MN Yoga + Life Magazine | Winter-Spring 2016

YOGA FOR EVERYBODY: +PLUS HOLIDAY RECIPES MINDFUL SHOPPING ETHICAL FASHION EVENTS KARMIC TRAVEL

MPLS-ST. PAUL • BRAINERD • ST. CLOUD • ROCHESTER • DULUTH • MANKATO

WINTER 2015/SPRING 2016 // COMPLIMENTARY

YOUTH HOCKEY PLAYERS YOGA AND TRAUMA CURVY YOGA CHILDREN WITH ASD CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS AND MORE…

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Training Programs

235/340hr (RYT 200/300) Yoga Teacher Training & Intensives Basic (BYT) and Advanced Yoga Therapy (AYT) Programs Thai Yoga Bodywork Practitioner Certification Ayurveda Wellness Counselor (AWC) Training Reiki Master Program Healing Beyond Bo Borders (Healing Touch) Yantra Painting Training Chair Yoga Training Life Coaching for Yogis Program + CE workshops & intensives every month

Guest Teachers

Rod Stryker | Dharma Mittra | Indu Arora | James Bailey Elena Brower | Kathryn Budig | Katie Silcox Pandit Rajmani Tigunait | Rolf Sovik | Lauren Toolin + Thai Bodywork Teachers Noam Tyroler & Bob Haddad

Wellness Therapies

Ayurvedic Yoga & Lifestyle Consultations | Yoga Therapy Thai Yoga Bodywork | Meditation | Reiki & Energy Work

Retreats

Colorado - Summer 2016 Women’s Yoga, Hiking and Empowerment Camp Thailand - November 2016 Thai Yoga Bodywork & Yoga Immersion India - February 2017 Yoga & Meditation Pilgrimage

www.DevanadiYoga.com | 612-787-7895

School Location: Minneapolis, MN plus Partner Locations in: Woodbury, MN | Maple Grove, MN | North Oaks, MN | Austin, MN | Fargo, ND

Devanadi

School of Yoga & Wellness

Merging the Sacred Rivers of Yoga, Ayurveda, Tantra & Energy Medicine

3rd Annual - April 15-18, 2016 Join hundreds of yoga students and teachers for a powerful weekend of learning, growth, healing, community and fun!

Featuring: •National and Local Yoga Teachers Offering 30+ Hours of Workshops •Opening Night Celebration •Business of Yoga Intensive •Live Music and Ecstatic Dance •A vibrant Yoga Marketplace •And much, much more Now accepting Vendor Applications and Sponsorship Partnerships.

Thank you to our Platinum Sponsor:

Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Youtube #mplsyogaconference #niceyogis #getyourniceon

www.minneapolisyogaconference.com

S I N C E 1974

A Better Life through Local At the Wedge, we cultivate authentic relationships with local farmers and producers, the environment and its seasons. It’s those relationships that create a closer connection to fresh, delicious, high quality food for our community.

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Coupon valid at all Wedge locations.

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YOUR MECCA FOR HAPPY AND HEALTHY LIVING

Power your purpose at CorePower Yoga & Spa with life changing yoga and a community that cares. Known for heated vinyasa yoga classes and excellent teacher training programs, CorePower Yoga & Spa offers unlimited yoga memberships, spa club memberships, and a free week of yoga for new students.

CorePower workouts are second to none, but the deeper experiences are what keeps students coming back. You can grab a daily juice, attend soul stirring live music classes, shop for yoga necessities from more than 60 brands, enroll your child in kids yoga, get involved in outdoor community connection events, and challenge yourself in CPY triathlons and education programs.

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EDINA 7495 France Ave S Edina, MN 55435 952-835-9642

APPLE VALLEY 7586 W 150th St Suite 6A Apple Valley, MN 55124 952-432-9642

publisher MN Yoga + Life Magazine & Yoga + Life Magazines

editor - in - chief Jennifer Derham

creative director The paper content of this publication has been certifiably reforested via PrintReleaf – the world’s first platform to measure paper consumption and automate reforestation across a global network of reforestation projects.

LEARN MORE AT PRINTRELEAF.COM

photo: flickr.com/nicholas_t | CC BY

Sami Lea Lipman

copy editor

Randy Grubba

contributors

Jessica Jenness, Sophie Geisenhoff, Maggie Frye, Ann Blackburn, Molly McManus, Ayan Hassan, Elisabeth Pletcher-Harincar, Zoe Grubbs, Amy Kenow, Sarah Super, RC Victorino, Kristi (Abbott) Mulvihill, Gracia Gimse McKinley, Zoë Foat Naselaris, Emily Jetland, Shelley Pagitt, Jaina Portwood, Jenni Floring, Elizabeth Camp, Elizabeth Sullivan, Beth Berila, Lori Kearney, Elias Bazakos, Sarah Bazakos, Jenni Kunesh, Mas Vidal, Sheila Burns, Shannon Steffens, Justyn O’Neill, and Teresa Neuhaus

regional sales

Jennifer Derham and Michelle Kalina

CORRECTIONS FROM OUR LAST ISSUE

national sales

Juli Rathke and Jennifer Derham

subscriptions

Please visit us at mnyogamagazine.com for a list of locations or to order a magazine online.

advertising inquiries

Contact our corporate office or request a media kit: MN Office: 612.384.9864 l National Office: 815.414.YOGA Email: jen@mnyogamag.com www.mnyogamagazine.com

OCCASIONALLY HUMAN ERROR CREEPS INTO THE EDITORIAL PROCESS. WE REGRET ANY MISTAKES AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND UNDERSTANDING. One of our nominated teachers, Sara Atkinson is the owner of Breathe Yoga in Rochester, not Breath Yoga.

Here name should have been spelled Sara, as opposed to Sarah. Sara, of Breathe Yoga, thank you for all you do to inspire others and foster wellness!

We misspelled the name of the nutrition contributor. Her name should read Ashley Darkenwald, not Derkenwald.

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features

If you would like us to consider featuring your business or event, please contact us at 612.384.9864 or email us at info@mnyogamagazine.com

affiliate opportunities

Please contact our publishing office at Yoga + Life Magazine to inquire about adding new regions and titles to our network of lifestyle magazines.

Email: juli@yogalifemagazines.com l Phone: 815.414.YOGA (9642)

www.yogalifemagazines.com

2015 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 make to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this 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.

www.mnyogamagazine.com

 l i f e s t y l e

KISS MY ASANA

an event to support yoga for EVERYBODY

1000 Petals teaching kids how to breathe, and just be

Viniyoga meet yoga pioneer, Gary Kraftsow

MPLS - ST. PAUL BRAINERD S T.C LO U D D U L U T H M A N K ATO ROCHESTER WINTER 2015 // COMPLIMENTARY

INSPIRATION

Complimentary

+

w e l l n e s s

m a g a z i n e

Minnesota’s only yoga + lifestyle + wellness magazine!

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Local Teacher & Studio Profiles nominated by you

PLUS

yoga for dudes, ayurvedic cooking, recipes, what to wear, business mindset more+

+MN

EVENTS Fall 2015 www.MNYogaMag.com

BE A PART OF MINNESOTA’S ONLY YOGA, WELLNESS, AND LIFESTYLE PUBLICATION

We are regional magazine with local content, but we are also part of an expanding national brand!

GROW YOUR BUSINESS AND ADVERTISE WITH US! • Be a part of the growing health, wellness, and lifestyle industry • Make your products and services known to our savvy readers • Draw more people to your business and events • Print is tangible and longer lasting • People are more likely to trust, process, and remember print messages

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Contact jen@mnyogamag.com for details

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INSPIRATION

FALL 2015 // COMPLIMENTARY

mn

Contents

Winter 2015/Spring 2016

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PROFILES

editors // contributors // ambassadors // people // city

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THE TEAM

Editor, Publisher, Contributors, and Ambassadors

14. FAVORITE QUOTES

From MN Yoga + Life Magazine’s Ambassadors

16. MY YOGA STORY

Lori Kearney is This Issue’s Winner

17. THE DOSHA OF THE LAND OF 10,000 LAKES

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As Seen Through the Eyes of an Ayurveda Expert

18. SPOTLIGHT CITY

St. Cloud, MN: Where to Go and Women’s Studies

LIFESTYLE

community // fashion // products

20. BEND. DON’T BREAK.

Sports-Specific Yoga is Transforming Youth Hockey

22. WHY I WON’T SHOP ON THANKSGIVING

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Mindful Consumerism

24. ETHICAL FASHION

Karma & Clothes

25. WHERE TO SHOP ETHICAL FASHION

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5 Shops to Check Out In The Twin Cities

26. FAVORITE THINGS

Picks From Our Editor-In-Chief and Ambassadors

27. PRODUCT REVIEWS

Fashion by MAI and Yogasana Mats

YOGA

asana // people // seva // meditation // business

28. ASANA TO COMBAT THE WINTER BLUES

SomaYoga Therapy Home Practice

32. ASK THE SWAMI

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With Gracia Gisme McKinley

www.mnyogamagazine.com

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33. WHAT’S A MUDRA

Learn About the Chin Mudra

34. YOGA IS FOR EVERYONE

Building Bridges for Better Health Within the Somali Community

38. YOGA AND CHILDREN WITH ASD

Self-Regulation, Parent-Child Intimacy, & Family Connection

40. YOGA FOR TRAUMA

The Complex Art of Teaching Yoga to Heal

42. JOURNEY TO SVARUPA

The Yoga of Transition

44. CURVY YOGA

A Practice of Acceptance and Compassion

46. JOURNEY OF LOVE

Karma in Action

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48. STILL YOUR MIND AND THRIVE

A ”Listening” Meditation to Manage the Holiday Hoopla

51. BOOK REVIEW

Meditation as a Way of Life by Rev. Alan L. Pritz

46

HEALTH

food // drink // therapeutics

54. WINTER RECIPES

Shephard’s Pie & Dark Chocolate Cookies

58. YOKING WINE WITH THE LIMBS OF YOGA

Q&A with Shanna Marx, Amara Wines

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62. SAD YOGA

A Therapeutic Approach to Mental Health and Healing

64. YOGA FOR RECOVERY TREATMENT

Breathing New Life into Treatment Plans

EVENTS local fun

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66. POLAROID SCRAPBOOK

MN Yoga + Life Magazine Events

68. CALENDAR

Upcoming Events in Minnesota

www.mnyogamagazine.com

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PROFILES /

Editors

Letter from the Editor Greetings MN Yoga + Life Magazine readers:

Reflection JENNIFER DERHAM, MA, EDS, 200-RYT EDITOR IN CHIEF AND FOUNDER OF MN YOGA + LIFE MAGAZINE

Memo from the Edit or WE HAVE A NEW NAME! Inspired by our theme for this issue, Yoga for Everybody, we wanted our name to be more inclusive too. We are now MN Yoga + Life Magazine.

