley St S, Suite 100, Stillwater, MN muditawellnessmn.com

Mystic Vibes Yoga + Sound Healing

Yoga Sanctuary + Holistic Yoga Teacher Training 100 W 46th St, Minneapolis, MN yogasanctuarympls.com

Yogadevotion LLC

1164 County Rd 8, Hillman, MN www.hillmanhousemn.com

YogaTed/YOU ARE HERE Retreats

Sleepy Dog Yoga

www.yogatedyoga.com

YogSadhna

Bemidji, MN sleepydogyoga@gmail.com

www.yogsadha.com

Yoga Flow with Kristi app.heymarvelous.com/yogaflow40

DULUTH Duluth Yoga Studio 14 E St Marie St, Duluth, MN www.duluthyogastudio.com

namaSync®

Full Circle Yoga, Duluth

NE Wellness

1907 W Superior St, Duluth, MN www.fullcircleyogaduluth.com

Muggymoose Massage + Thai Bodywork

1224 2nd St NE, Minneapolis, MN www.newellnessmpls.com

394 South Lake Ave, Suite 303, Duluth, MN www.muggymoose.com

Nourish and Grow Yoga

Runa Yoga

3033 Dupont Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN www.nourishandgrowyoga.com

1515 Kenwood Ave, suite 400, Duluth, MN www.runayoga.com

Open Space Studio

Soul Song Spiritual Coaching

app.letsbamboo.com/host/ PatriceMcFarlane

soulsongmn@gmail.com

Restore Hyper Wellness — Blaine

Svalja Yoga

12410 Aberdeen St NE, Suite 500, Blaine, MN restore.com/p2300-blaine

16 1/2 First Ave W, Duluth, MN www.svalja.yoga

Sites for Yogis

Yara Yoga

www.sitesforyogis.com

Studio One Yoga 402 N Main St, Stillwater, MN 1940 Lexington Ave, Roseville, MN 4475 Lake Ave S, White Bear Lake, MN www.studiooneyoga.com

Online Community www.yara.yoga

Yoga North ­— International SomaYoga Institute 4628 Pitt St, Duluth, MN www.yoganorthduluth.com

Tula Yoga 99 Snelling Ave N, St. Paul, MN www.tulayogawellness.com

Up Yoga 4325 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55409 www.upyogamn.com

Veda Yoga Therapy 4601 Excelsior Blvd, Suite 305, St Louis Park, Mn 55416 www.vedayogatherapy.com

Yess Yoga 105 E 26th Street, Minneapolis, MN www.yessyogastudio.com

The Yoga Center Retreat 4212 Park Glen Rd, St. Louis Park, MN theyogacenterretreat.com

MNYOGALIFE.COM

Hillman House Retreat Space

www.yogadevotion.com

www.mysticvibesyoga.com 2960 Winnetka Ave N, Suite 211, Crystal, MN 55427 www.namasync.com

GREATER MINNESOTA

WISCONSIN Align Yoga 1323 Broadway Ave, Suite 222, Superior, WI www.alignyogawi.net

Bodhi Studios, LLC Prescott, WI www.bodhistudios.co

LIGHT HOUSE Yoga + Fitness 1000 Pearson Dr, Hudson, WI www.lighthouseyogafitness.com

Simplify Health Coaching

Sheri Bieter www.simplifyhealthcoaching.com

OTHER Carrie Jeroslow — Intuitive, Conscious Relationship Coach, Author www.carriejeroslow.com Text to book an appt. 702.808.8179

Cognitive Bridges www.cognitivebridges.com

Mountain Reboot Wellness Retreat www.opendooryoga.com

Yoga Teacher Conf

ST. CLOUD AREA Back to Center Yoga — Back to Center Integrated Veterinary Services

Allison Rissel yogateacherconf.com

Cold Springs, MN backtocenterspace.com

Scan the code to learn more about becoming an

KPower Yoga

ANNUAL PARTNER

809 10th Ave N, Sartell, MN 109 Ash St W, St. Joseph, MN www.kpoweryogastudio.com

Shanti Yoga Center 2820 2nd St South, Suite 150, St. Cloud, MN shantiyoga.center

Receive advertising discounts + other great benefits.