We offer the same great local content, but our name reflects what most of us already know…we do more than practice yoga. We eat, shop, read, enjoy art, cook, travel, have families, listen to music, and just like everybody else, we live life, although we try to do it mindfully. Thus, we present to you, MN Yoga + Life Magazine.

As I wrote my introductory letter for MN Yoga + Life Magazine, I could not predict its reception.

I did not have the luxury of hindsight or the advantage of feedback from you, our readers.

However, I had faith, believing my hard work revealed my genuine passion for yoga and the many gifts it offers. Further, I knew I was not alone! I believed our shared interest, along with your voices—could culminate to create something meaningful, helpful, and authentic.

After reflecting on the launch of our first issue, several themes emerged: Gratitude, Diversity, and Community.

Diversit y The concept of Yoga for Everybody, the theme for this issue, was reinforced by our cover model, Ayan Hassan, whom I met at the Minneapolis Yoga Conference (MYC). Having read our first issue, many approached me wishing continued success, while offering kudos and MN-Nice smiles! Ayan was especially supportive, and I valued her heartfelt and constructive criticism. She suggested the publication include additional appeal to the thriving diversity of our community; she was right. While we cannot promise each issue will represent all sectors of our diverse culture, we will do better. Although pleased our first issue was well received, we are in our infancy— eager to improve as we grow—we can and will “do better.” Just as it’s integral for humans to grow and evolve, so too, will MN Yoga + Life Magazine!

Gratitude I am thankful to Ayan for reminding me that being more inclusive is not only important because it is the right thing to do, but ultimately, because embracing inclusion helps to fulfill our mission. It epitomizes that which inspired me to launch this magazine: the desire to make yoga and wellness more accessible to all of us.

I am thankful to our growing community, and for all supporters sharing their time, resources,

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stories, pictures, beliefs, ideas, and art; sincere thanks for sharing your hearts with us.

I am thankful for the support of the growing national Yoga + Life Magazine family that enables me to connect with other yoga communities across our nation, allowing me to combine my passions of yoga and travel. Via my travels, I hope to continue teaching and learning, while reaching out to those from all parts of the world.

Communit y I am thankful for the MYC as a community in and of itself. MN Yoga + Life Magazine was born and nurtured in this community. MYC acts as a conduit for growth and inspiration. It feels so good and right to grow and learn with you there. While we might look differently, worship differently, come from diverse socio-economic and educational backgrounds, maybe even speak different languages, we are united as a COMMUNITY in our pursuit of spiritual growth, physical wellness, and the myriad of other benefits practicing yoga offers.

In addition to some timely subjects such as asana for the winter blues and meditation to combat the holiday crazies, —as noted—the major focus of our second issue is Yoga for Everybody. How does one adjust a practice to teach a child with Autism, someone recovering from drug addiction, or someone who has experienced significant trauma?

These are important questions, and more will be addressed in a future issues. Still, no matter one’s specific circumstance, none of us are exempt from being a part of that which encompasses, “Everybody.”

Let us read. Discover. Grow. Connect. The beautiful irony of embracing our differences is that it strengthens our common bond—reminding us we are a community of one race—the human one. And, that includes everybody.

In gratitude, humility, and love,

Jen www.mnyogamagazine.com

Letter from the Publisher Here it is... ISSUE #2! I could not be more proud to call myself a Minnesota-native. The reception our magazine has received in its first run has been nothing more than first class! Together we have proven the desire for a local magazine showcasing the many reasons why so many choose to live the Minnesota Yoga Lifestyle!

JULI RATHKE FOUNDER/CEO OF YOGA + LIFE MAGAZINES YOGINI, BUSINESS MENTOR & COACH

But that’s not what it’s all about and this issue reflects that very sentiment. Yoga is a vehicle for change. As a conscious consumer with choices each and every day, the way you live, the places you shop, where you eat, what you eat - these choices impact our community, the economy, the state, and our planet.

pants you wear, your latte or the car you drive, it’s about creating real positive change. So we went out on a mission with this issue to show you how yoga is affecting everyone on many different life-altering levels.

As we enter into a new year, we too hope you will join us in continuing to spread the word about these lifestyle choices. Read the magazine and share it and don’t forget, we want to hear your story too, so please reach out!

Remember, thoughts become things - think and choose wisely!

With Love & Admiration,

As more and more of us realize the accessability we have with these choices, we realize that yoga IS for everyone. It isn’t just about the

www.mnyogamagazine.com

Juli To connect with me, visit www.julirathke.com

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PROFILES /

Contributors

Contributors MINDFUL CONSUMERISM

THE DOSHA OF MINNESOTA Mas Vidal is the Director and Founder of Dancing Shiva Yoga and Ayurveda (DSYA) in Los Angeles, dedicated to the practice, education and lifestyle of the Vedic sciences of Yoga and Ayurveda. He was a Premier Presenter at the Minneapolis Yoga Conference in 2015.

ETHICAL FASHION

COOKIE RECIPE

Zoë Foat Naselaris is a cofounder of Foat Design, a Minneapolis and Charlestonbased ecofriendly apparel design company. She is a Jivamukti Yoga teacher and can be found teaching workshops on sustainability and yoga throughout the US and Canada.

Emily Jetland, small town girl, now living in the big city, is the food, fitness and lifestyle blogger behind www.asweetandsweatylife.com. She loves a great sweat session, reading, food, great conversation and puffy puppies.

Elizabeth Camp 500-hour eRYT, is the creator and owner of Yoga Camp, a yoga instructor, and Athleta Mall of America Ambassador. Her goal is to teach people how to love themselves. With radical self-acceptance we can make the world a better place.

WINTER BLUES

SAD YOGA

Ann Blackburn, coowner of Tula Yoga & Wellness in St. Paul, MN and an ERYT 200, recently completed the 500 hour/Yoga Therapy advancedlevel training with Yoga North’s International SomaYoga Institute.

She weaves her Yin Yoga and Aerial Yoga studies into both her group class offerings and in her private client practice to facilitate whole healingphysically, emotionally and spiritually.

Molly McManus ERYT 500, PYT, CSE, AYS is co-owner of Yoga North, and holds certifications as a Yoga Therapist, Somatic Educator, Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist and in HathaYoga in the Himalayan Tradition. She enjoys teaching specialized workshops and her work as faculty for the International SomaYoga Institute, which is one of only 23 schools in the world that certifies yoga teachers and therapists.

YOGA AND ASD

YOGA FOR EVERYBODY

WINTER BLUES

MEAL RECIPE STILL YOUR MIND

JOURNEY OF LOVE

Jaina Portwood is the cofounder and director of Radiant Life Yoga, a teacher training school in Minneapolis which teaches yoga with the intention of spiritual liberation. She leads self-transformation programs that emphasize development of your conscious awareness through asana, philosophy, and nutrition.

Shelley Pagitt is a yoga instructor and curator at Yoga Sanctuary, a holistic, nonprofit studio in south Minneapolis. She is passionate about sharing yoga with all people in hope of cultivating wholeness, connection and healing. She looks forward to returning to Guatemala in April 2016 and invites you to join.

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Jenni Floring is a certified health and nutrition coach and registered yoga teacher who specializes in helping her clients reduce inflammation, manage weight, increase energy, and nourish their bodies through individualized wellness plans as well as group programs and workshops. Jenni works with her clients to incorporate healthy lifestyle practices that are truly life changing.

Elizabeth Sullivan recently completed her 500 hour/Yoga Therapy 1 advanced– level training with Yoga North’s International SomaYoga Institute. She also holds a Yoga Calm Youth Certification, has a MA in Developmental Psychology Education, MFA in writing, and advanced training in SourcePoint Therapy. She is also a teacher and practitioner at Tula Yoga & Wellness.

Elizabeth enjoys time with her family in the great outdoors.

Jessica Jenness, 500-RYT, is a prenatal yoga instructor and received yoga for autism training through Samadhi Spectrum.

She teaches Au-Some Family Yoga classes at Synergize yoga in Anoka, and Yoga Sanctuary in Minneapolis. She is passionate about bringing yoga to children on the spectrum who can benefit from yoga’s healing practices.

Ayan Hassan has a master’s degree in nursing and specializes as a family practitioner. Her scope of practice encompasses health promotion, disease prevention, and diagnosis and management of healthcare problems.

She is also a 200-RYT. She enjoys teaching yoga in her spare time and spending time with her family.

www.mnyogamagazine.com

STAFF BIOS

About Our

COVER

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Sami Lea Lipman is the Creative Director for Yoga + Life Magazine and a yoga teacher in Boulder, CO. She has taught at various festivals, internationally, and on the White House lawn.

Sami chronicles the journey of love and loss on her blog: grievingmybeloved. blogspot.com. Learn more about her at samileayoga.com.

YOGA & WOMEN’S STUDIES

BEND DON’T BREAK

Beth Berila PhD, LLC, RYT is the Director of the Women’s Studies Program and Professor in the Ethnic and Women’s Studies Department at St. Cloud State University. She is also a registered yoga teacher and a leader of the Yoga and Body Image Coalition.

Amy Kenow is a registered Yoga and Pilates Teacher, Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, SUP yoga Instructor and a Certified Natural Health & Nutrition specialist. Her background is teaching, health education and Corporate Wellness.

Amy is a lifelong athlete and enjoys anything outdoors from hiking, fishing to camping. Amy resides with her husband and children in the Grand Rapids area.

Model: Ayan Hassan Photographer: Corrin Saintey www.corrinsainteyphotography.com Location: The Art District, NE Minneapolis Clothing: Lucy

YOGA FOR RECOVERY Kristi (Abbott) Mulvihill, is the owner of BodySava in Moorhead, MN and teaches yoga for addiction programs. She resides in Fargo, ND and is a massage therapist and reflexologist.

CURVY YOGA

ASK THE SWAMI

Maggie Frye is a wife, mother of two young girls, and a meeting planner. Yoga is what keeps her sane in her busy life. For her, yoga is a way of life, not just exercise.

Gracia Gimse McKinley is an ordained swami in the Kriya Yoga lineage. She teaches yogic meditation, philosophy and spirituality. She has a master’s degree, E-RYT 500 designation with Yoga Alliance, and more than thirty years of yoga study.

JOURNEY TO SVARUPA

COPY EDITOR Randy Grubba is also a copywriter for Minneapolis advertising agency, Kruskopf & Company, and has side gigs as a trivia host with Trivia Mafia and as a wedding DJ with Instant Request Disc Jockey Entertainment. In his free time he enjoys traveling, beach-bumming and getting down to live music.

www.mnyogamagazine.com

Zoe Grubbs has had many careers as a professional photographer, a producer/ director, a writer, and now works as a websystems architect and legal advisor at a marketing and advertising company in the Twin Cities.

Recently completing her 200-hour yoga teacher training, she hopes one day to take the lessons she has learned from her journey and help people realize that being their true self is the greatest privilege of all.

YOGA AND TR AUMA Sarah Super trains and consults on trauma-informed practices in the Twin Cities. She strives to create a world where all people are treated with dignity and compassion. Sarah is currently the only Trauma Center certified trauma sensitive yoga instructor in Minnesota.

CURVY YOGA NATURAL MAT RC Victorino is a writer and filmmaker based in the Pacific Northwest. He is the principal blogger for Yogasana. He uses yoga in order to mentally and physically unravel from a life spent staring at computer screens.

Elisabeth PletcherHarincar is RYT200 certified through the Curvy Yoga Teacher Training Program®.

Elisabeth is excited to bring the Curvy Yoga philosophy to Minneapolis, inviting those who are uncertain about whether yoga is for them (yes, it is!).

5 ETHICAL SHOPS Sophie L. Geisenhoff is a writer, fashion designer, and hot yoga addict. You can follow her musings and fashion advice on her website, www.trendsandtribulations.com

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PROFILES /

Ambassadors

Ambassadors

STACY JOHNSON: Stacy Johnson moved to the Twin Cities 4 years ago from Miami.

She feels Minnesota is the perfect place to raise children and enjoy life. She is a proud mom of two, and a devoted yogi. She received her Yoga Teacher Training at the renowned Yoga Center of Minneapolis. She loves the energy and devotion unique to the Minnesota yoga community.

KATE RADDATZ: Kate is a reporter for WCCO-TV and a Minnesota native.

Before starting her news career, she ran a healthy living blog aimed at college students on a budget. She found yoga four years ago and was hooked. She’s passionate about encouraging others to be the best version of themselves in health, work, and relationships. When she’s not on the news or radio, she spends time with family, walks the lakes, and binge watches Netflix.

SARAH BAZAKOS: After leaving her nursing career and becoming a full time mom, Sarah was inspired to pursue another fulfilling avocation. She became a 200 RYT through LifePower and earned a prenatal certification through Blooma. She currently teaches at Heat Yoga Studio in Maple Grove. Sarah also founded Power of Two as a way for her to share her love of yoga with others by teaching partner classes and hosting karma yoga benefits. In her spare time you will find Sarah riding her triathlon bike through the Elm Creek Park preserve, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, or practicing yoga with her husband and daughter.

She is excited to be a part of the MN Yoga + Life family.

JES ROSENBERG: Jes makes it her mission to ‘Breathe, Stretch, Play. Make NAMASTE a part of every day!’

When she’s not teaching or spending time with friends and family you can usually find her coordinating inspiring, fun, out-of-the-box community fundraising events for Gorilla Yogis, stretching her soul in a yoga class, meditating with awareness under the moonlight or designing Super Stretch Kid’s Yoga kid’s yoga app graphics on the computer in her funky, urban-hippie abode in Minneapolis. Her passion for mindfulness and movement has allowed her to cultivate a unique blended teaching style that offers students inspiration to tap into the pure potentiality of the breath. She is a true ‘purveyor of the oxygen cocktail’! Jes’s talents have been recognized in numerous print publications including Star & Tribune, Mpls St. Paul Magazine and Yoga Journal.

JAN JOHNSON: Jan, 500 eRYT, is a national yoga teacher trainer registered with the Yoga Alliance. Jan serves as faculty for Life Power Yoga/LifeTime Fitness yoga teacher training and is also a certifying agent for the National Exercise Trainers Association. Jan’s formats of study and teaching include, Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, and Ashtanga Yoga as well as meditation and tribal dance. You will find her dancing her way through her signature Urban Yoga Groove. Yoga-anywhere, anytime, anyplace...

TERESA NEUHAUS: Teresa views yoga as a beautiful unfolding of the connection to the true Self, within.

She encourages her students to move mindfully, find gratitude in who they are, and creates a sacred space to go deeper, discover, and grow. Her empowering yet gentle presence, sensitivity, and joyful spirit will leave you feeling empowered, connected, and filled with peace. Teresa’s commitment is to inspire others to realize their own unique gifts, live fully, and shine brightly. “It’s already within you.” Teresa received her 500 eRYT through Devanadi Yoga and is registered through Yoga Alliance. Teresa is the founder of Twin Cities Corporate Yoga. Besides being a yoga teacher, she is also a certified women’s lifestyle and stress resiliency coach. You might find her sipping tea at a local coffee house or walking around Lake Harriet taking pictures when she’s not working.

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www.mnyogamagazine.com

SARAH FISCHER: Sarah Gillian Fischer is an E-RYT 200 certified yoga instructor as well as a certified YogaKids instructor. Sarah developed the Life Time Fitness Kids Academy signature format for children’s yoga and also co-authored and starred in Sport Yoga, a children’s yoga DVD with Namaste Kid. Sarah is currently the studio manager of YogaFit Studios in Excelsior. She leads private lessons to children, seniors and corporate settings through her small businesses, Lil Breathers, Senior OM and Sarah Gillian Yoga. Her teaching philosophy is simple, “inspiring others to live happily one breath at a time.” She is honored to be an ambassador for MN Yoga + Life Magazine and represent a team that believes in making yoga and wellness accessible to every single body.

JENNI KUNESH: Jenni Kunesh is a 200 RYT and received her training at Devanadi in Minneapolis. Jenni is a busy mother of three and hopes to teach her own children as well as her students how to slow down. She is passionate about helping others find more joy and gratitude through yoga and meditation. Other things you might find her doing are gardening or trail running with her dog, and watching her kids play sports.

KAMIE SLEGERS-NICHOLLS: Yoga found Kamie in college while she was playing collegiate volleyball and working on her degree in Exercise Science. Through time, trials, and years of study she now owns a small yoga studio in Anoka where she practices Ayurvedic Medicine and Yoga Therapy. She has created specialized programs for lifestyle, women’s programs to find beauty and strength after 45, cancer and wellness, and detoxification. She has been teaching for over eighteen years and is thankful to her teachers who have shared their wisdom and experience and for her students who continue to educate her. In her free time Kamie runs ultra marathons and spends time in her gardens.

SHANNON STEFFENS: As a busy mom and social media and marketing entrepreneur, Shannon was looking for balance in her life. A friend suggested she try yoga classes at a local fitness studio and she was immediately hooked. A year later her life is still busy and hectic, but she has gained strength, balance and perspective through regular yoga practice. When not working or on her yoga mat, she enjoys spending time with her family, doing photography and reading. She prefers to take things one day at a time, one practice at a time.

JUSTYN O’NEILL: Inspired by how much the practice of yoga helped her heal in the recovery of an eating disorder, Justyn became incredibly passionate about wanting to share this pathway with others. After completing her 200 hour vinyasa certification in 2010, it has been her mission to bring this body positiveness and self love inspiration into all the classes that she teaches. Currently she is instructing at One Yoga, CPY Edina, CPY Apple Valley, and her home studio FLY Yoga (first love yourself).

KOREEN VALDOVINOS: Koreen Valdovinos, cofounder and owner of Open Minds Fusion Studio in Uptown Minneapolis. She is bringing a unique variety of yoga to the city: Aerial yoga, acro yoga, Buti Yoga, and Yoga for roller derby. Until recently, She has been a Hot Yoga and power yoga teacher at Corepower yoga. Keep your eyes open for Open Minds Studio grand opening in June, you are all invited!

www.mnyogamagazine.com

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PROFILES /

Ambassadors

FAVORITE QUOTES from our MN Yoga + Life Magazine Ambassadors

BY: TERESA NEUHAUS MN YOGA + LIFE AMBASSADOR

There will never be a day when we won’t need dedication, discipline, energy, and the feeling that we can change things for the better.

GEORGE SHEEHAN

Your task is not to seek love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.

RUMI

Let us put our minds together and see what life we can make for our children.

SITTING BULL

Fear less, hope more; eat less, chew more; whine less, breathe more; talk less, say more; hate less, love more; and all good things are yours.

SWEDISH PROVERB

And the time came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

ANAIS NIN

The most ancient traveler in the universe is love.

SWAMI RAMA

Be confident, self-reliant, and always say to yourself, “I will do it. I can do it. I have to do it.” These confirmations build the power of determination, or Sankalpa Shakti.

SWAMI RAMA

Don’t go where the path may lead, go instead where there is not path and leave a trail.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON

Like the air you breathe abundance in all things is available to you. Your life will simply be as good as you allow it to be.

The mind is everything. What you think you become.

BUDDHA

ABRAHAM HICKS

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yoga camp

PROFILES /

People

My Yoga Story BY: LORI KEARNEY

PHOTO: EDWARD KEARNEY

Everybody has a “Yoga Story.”

When did you start, why did you start, or how did yoga find you?

How has yoga changed your life? Lori Kearney was one of many readers who shared her “Yoga Story” with MN Yoga + Life. For sharing her story with us, Lori won a pair of tickets to the renown Wanderlust Yoga and Music Festival held in Aspen, Colorado. Thank you Lori for sharing yourself with us, and thank you to our friends at Wanderlust for their generosity.