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CHARITABLE PARTNER

JOANNA LUND

MEET LoveYourBrain Retreat Participant

I

n 2014, JoAnna was riding her bicycle home to work on a grad school application. Two blocks from her home in Minneapolis, a car hit her and threw her into a parked vehicle.

When police arrived on the scene they declared it a fatal accident. Fortunately, the paramedics arrived and deemed her “salvageable,” rushing her to HCMC where she underwent emergency surgery.

The doctors performed a craniotomy to evacuate the blood, and put the skull back into place. It would be a few days before she had any memory of waking back up, and she would spend two and a half weeks in the hospital.

JoAnna wrestled with denial and thought she was ok, so her mom took her home to rural Wisconsin to convalesce. Her sister came to visit with her newborn and JoAnna couldn’t help but laugh. “We were both bald, had no teeth, and napped all day,” said JoAnna, since she lost a few teeth in the accident and got her head shaved from surgery.

In her denial, she decided she was ready to go back to work as a community organizer. About 10 months in she realized she needed to take some time away from work. She ended up taking two years off from regular full time employment and did some volunteering and part-time work.

Right before this break, she attended her first LoveYourBrain Retreat in Vermont.

At an out-patient PT appointment, her therapist mentioned that an olympic athlete was at the hospital talking about his organization. This athlete ended up being Kevin Pearce and his brother, Adam.

JoAnna called it “Brain Camp” and admits that the first year she still felt a lot of denial, refused to take rest breaks, and

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over-committed to things. When she went back the following year, she made a lot more peace with her injury. Even fellow camp-mates noticed the change in her attitude.

She attended the Retreat as a survivor for three years, and then helped as a facilitator at the Retreat the fourth year.

“It was really gratifying, a really special experience,” she said. Some of the activities included group discussions, nutrition education, mindfulness and meditation, gentle yoga, and open socializing time. The facilitators schedule a lot of rest periods, as most survivors get easily overstimulated or fatigued.

Since her Retreat experience, JoAnna has also done mindfulness training with LoveYourBrain and enjoys helping others on their brain injury journey. She added, “When I can show up, I will. But when I can’t, I can’t,” which is a testimonial as to how far she came in her recovery since the early days of denial.

When asked what she wants others to understand about brain injury, she stated,

“When people with brain injury advocate for themselves, believe them, trust them, and help them get what they need for self-care.

It’s hard to advocate for yourself, and when you’re shot down it makes it even harder to advocate for yourself in the future.” JoAnna now works full time in hunger relief (since 2017) and has learned how to find balance and energy to take care of herself and her injury.

LoveYourBrain Retreats are located in beautiful natural environments. The five-day holistic health Retreats offer immersion into self-care and community connection. They focus on their core pillars: mindfulness, movement, community, and nutrition to promote personal growth and healing.

Survivors can attend at no cost, but they are encouraged to help in fundraising with a suggested goal of $1,000 (the true cost of each participant per Retreat). Participants are responsible for their travel expenses, but lodging, food, and activities are all provided.

TO LEARN MORE VISIT: www.loveyourbrain.com/retreat +

MNYOGALIFE.COM

Bringing together yogis of all levels from across Minnesota and surrounding states.

This conference will have a track for self-care (Nourish), workshops (Grow), and education (Bloom) … combining a mix of asana practices, meditation and sound bath practices, lectures, and workshops to serve the MN Yoga Community.

We hope to inspire various levels of yogis, from the beginner, to the advanced, to the yoga teacher.

P r e s e nte d b y

April 15 + 16, 2023 | Eagan, MN www.mnyogaconference.com

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REGIS T NOW! ER !

Ear

ly bir now t d pricing hro Dec. 1 ugh st

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BRAND NEW STATE OF THE ART STUDIO OPENING FALL OF 2022 PRESCOTT, WI

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