On June 17, 2012 my life changed forever. I was in a bicycle accident and went over the handle bars, landing directly on my head. My helmet saved my life, but I struggle daily with long-term effects from my traumatic brain injury (TBI). I have been on many different medica-

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tions and spent time and money on a variety of treatments to help reduce my symptoms, the worst of which is daily headaches. It was not until I took my own health into my hands, that I started to feel better. I still have headaches, but the severity is much less, and I contribute the improvements to yoga, meditation and nutrition.

In 2013, I was able to do some meditational and restorative yoga classes. Slowly, I learned how to heal and strengthen myself. In the autumn of 2014, Platinum Yoga opened in Rosemount, and I decided to give it a try. During the first month, I was in child’s pose for more than half of the class, but I continued to go because I began to feel better. My headaches diminished, and my outlook on life changed. I listened to my body, learned how to breathe (still working on this one) and stretched my mind as well as my body. Last autumn was very emotional for me.

I opened up within, and I believe yoga did that for me. I secretly wiped away tears during class.

I was unable to continue my fast-paced, highstress career due to my TBI limitations, and now assist people with disabilities. I love helping others help themselves like I learned to do, and I’m now on the path that I’m suppose to be on. I don’t have many pity parties anymore, and

I foster gratitude during every yoga class. I have new dreams in my life. They feel so real. I know that if I did not have my accident, I would have never gotten to this higher point in my life.

I would love to teach yoga. At age 43, it seems unbelievable for me to say that, but I find happiness in every class and want others to feel it too. Eventually, I would like to council people with chronic or terminal diseases. I want to help them heal using an integrated mind-body-soul approach. I would not be where I am today if Platinum Yoga had not opened near me!

I struggle daily with long-term effects from my traumatic brain injury.

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THE DOSHA OF THE LAND OF 10,000 LAKES

As Seen Through the Eyes of an Ayurveda Expert BY: MAS VIDAL

Mas Vidal was a highly–lauded instructor at the Minneapolis Yoga Conference in April, 2015. He’s the Director and Founder of Dancing Shiva Yoga and Ayurveda based out of Los Angeles. He recently shared some beautiful insights on our great state and community with Editor-in-Chief, Jennifer Derham.

During my recent visit to the Minneapolis Yoga Conference, I presented teachings on the Yoga & Ayurveda traditions. They were well received by an eager group of sadhaks (yoga aspirants). Many of these yogis it seems, were born in the womb of Shakti (inner-power) and nurtured their practice in Minneapolis, and the greater state of Minnesota, that is filled with lakes, by no coincidence.

One of the philosophical views of the Vedic-Yoga tradition is that human beings are simply small replicas of the grandeur that exists around us.

With the amplitude of water in Minnesota, it seems to have imbued this community with a force akin to the vibrational quality of preservation (healing-supportive) that promotes our innate capacity to be creative, expressive and seek the truth that lies within us and in our spiritual hearts.

I experienced this Shakti (power) in many of the attendees in my classes whom personally shared of their transcendental experiences when such an energy is shared collectively. It is truly a beautiful synthesis of spirit and nature dancing together.

CONGRATULATIONS TO @MARTINENTING! He’s the winner of the MN Yoga + Life sponsored @yogacamp Instagram challenge with #YogaCampSummerSun!

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PROFILES /

Citiy

owned by Karin Burke. Karin graciously gave me a tour, and I have to say, she has a really beautiful studio. The walls are very old exposed brick, with aged wood flooring that gives it cozy character. It’s the kind of studio you get really good vibes from. Karin offers an average of 19 classes per week ranging from basic beginner to advanced, and classes are subsidized for at-risk populations and all youth. I also visited a quiet little office in south St. Cloud called Geppert Holistic Healing. I saw their business card at Mind Body Spirit, and it really piqued my interest. I brought them a few copies of MN Yoga + Life Magazine. Joanna, the owner was very excited about the magazine and yoga in general.

She and her husband Michael do everything from acupuncture to Chinese medicine, and more. I will definitely be paying them another visit in the future.

SPOTLIGHT CITY:

St. Cloud, MN BY: JENNI KUNESH 200-RYT, MN YOGA + LIFE AMBASSADOR

Where to Stop Awhile After reading the first issue of MN Yoga Mag I thought...THIS IS SO AWESOME! Then, I wondered, “How can we include more of Minnesota in this magazine?” I had a light bulb moment! Why not have a featured city in each publication?

It would be great way to include more of our beautiful communities outside of the metro area.

I got a bit hungry on my tour, so I stopped at Good Earth Food Co-op located in Centennial Plaza. Good Earth has been in St. Cloud since 1971, and is one of only a few places to find organic foods in the area. They have a nice deli counter and seating area for dining. Before I headed home I wanted to make one more stop at the Munsinger Gardens down by the Mississippi River across from SCSU. It is a beautiful place to go have a picnic lunch with food from the co-op. When you are in St. Cloud, or anywhere else for that matter, don’t forget to stop and smell the flowers!

St. Cloud seemed like a good place to start since it has its own little niche in the health and wellness industry. It’s a hub for other residents of central Minnesota to shop, play, and practice yoga.

I first headed to the downtown area and stopped at Mind Body and Spirit near the Paramount Theater. It is owned by Merri Weis and Joan Stokes. This is a must visit for me when I head this direction because they have a wealth of books on various topics - stones, crystals and candles to name just a few. They also offer classes in their store. May want to grab a cup of coffee from Central Perk across the street before you go-you might be browsing there awhile.

My next stop was Return Yoga, also located downtown, near where the old Java Joint coffee shop used to be (for any of you SCSU Alumni). Return Yoga is a nonprofit studio

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PHOTOS (TOP TO BOTTOM): THE SIGN AS YOU ENTER RETURN YOGA. RETURN YOGA OWNER, KARIN BURKE AND HER STACK OF MN YOGA + LIFE MAGAZINES. JOANNA AND MICHAEL, OWNERS OF GEPPERT HOLISTIC HEALING. LAURA OF GOOD EARTH FOOD WITH MN YOGA + LIFE MAGAZINES.

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MERGING YOGA AND WOMEN’S STUDIES

at St. Cloud State Universit y BY: BETH BERILA, PH.D. PHOTO: ANDY HOWE

Yoga helps me sink into myself. In a hectic, multi-tasking world, yoga helps me ground and truly connect with who I am and what I believe.

We’re barraged by harmful cultural messages about ourselves and others; yoga helps me learn to recognize them and begin to dismantle them. It helps me cultivate kindness, compassion and courage.

My yoga practice and teacher training also gave me new insight into the world of higher education. As a Women’s Studies professor at St. Cloud State University, I work with deeply talented and inspiring students every year. I support them as they come into themselves and find their own voices. But I have noticed that while higher education does an excellent job of educating people intellectually, the embodiment piece isn’t always there. My students become empowered intellectually, but still have a negative body image or stay in unhealthy relationships, in part because of deeply ingrained cultural messages. I realized that yoga, which includes meditation, pranayama (breathing practices), physical postures (asanas) and philosophy, helps us reconnect with our bodies.

It offers a holistic approach that allows students to integrate their learning into their whole sense of self.

I also see yoga as a way of living — the most valuable lessons are ones that inform our life off the mat. Though yoga in the U.S. sometimes means extreme physical postures, sometimes

in super-hot rooms, or for the purposes of losing weight, yoga in a more traditional sense is about understanding ourselves and others. I teach the philosophy behind the practice. In order to help cultivate a healthier community in St. Cloud, I offer a weekly Yoga for Balance class on the St. Cloud State University campus free of charge. The class is open to SCSU students, faculty, staff, and community members.

As I bring together yoga practice with my social justice work in Women’s Studies, I am very aware that mainstream U.S. yoga culture has become very exclusionary. We see only certain people represented in many yoga magazines and studios: thin, able-bodied, white, heterosexual, and upper class. Those spaces often don’t examine some of the issues that alienate more diverse communities, including issues of cultural appropriation. I became part of the Yoga and Body Image Coalition (YBIC) in order to challenge some of those issues. The mission of the YBIC is to make yoga accessible to everybody. We offer workshops, blog posts, podcasts and more, designed to help make the yoga community in the U.S. more inclusive and accessible.

Mainstream U.S. yoga culture has become very exclusionary. We see only certain people represented in many yoga magazines and studios: thin, ablebodied, white, heterosexual, and upper class.

Ultimately, my work in the YBIC, my Women’s Studies teaching, and my academic research is all geared toward helping to create a more mindful, socially just, and compassionate world.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON YBIC, YOGA FOR BALANCE AT SCSU, AND THE WOMEN’S STUDIES PROGRAM AT SCSU SEE: WWW.YBICOALITION.COM WWW.STCLOUDSTATE.EDU/HWC/ANNOUNCEMENTS/YOGA-BALANCE.ASPX WWW.STCLOUDSTATE.EDU/WS/HOME.ASP

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LIFESTYLE /

Community

GREENWAY AMATEUR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION DRYLAND PRACTICE

BEND. DON’T BREAK. How Sports-Specific Yoga is Transforming Youth Hockey on the Iron Range and Beyond

Minnesota is THE State of Hockey.

BY: AMY KENOW PHOTOS: TRACI GANGL

I’m a sports specific yoga teacher. I prevent injuries among athletes by familiarizing myself with particular sports, including how athletes move, the highest injury risks, and focus on strengthening areas of vulnerability. I currently have hockey, baseball, softball, basketball, soccer and figure skaters on my roster, ages 8-18. This article focuses on hockey, as Minnesota is THE State of Hockey. On “da’ Iron Range,” where the majority of my Greenway High School players are located (Coleraine, MN), it’s a religion.

During peak hockey season, the focus is on recovery, breath control, concentration, body awareness and endurance. The goal is for them to be fresh during high volume games and intense physical activity. Relaxation, flexibility, correct alignment and correcting muscular imbalance issues with a heavy focus on injury prevention are all things I hone in on. Intense strength building yoga during peak season would only contribute to more fatigue. In contrast, off-season yoga is much more athletic, physical, and strength-building. The focus is on agility, speed, mobility and balance.

This allows them to begin the season healthy, strong, and loose. The yoga we do is warm, around 80 degrees. The heat is healing and beneficial to their muscles and allows my young athletes to relax, recover, lengthen and “dig into” their bodies more safely.

Both players and coaches note the wonderful benefits of yoga. “The coaching staff was totally receptive. It created such a buzz in the com-

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munity and has been fun to watch. We are injury free since incorporating yoga into our training program, and that is no coincidence,” says Andrew Gray, president of the Greenway Hockey association, who has become a yogi with my help. “You come to hockey and your muscles are not tight anymore. Everything just feels smoother,” says Kole Kalish, Greenway senior. Senior Goaltender Joe Ladoux noted, “I’ve experienced a significant improvement in my range of motion. I’m able to reach higher, move better, and get up and down easier. I watch the pros do yoga so I’m pretty excited to have it here.”

I modify my style significantly with the 18-and-under athletes. I have shorter sessions and adjust my music accordingly. We move from soft and flowy, to Jay-Z and Katy Perry in a heartbeat. I enjoy the variety.

It’s fun to get on their level by adjusting my lingo and cuing. I sprinkle in seeds of yoga philosophy, rather than make it an overt focus, going in through the backdoor, so to speak. We discuss gratitude, self-respect, breathing, and strong body awareness. If I get too “heavy” with this age group, their eyes glaze over and the “Hello, crazy lady” look appears on their faces. I keep it mindfully athletic. I love what I do. It’s an honor to work with them at such a turbulent and vulnerable time in their lives-that is a responsibility I don’t take lightly. Their favorite part of the entire class?

The oils, at final relaxation. I let them take turns picking their favorite. For some, it is hard to be still and quiet the mind, but they would smell my oils the entire class, if I let them.

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I have several favorite mantras that are reinforced in class. First, “Let go of all competition.” It can be very difficult for competitors to let go of expectations. They put much pressure on themselves. Second, “It’s okay to get uncomfortable.” That is when growth will appear. Lastly, “We take care of our injuries and honor our bodies.”

Teaching them how to listen to their body while it is whispering is key. If they wait until it is screaming at them, they may have already incurred severe damage. That could mean the loss of an entire season, loss of potential post-high school play, and thousands of dollars in health care costs.

I encourage them to correct themselves verbally. We avoid phrases such as “I can’t do this” or “I’m terrible at this.” Over time, they say, “I’m working on it” without a second thought. They have learned to have a more positive outlook and understand that our time together is about progress, not perfection.

There are several factors that have strongly influenced my success with these athletes. First, player participation is mandatory and has administrative support from the top down. The coaching staff and the entire Greenway association and community have stood behind our work as they understand the importance of this unique and holistic approach to hockey and other sports. This is especially essential because the approach is relatively new, particularly in youth athletics. Any disrespect in class or to an instructor also has consequences. Yoga is seen as an important part of their dryland training. Of course, some players try silly excuses to avoid class, but most understand the gift that the hockey association and the fundraising boosters have given them. The financial cost of each session is a couple of dollars per player. This, in my opinion, is worth it several times over in exchange for the benefits they receive.

BREEZY POINT HOCKEY CAMP AT BREEZY POINT RESORT

Yoga is taught on-site as much as possible. We try to make it convenient and easy for the players and the parents. When the players get off the ice, they are ready to begin within fifteen minutes. The space doesn’t have to be pretty, just functional and safe. There are no concerns with transportation, as several do not drive or have rides. In addition, I have learned that it’s invaluable to have strong team leaders and captains helping to hold the team accountable.

I would love to see yoga become a staple in youth and adult athletics.

Professional athletes have long embraced yoga but it has been slower to infiltrate the amateur and youth sports worlds. I observed this absence several years ago and saw an opportunity to change it. In the future, I would like to continue to help athletes while building a strong force of sports specific yoga teachers on my team. I’d also like to conduct workshops and help others build similar programs, with qualified instructors.

Together, we will strive towards excellence and acceptance one player, one team, and one pose at a time.

We are injury free, and that is no coincidence.

GREENWAY AMATEUR HOCKEY ASSOCIATION DRYLAND PRACTICE

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LIFESTYLE /

Fashion

Mindful Consumerism:

WHY I WON’T SHOP ON THANKSGIVING BY: ELIZABETH CAMP // ART: KRISTEN CAMP

Creating consciousness and peace applies to our yoga practice on, and off, our mats. This includes the choices we make as consumers. When we bring mindfulness into our lives, the happier and more peaceful our world will be. “We can shake the world gently.” -Ghandi In the last several years Black Friday has become increasingly pervasive. Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving and it is called this because most stores move from being in the red to being in the black. As a child I remember going

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to Ridgedale with my family the day after Thanksgiving in a calm, relaxed way, to do some mindful shopping (we didn’t call it mindfulness then). I was brought up to purchase gifts in advance with a lot of thoughtfulness and caring, and not to rush while buying a gift. I was taught never to buy something just to buy something. I remember my dad telling me it was the busiest shopping day of the year, and sometimes one could find some good sales. My dad loves a good sale. Dayton’s was definitely still Dayton’s. Around the time Dayton’s shifted to Marshall Field’s (early 2000s) people started using the term, Black Friday.

Eventually, stores started opening their doors at 6:00 a.m. on Black Friday, then 5:00 a.m., and then 4:00 a.m. If you or a loved one has ever had to work retail on Black Friday, you know it encroaches drastically on your Thanksgiving holiday. Now many stores open on Thanksgiving day. #ConsumerismAtItsWorst!

My husband had to work Black Friday a few years ago. The store opened its doors at 4:00 a.m. He had to be there at 2:00 a.m. He had to leave our family Thanksgiving celebration before the meal was even over, to go home and try to sleep. He worked from 2:00 a.m. without breaks until 11:30 p.m. the next day. I eventually came into the store and told him it was time to leave. I literally held his hand and walked him out of the store. He was delirious. It was an awful Thanksgiving.

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Back to yoga. The physical form of yoga, asana, is an amazing form of exercises practiced in sequence with a period of rest, shavasana, to end class. Classical Ashtanga yogis and yoginis practice only six days a week, taking Saturdays and moon days (full moon and new moon) off. Taking Saturdays off from practicing yoga really resonates with me because I grew up as an Seventh Day Adventist, and honored the Sabbath. When keeping the Sabbath, one leaves the occupations of daily life, and devotes those sacred hours to healthful rest and spiritual growth. Yoga is not only a physical practice, but a spiritual one as well. Asana cultivates equanimity as it consists of both gentle stretches and challenging endurance and strength building postures. The key to Asana is developing balance. One needs to be both flexible, yet strong, and take rest at the end. Shavasana.

Life has built in shavasana days. Thanksgiving is a national holiday. As Americans, we tend to work really hard. I grew up in Washington state on an apple orchard, and have been working with my family since I was about 4 years old. I have a distinct memory of taking a break with my father for breakfast and asking if I could just keep working and eat at the same time. He told me, “No. When you take a break, take a real break. When you come back to work, you will be refreshed and ready to focus on your tasks and do a better job.”

10 TIPS FOR CULTIVATING MINDFULNESS

DURING THE HOLIDAYS

1. START AND END EACH DAY WITH GRATITUDE

Thanksgiving is the one day a year we set aside to give thanks, but we can practice gratitude every day. Let us be grateful for what we already have.

2. SHOP ALL YEAR LONG

Be present when purchasing presents. If you see something at Art-A-Whirl in May that would be perfect for your nephew, get it and put it aside until the holidays.

3. GIVE EXPERIENCES

Try giving tickets to Meghan Trainor or a Twins game — something you can do together and create a lasting memory.

4. MAKE HOMEMADE GIFTS

I had the luxury of studying abroad in both France and London. If you have ever lived in Europe, then you know stores close. If you don’t go grocery shopping before the market closes, you are out of luck. One of the differences between France and the U.S. is that people guard their heures de loisirs, meaning hours of idleness. People still work of course, but in many European countries, they take their free time very seriously. People tend to be healthier, there is less obesity and people live in a lighter way — literally. When shopping, many people carry their goods home by foot.

They buy less because they have to haul it with their own arms. Many Europeans have a month of vacation time each year compared to our two weeks. Longer maternity leaves and paternity are commonplace.

These are some of the experiences that have led me to take rest seriously. Shavasana is sacred. As a yoga teacher, if I have the choice to teach on a holiday, I will always opt to rest. I believe as Americans we too often burn ourselves out. Thanksgiving is one of the only non-religious national holidays. It is a day of rest and gratitude. We should take it seriously and practice santosha, or contentment.

Even if it feels restful for you to go shopping on Thanksgiving, you are making someone else work on what could be a beautiful day of rest for them, and their family and friends.

Do you want to be the person in the room that is shuffling around during shavasana at the end of class, or leaving early, ruining it for everyone else? That’s the yogic equivalent to shopping on Thanksgiving.

We are powerful choice makers. Let us slow down as a culture. I invite you to cultivate mindfulness with your purchasing power. Practice yoga both on, and off of your mats, and please don’t shop on Thanksgiving. To quote Juli Rathke, CEO and Founder of Yoga + Life Magazine, “Do more with less. It is possible and quite honestly better.”

Take that ceramics class you’ve been wanting to sign up for, and make gifts for your loved ones.

5. NEVER BUY JUST TO BUY

My mother always told me, “Wait and get what you really want. Never buy something just to buy something!” Save up and invest in quality. Investing in quality goods increases sustainability and reduces waste.

6. SHOP LOCALLY

Shopping locally creates more secondary local spending. For every $100 you spend, about $45 will be re-circulated into the local market economy.

7. SHARE KNOWLEDGE

Give a friend a good book or an audiobook. We can empower each other with knowledge.

8. KARMA YOGA

Serve others and volunteer with family and friends. Karma Yoga increases your consciousness, raises your vibrations, and reminds you that are part of a larger community — in short, it makes you feel good! A great place to volunteer is Open Arms of Minnesota.

9. GIVE YOURSELF THE GIFT OF YOGA

Be kind and compassionate to yourself, especially during the holidays.

The holidays can be depleting. If you add a Yin Yoga class to your weekly repertoire, it will serve you and your loved ones greatly. Yin is the most restorative and will recharge your batteries. Take care of yourself so you can be kind and have something to give to others.

10. REMEMBER THE SPIRIT OF GIVING

Gifts are a vehicle of love. Put your heart into everything you do.

I hope you have a beautiful holiday season!

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LIFESTYLE /

Fashion

Ethical Fashion

KARMA & CLOTHES Feel Good About What You’re Wearing BY: ZOË FOAT NASELARIS PHOTOS: SASHA LANDSKOV

The fashion industry is a fast-paced environment fueled by the latest designer collections that only three months later are discarded. It’s called fast fashion. To keep up with demand, designers working within these parameters survive by sourcing their work to manufacturers overseas who design, pattern-make, source fabric, and sew for them. Unfortunately, this means manufacturing companies find the cheapest labor and “designer made” is simply not true.

Presently, 250 million children, some as young as 5 years old, work in the fiber and apparel industry around the world.

Rarely can you buy sustainable clothing from a company that manufactures overseas. Even if the product is made from certified organic cotton, hemp, or bamboo, the practices that go into making each piece may still be unethical. Fortunately, a small, yet skilled group of designers are creating fresh sustainable designs directly from their heart and hands.

This group sources their own fabrics, designs, and sews.

Even as their companies expand, employees or contractors are trained to use the designer’s patterns and follow their vision. This keeps integrity in the design. Though the turnaround time may take weeks, the outcome is a longer-lasting product with a personal touch. This is slow fashion. No doubt it can get confusing as to why it’s important to buy sustainable clothing from ethical companies.

Here are 3 simple reasons why stocking your closet with eco-friendly clothing, from organic cotton to thrift store finds, makes a difference.

IT HONORS THE EARTH The fashion industry leaves behind a huge environmental footprint, from the pesticides used in growing cotton and the dyeing and treatment of textiles that is responsible for 17% – 20% of global freshwater pollution, to the landfill impact of discarded clothes. Learning a few simple sewing techniques like sewing on a button, donating unwanted clothing to charities, or hosting a clothing swap can keep your closet fresh and clothes out of landfills. Likewise, choosing organic fibers or sustainable fabrics trims the amount of chemicals and carbon footprint in your closet.

IT HONORS PEOPLE The fashion industry is known for its harsh labor practices and shameless cost-cutting. From the United State’s slavery era, which single-handedly fueled a global cotton economy

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during the industrial revolution, to the triangle shirtwaist factory fire in NYC that killed 146 garment workers in 1911, to the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013, production of textiles has a history of unregulated practice. By choosing clothes labeled under the Fair Trade Act you’re ensured they were produced under safe working conditions, not in a sweatshop, and that the person who made it earned a fair wage. People mean more than any company’s bottom line.

IT LASTS LONGER Sustainable clothing isn’t only organic, it includes vintage pieces, secondhand, and handmade options. While buying organic, renewable fibers is often the least toxic way to go, finding timeless, durable pieces can be just as green.

Shopping local designers and thrift stores coupled with finding a tailor and cobbler will ensure that your pieces will last for years to come.

People mean more than any company’s bottom line.

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Where To Shop Ethical Fashion in the Twin Cities

Title: Ethical Fashion Sub: Call out: “

BY: SOPHIE GEISENHOFF

As consumers are becoming more conscious about their clothing, more and more businesses are embracing organic and recycled fabrics, fair trade standards, and eco-friendly methods of creating clothing and other products.

Here’s your guide to shopping some of the best local boutiques for ethical fashion.

KEY NORTH BOUTIQUE 515 1st Ave NE, Minneapolis This specialty shop showcases organic, fair trade, and sustainable apparel, jewelry, and accessories created by local and international designers.

SHOWROOM MPLS 615 W. Lake Street, Minneapolis Two local designers founded this boutique to provide a high-end boutique experience for clients, while providing a dynamic environment for Twin Citiesbased artists and designers to find opportunities to showcase their products. The boutique features ethical brands such as FOAT, Kjurek, and East 4th Street Jewelry.

GALLERY 360 3011 W. 50th Street, Minneapolis Featuring high-quality, sustainable apparel and other products, this art gallery doubles as a shop, while helping support a variety of artists who are all paid fair wages.

TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES Multiple locations, St. Paul & Minneapolis This non-profit, fair trade organization markets handcrafted products crafted by international artisans.

PRANA 3926 W. 50th Street, Edina One of the pioneers of Fair Trade certified apparel, Prana uses various sustainable practices throughout their manufacturing process, and is passionate about helping people and the environment.

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LIFESTYLE /

Products

Some of Our Editor-In-Chief and Ambassador’s

FAVORITE THINGS

BY: TERESA NEUHAUS MN YOGA + LIFE AMBASSADOR

Justyn O’Neill TEEKI PANTS “They are amazing because they dry super fast.

They are ideal if you have to be somewhere right after class and don’t have time to change.

To top it all off they are made out of recycled water bottles!” www.teeki.com

Jennifer Derham GOOD FOOD MADE SIMPLE SOUTHWESTERN VEGGIE BURRITO “They are delicious, filling, nutritious, wholesome and easy to eat on the go. I can eat them in my car on the way to work when crunched for time. They can be found at Target and Coborn’s.” www.goodfoodmadesimple.com 4ANGELS POSITIVELY UPLIFTING SHAKE AND SPRAY “I have strangers comment on how good I smell in public (seriously) and ask me what I am wearing. It is a delicious blend of grapefruit, geranium, bergamot, and patchouli. The best part is that Nina, the owner, prays for the recipient of each product she makes by hand. Cost-only $10.

She’s local, and out of NE Minneapolis.” www.4angelscreations. com

Kate Raddatz: CUSTOMIZED YOGA MAT “My husband got this for me shortly after we got married. It has my initials (married name) and my favorite colors, so it makes me smile every time I practice. I get asked all the time where I got it. It makes a great gift!” www.mycustomyogamat.com

Stacy Johnson: “MY MAT MY MANTRA” STICKERS “I love these stickers so much. Every one I have for my mat means something special to me. The words resonate with me and remind me every time I step on my mat.” www.mymatmymantra.com

Koreen Valdovinos: MUSIC: DEAD CAN DANCE “Yoga is my dance. I am all about the tribal and sensual feel of Dead Can Dance. Their music lights up your senses, taps into tribal rhythms and fosters a feeling of connectedness to humanity as a whole.” www.deadcandance.com

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TEMPORARY TATTOOS “My favorite brand is Flash Tattoo. They stay on anywhere from a few days to two weeks depending on where I place them on my body.

I enjoy expressing myself with them. They are just really fun to wear!” www.flashtat.com

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WHAT’S AT THE FOUNDATION OF YOUR YOGA PRACTICE? BY: RC VICTORINO

ong before there was plastic, centuries before rubber was discovered, there was yoga. Built upon the concept of oneness, yoga practitioners would build a mat of wholly organic materials, including kusha grass and cloth* not only for comfort, but to enhance their practice.

WHY I LOVE MY MAI Fashion by MAI Product Review BY: JUSTYN O’NEILL MN YOGA + LIFE MAGAZINE AMBASSADOR

Fashion by MAI is a local Minnesota yoga fashion line with intention. What I love most about this product is that they celebrate the women that wear their clothes with the slogan “I AM Enough,” and the thoughtful product design reflects their purpose. With a variety of styles to choose from, all body types can find something that they feel confident wearing. The material is incredibly soft, and multi functional. The clothes wear seamlessly from studio to street. I love the “Namaste Tank” for teaching class. The material is light and breathes well for heated classes. It also doubles as a fashionable top for after class errands or events. The “Countdown Bra” is wonderful. It’s light and supportive at the same time. When wearing it, I don’t feel restricted in my movements, yet I’m confident that everything will stay in place while practicing inversions.

These natural materials served as the perfect complement to a practice focused on uniting mind, body and soul with nature. And while this belief of yoga still remains prevalent, the message has been muted as this ancient practice has made its way into studios across the globe.

It’s wonderful that Western cultures have embraced yoga. However, the mightiest trees in the world could not weather the tiniest of storms, if not for their roots. The same goes for one’s yoga practice. The root of your practice, the foundation from which you build upon, should have a strong connection to the purpose of your poses. In yoga, that purpose is a oneness with your natural surroundings, the universe even, which can be achieved upon a cotton yoga mat.

A RETURN TO YOGA For centuries, men, women and children practiced yoga without the luxuries of studios, “sticky mats” and yoga specific clothing. These modern-day innovations certainly help push forward the cause, however, they aren’t a necessary component of the practice. As modern-day practitioners strive to find unity and oneness, taking a step back to the origins and true meaning of yoga can be one of the most important steps to take.

In yoga, we learn to do no harm, and to embrace and cherish the natural world around us. What better way to honor this belief than with a cotton yoga mat which will help ground your practice in nature, the way it’s been done for centuries. *The Bhagavad Gita - Chapter VI, Verse 11

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ASANA TO COMBAT THE WINTER BLUES A SomaYoga Therapy Home Practice for Stress, Anxiety, & Depression BY: ANN BLACKBURN AND ELIZABETH SULLIVAN // PHOTOS: AMY DICKSON

tress is a modern day disease resulting from our fast paced lifestyle. It can be the cause of chronic pain, anxiety, and depression. We are born with reflexes for survival, and these reflexes live in our neuromuscular system. They are meant to assist us when we are in danger or need to take quick action. We want to use these reflexes wisely, for their purpose, and then consciously release them. If they go unchecked, and become a constant state of contraction, they affect our posture and become habitual. The three primary reflexes that SomaYoga Therapy, a blend of somatics, therapeutic yoga, and classic asanas (postures), utilizes are the: Startle Reflex, Landau Reflex, and Trauma Reflex. These reflexes activate on a daily basis when we go to answer the phone or the door, work slouched over a computer, drive a car, carry a child, or hold a heavy bag on one side. These habitual actions begin to feel like a normal way of being and begin to bring in chronic stress, pain, and strain in our somas. Soma is the Greek word referring our first-person experience of living in our mind, body and spirit; what the practice of yoga aims to unify.

In the state of the startle reflex, the back side of our body lengthens, our front side shortens and tightens, our hip flexors, shoulder girdle, neck, and jaw all experience tension. Our upper, mid and lower back may throb and ache. Our thoughts begin to loop and traffic jams in our somas occur. This affects our breath, blood flow, and overall function causing dis-ease to set in. When our somas begin to experience chronic overcompensation, sadness, anxiety and depression can set in. When we take time to remember, to get current with ourselves, through the eight-limb path of yoga, we begin to build our awareness of our soma’s mobility, strength and stability.

The following will guide you in a SomaYoga Therapy practice suggested by Ann Blackburn, owner of Tula Yoga & Wellness, to reeducate your neuromuscular system out of the startle reflex. Done regularly this practice will grow your interoceptive awareness (a sense of one’s internal responses such as heart rate, hunger, soreness, etc.) and proprioceptive awareness (a sense where your body is in space and the strength needed for specific movements). Approach it as you might a moving meditation, and begin by closing your eyes to practice sense withdrawal (Pratyahara). Allow yourself to sense and feel the practice with compassion. Stay pain free while practicing. Allow muscles to move into areas that feels tense, and slowly release and lengthen rather than “stretching,” which could cause the muscle to tighten up rather than release. This teaches the muscle to let tension melt away, and find new freedom. Repeat if you notice stutters —this is evidence of chronically held muscle tension. Keep this practice curious and slow. Produce small, slow, mindful movements.

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POSES 1 – 9 ARE DONE LYING ON THE FLOOR. AFTER EACH POSE GIVE YOURSELF A MOMENT TO SENSE AND FEEL CHANGES IN YOUR SOMA (BODY, BREATH, AND MIND).

1.

DIAPHRAGMATIC BREATH: Lie on your back with your arms and legs comfortably extended on the floor. Notice how your body is connecting with the floor – your neck, shoulders, arms, back, hips, legs, and feet. Notice your mind, emotions, and breath. Your breath (pranayama) will help you become embodied and draw inward to increase awareness. Put one hand on your diaphragm (where the lower ribs come together) and one hand on your navel. As you inhale, notice your lower ribs and abdomen expand. As you exhale, notice your ribs and abdomen return to center. This engages and releases the diaphragm, calms the mind, and helps draw you inward. Set an intention that nourishes you, guides your practice, and that you can take with you into life (e.g., self compassion, courage, contentment, strength, etc.).

2.

ARCH & FLATTEN: Bend your knees, feet are on your mat hip-distance apart. This is called Effortless Rest Pose (ERP).

As you inhale, allow your navel to rise and your lower back to gently arch, tailbone rolls toward the ground, and back muscles begin to activate. Pause. Exhale and relax your back muscles toward the ground to come out of the arch. Allow your abdominal muscles to contract down toward your spine and flatten – let your back muscles lengthen. As you inhale, slowly release the abdominal muscles allowing your spine to return to a resting position. Repeat 3 – 5 times.

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3.

ARCH & CURL: Clasp hands behind your head and continue the Arch & Flatten. Now, add to your flatten, a rounding up by lifting your head and possibly your upper back off the ground.

Bring elbows toward each other, engage your pectoral muscles and widen your upper back. As you inhale, slowly lower back, elbows, and head down. Allow the whole front body to release and lengthen. Repeat 3 – 5 times, slowly feeling the back and front body supporting each other. As you engage your back muscles, your abdominal muscles release, and as you engage your abdominal muscles, your back muscles release. When complete, extend legs out on floor to sense and feel any changes.

4.

KNEE DIPS EXTERNAL: Return to ERP. Place your hand in the hip crease and originate the movement from femur (thigh bone) and hip joint. Move your right knee out and back to center slowly. Keep the other side quiet to experience the true range of motion in your hip. Your hand will serve as a way for you to connect with those muscles (proprioception) in the hip joint. Do 3 – 5 times slowly. Repeat on left side. Sense and feel any differences between your hips.

5.

KNEE DIPS INTERNAL: Widen your feet on floor, dip your knee inward, internally rotate your femur in the hip joint, and back to center. Again, move slowly to notice, sense and feel. Do 3 – 5 times.

7.

BRIDGE: With feet hip distance apart, press feet into floor and lift hips into a very subtle bridge – just until you feel the glutes engage, hold for three breaths and then slowly release the glutes as you bring hips down, completely relax them. Repeat three times to stabilize.

8.

SHOULDER RELEASE: Press the front of your right shoulder forward, release back to neutral. Do 3 – 5 times, each side slowly. Press back of right shoulder toward ground, slowly release to neutral.

Do 3 – 5 times, each side. With arms toward ceiling, reach one arm up and slowly allow muscles on back of shoulder to release toward ground. If those muscles are quiet and you cannot feel the release, tap on the muscles. Do 3 – 5 times, slowly on each side.

6.

WASH CLOTH: With feet hip distance apart, slowly move both knees to one side in same direction, as your head moves to the other side in the opposite direction of knees.

Pass back through center as your knees and head move to their other sides. Do 3 – 5 times slowly.

Extend legs out on floor to sense and feel and changes.

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The three primary reflexes that SomaYoga Therapy, a blend of somatics, therapeutic yoga, and classic asanas (postures), utilizes are the: Startle Reflex, Landau Reflex, and Trauma Reflex.

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This sequence is continued from the previous page. Don’t miss out!

9.

10.

DYNAMIC COBRA: Completely relax into the ground and connect with diaphragmatic breath. With hands on floor under shoulders and shoulders down, shoulder blades moving toward spine, gaze at the floor in front of you, inhale as you press hands into ground, lift behind heart center. Exhale as you release towards the floor. Back and shoulders relax. Repeat three times.

WASH CLOTH: Repeat #6. Then roll onto stomach.

11.

CAT COW: On hands and knees, as you inhale, let your navel move toward floor, activating back muscles (Cow/Arch). Exhale, draw navel toward spine lengthening back muscles (Cat/ Curl). Notice the movement all along your spine from head to tailbone.

12.

13.

CHILD’S POSE: Kneel on floor, sit back toward your heels and rest head on floor, or on arms. If kneeling isn’t comfortable, lie down on your back and gently hug knees.

SAVASANA: Take some time at the end of your practice, relax your soma, and integrate your practice. Use your intention as a mantra to help you stay focused on your breath, e.g.

“I am focused,” “I am compassionate,” “I am content,” etc. Enjoy!

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Contact Yoga North’s International SomaYoga Institute and Tula Yoga & Wellness for classes, private sessions, and trainings.

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TRANSFO R M Y O U R LI F E S T Y LE

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Ask the Swami

Inspired�to�create�a�yoga�revolution?

Want�to�share�your�positive�vibes?

Contact�us�to�find�out�how!

WITH GRACIA GISME MCKINLEY PHOTO: LAURA LINDEKUGEL WHAT IS A YOGA SWAMI? ABBIE S. // CANNON FALLS

Swami literally means “master of one’s self.” A yoga swami is someone dedicated to their own awakening and helps to awaken others. Their role is similar to that of a minister or priest, though they accept all religious traditions. Swamis provide spiritual guidance and perform rituals such as weddings and memorial services, respecting the beliefs of all participants. The specific qualifications of a swami vary widely. In Hinduism, a swami is male and celibate; in my branch of the Kriya Yoga tradition, a swami can be of either gender and marry.

COMMUNITY

KARMA

CONNECTION

Chair Yoga

I HEAR THAT YOGA IS NOT A RELIGION, BUT THEN I ALSO HEAR ABOUT YOGA SPIRITUALITY. OTHERS SAY YOGA IS SECULAR. PLEASE EXPLAIN. CATHY A. // MINNEAPOLIS

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

•••••••

TEACHER TRAINING WORKSHOP •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

MANUAL & iBOOK

Yoga poses, breath work and meditation can be practiced outside a spiritual context with relaxation or fitness as a goal. Yoga means union.

It is a system of techniques that can help you recognize your true nature which is one with God (the Divine, Cosmic Consciousness, Higher Self or whatever you personally call it). When Yoga is practiced with a spiritual emphasis, union with God is possible. Yoga is not a religion, however, because you may conceptualize this union in whatever form or tradition is meaningful to you. Practiced within your belief system, Yoga can bring greater depth and connection.

I ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO FORGIVE, AND FORGIVE OTHERS AS I AM ABLE, BUT HOW DO YOU FORGIVE YOURSELF? MICHELE G. // ST. PAUL We are harder on ourselves than we are on others. However, when forgiving others we practice forgiving ourselves. Remember, everyone is doing the best they can. If they could do better, they would. Realize that, if they are doing their best, you must be doing your best as well. In your meditation or prayer practice, visualize the person you want to forgive, ask their forgiveness for whatever part you played in the hurt, and tell them you forgive them. Then try this while visualizing yourself. In this way, you release resentment towards others and learn to forgive yourself as well.

www.JesRosenberg.com FREE ‘Super Stretch Yoga’ Top 100 Health & Wellness app on iTunes

>> Questions for this column may be sent to askaswamicolumn@gmail.com Gracia Gimse McKinley is an ordained swami in the Kriya Yoga lineage. She teaches yogic meditation, philosophy and spirituality. Gracia has a master’s degree, E-RYT 500 designation with Yoga Alliance, Hanna Somatic Education Certification and more than thirty years of yoga study.

She is married with two children and lives in Northfield, Minnesota.

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BY: JENNIFER DERHAM

TO ENGAGE IN CHIN MUDRA

What’s a Mudra?

The word itself can mean sign, gesture, or seal. A mudra is a symbolic posture or posing of the hands and fingers, that holds a specific significance or has specific benefit. Mudras originated from Buddhist and Hindu traditions, but are used today among practitioners of varying faiths and backgrounds.

They are commonly used in seated positions and affect prana, or flow of energy and breath, within the body. One of the most widely know mudras is Chin Mudra, pictured to the right. It helps to promote diaphragm, or “belly breathing.”

FIND A COMFORTABLE SEATED POSITION PLACE YOUR HANDS PALMS UP, ONE ON EACH LEG, OR ON YOUR LAP. PRESS YOUR THUMBS AND FOREFINGER TOGETHER. YOUR OTHER FINGERS ARE GENTLY EXTENDED.

CHIN MUDRA BEACH PHOTO: EDER ACEVEDO PHOTOGRAPHY. TAKEN AT PLAYA FIESTA IN PUERTO VALLARTA. BLUE LOTUS YOGA RETREATS. ALSO PICTURED, ANJALI, OR “PRAYER” MUDRA. PHOTO: IANA VELEZ AT ABC CARPET & HOME. MANHATTAN. CLOTHING: LUCY. MALA: BONJULI

e n o u g h.

MADE IN MINNESOTA www. f a s h i o n b y M A I . com

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everyone YOGA IS FOR

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YOGA /

Building Bridges for Better Health Within the Somali Community BY: AYAN HASSAN PHOTOS: CORRIN SAINTEY

People

YOGA AND MUSLIM WOMEN

THINGS TO CONSIDER • Teach in a space that is private • Provide female-only classes or sessions

For years, the practice of yoga was associated with Hindu and Buddhist beliefs. More recently, it has become associated with middle-class women wearing Lululemon pants. However, more people of diverse backgrounds are learning about yoga and its health benefits. In some communities, there have been debates regarding yoga and it’s religious history. Although most religions and cultures support the well-being of humans, and encourages people to do things that bring a sense of health and tranquility, there are variations in how to pursue this within each belief system.

Some monotheists believe yoga is prohibited associating it with idol worship, and discourage their followers from practicing it.

Others believe yoga is a way for individuals to connect with their inner energy. They regard the practice as physical exercise and avoid saying specific words that are related to a religion. Medical researchers are providing evidence for the health benefits of yoga, and an increasing number of people are seeking yoga as an alternative way to heal their body and the soul. Recently, yoga has spread to the immigrant communities within the Twin Cities, especially among the Somali community.

Whether it’s the fact that it reduces the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, obesity or other chronic conditions, yoga is becoming a common choice of exercise.

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• Allow women to wear loose fitted clothing • Teach them the physical benefits of yoga • Skip the Om, Namaste or any other Sanskrit that may be associated with a specific religion or spiritual group • Ask for permission to do adjustments • Avoid phrases that reference a higher power or God • Use clear, easy to understand, and concise language to reduce language barriers • Create a designated prayer area (if your class falls during the Muslim prayer times) • Avoid poses that may be seen as inappropriate or sexual • Instructors should dress in modest clothing

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I started practicing yoga eight years ago with the knowledge that it wouldn’t affect my religious or cultural practices. I was able to find a balance by gaining health benefits from yoga, while maintaining my personal spiritual practices. Yoga has transformed my life and my relationships with the people around me. I’m calmer and at peace with myself and others.

I instill positive energy in people I encounter daily and am able to share gratitude without accepting anything in return. As a certified Family Nurse Practitioner, I share the practice and its benefits with my patients in hopes that they will benefit from it as well.

The impact yoga has had on my life is immense.

Most importantly, it has been instrumental in how I impact my patients. I have done classes for different age groups including family, friends and women who have experienced trauma.

I’ve been able to customize and tailor the yoga to the needs of my students and to their religion and culture. Women will say to me, “I’m not flexible enough” or “I don’t have good balance to do yoga.” I explain the health benefits of yoga and encourage them to come to the mat with openness. When one opens their heart and body to new experiences, one discovers inner strength. Focusing on that simple idea, I often succeed in winning women over and they begin to practice yoga.

THE SOMALI POPULATION AND IMMIGRATION IN MINNESOTA

FACTS AND FIGURES

• Since the 1990’s political and economical turmoil has plagued Somalia • Famine and killings have contributed to large refugee populations • There are varied estimates regarding the Somali population in Minnesota ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 • Many Somali refugees fled to Minnesota because of its renown social services and educational systems • There are actually fewer foreign-born residents in Minnesota now, compared with past generations; in 1920 1 in 5 Minnesota residents were foreign born, today around 1 in 14 are foreign-born*

Recently, I was abroad for a year-and-ahalf working for an international organization to set up community clinics for internally displaced people in East Africa. Most of the people I worked with experienced extreme hardships. It was painful for me to listen to their stories and learn about their tragedies.

Practicing yoga has become an anchor in which I use to reflect on what I have seen and experienced throughout the day. Yoga is a mechanism to cope with difficult experiences and can give one a chance to discover and appreciate life.

In April, I attended the Minneapolis Yoga Conference and was impressed with the growing yoga community and the amount of love and knowledge that was being shared. I was also surprised by the lack of diversity of yoga instructors and students, and felt yoga should be for everyone regardless of their race or economic status. I recently started Dagan Wellness Yoga, which will be a donation based yoga session at the Somali Mall in collaboration with Amalina Spa. We empower immigrant women and provide them with tools to stay healthy while embracing their inner beauty.

Our aim is to make yoga accessible to all.

SOURCES: HTTP://MN.GOV/ADMIN/DEMOGRAPHY AND HTTPS://SITES.GOOGLE.COM/A/ MACALESTER.EDU/REFUGEES/SOMALIS

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Explore your passion, transofrm your practice, change your life

get.on.your.mat.

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humanity, disguised as yoga. ~matthew sanford

DO YOGA | SHARE YOGA | HELP OTHERS

february 2016 | mindbodysolutions.org

YOGA /

People

YOGA AND CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER Promoting Self-Regulation, Parent-Child Intimacy, and Family Connection BY: JESSICA JENNESS

ut simply, children on the autism spectrum have brains that are wired differently. Some areas of the brain may be functioning in an advanced manner compared to the brains of same-aged peers. Other areas may be underdeveloped.

These children often have difficulties with social skills, language, and motor skills. Every child on the spectrum has unique abilities and different challenges. Some have advanced vocabularies, while others are non-verbal. Many of these children are oversensitive to light, sound, touch and smell. Others seek out extra sensory input. These sensitivities are part of the reason the environment of yoga is so beneficial.

I teach yoga to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). I’m also a mother and one of my children has ASD. The classes I teach are for children ages 3 to 12, accompanied by a caregiver. Class sizes are kept small as not to overwhelm or over-stimulate participants. Children of all abilities are welcome, as are those with other special needs.

Dim lighting and calm music helps these children feel comfortable, safe and relaxed. If they need to run around, they may. I remind parents that we want them to enjoy yoga and not to push anything the child doesn’t want to do. We keep things very calm and the kids join back in when

ASD: FACTS AND FIGURES Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability that impedes ones ability to communicate and interact with others. It’s usually diagnosed in early childhood and is characterized by language delays, difficulties with reciprocal conversation, and social interaction such as inconsistent eye-contact and difficulty understanding another’s perspective. It may also be characterized, by repetitive behaviors and highly specific interests.

ABOUT 1% OF THE WORLD POPULATION HAS AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. (CDC, 2014) PREVALENCE IN THE UNITED STATES IS ESTIMATED AT 1 IN 68 BIRTHS. (CDC, 2014) MORE THAN 3.5 MILLION AMERICANS LIVE WITH AN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER. (BUESCHER ET AL., 2014) EARLY INTERVENTION IS KEY FOR GOOD DEVELOPMENTAL OUTCOMES. COST OF LIFELONG CARE CAN BE REDUCED BY 2/3 WITH EARLY DIAGNOSIS AND INTERVENTION. (AUTISM. 2007 SEP;11(5):453-63; THE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER AMONG CHILDREN IN A SWEDISH MUNICIPALITY. JÄRBRINK K1.)

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they’re ready. Parents are there to help gently guide their children and to do poses with them. This is a family class centered on connecting, breathing and growing together.

Class has the same structure every time, so it becomes familiar and comfortable. We start class with three Oms, which helps them to focus and become engaged. We eventually move on to the breathing exercises. We use the “Ha” breath technique, in which you reach your arms up while taking a big breath in your nose, then sigh out “aaaa.” I remind the children to use this breath when they need to calm down. This breath stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system and diminishes stress.

If children begin to engage in repetitive behaviors, we use this breath to help them re-focus.

Gradually, I introduce poses to help the children calm their minds. We move at a slow pace and we engage in a lot forward folding. We eventually make our way to standing. I put on some mellow beat music, and we dance to expend any extra energy. After dancing, we come back to our “Ha” breath and start winding down. We finish with gentle poses on our backs followed by parents rubbing their child’s feet with some essential oils and final relaxation.

I’m amazed at how calm the children are after class. It’s a beautiful thing seeing parents and children relaxing together with no therapy to do, no school work to finish—just relishing the present moment together.

Breathing techniques are a major benefit for these children, many of whom, tend to have high levels of anxiety. These techniques can be used throughout their day to keep emotions regulated. For children possessing the coordination to do so, I show them alternate nostril breathing as a calming tool. Yoga has so many benefits for kids on all areas of the spectrum. It helps increase muscle tone for those that have low tone, teaches focus for those with hyper-activity, calming for those with anxi-

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ety, and provides opportunities to teach social skills. It also helps children with sleep and digestive issues.

Classes not only benefit the child, but also help to build stronger family relationships.

Parents are able to share and connect with other families who also have children on the spectrum. As a mother to a child on the spectrum, I know how important these connections are.

These kids go through so much, and if I’m able to help them find even a little more peace in their daily lives, I feel my purpose is filled.

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Yoga with Jess has been so great for both Ethan and me. His schedule is so busy with therapists and teachers that sometimes I feel disconnected from Ethan. Yoga is a great chance for him and I to reconnect. The first class was hard for him because it was something new, but by the next time he was excited to go, and within two to three classes, he started remembering the flow of the class and poses. He now does “Ha” breathing at home to calm himself down. He has a speech delay, but when I ask him about yoga he gets a huge smile on his face and says, “Let’s go yoga, momma!”

SARAH PRIOR, MOTHER TO ETHAN, AGE 4

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YOGA FOR TRAUMA The Complex Art of Teaching Yoga To Heal BY: SARAH SUPER ART: LARA CORNELL

“You are not a drop in the ocean,” Rumi wrote, “you are the entire ocean in a drop.” Rumi’s words illuminate the vastness, the complexity and the depth that resides within everyone. As a yoga instructor, I find it essential to consider what lies beneath the surface of each student. It’s this concept that I have continued to explore as a certified trauma sensitive yoga instructor.

In 2009, I crossed a threshold by enrolling in power yoga teacher training. The experience gave me an understanding for the beautiful 8 limbs of yoga, and a deepened commitment to Ahimsa, the value of doing no harm. Upon completing the 200-hour program, I was filled with the energy to teach as often as I could to anyone willing to learn the mindbody practice. I taught for a fitness-oriented yoga studio, Minneapolis Community Education, a homeless shelter in the Twin Cities, a corporate marketing agency in downtown Minneapolis, and once for the Muslim Women’s Student Association at the University of Minnesota. These experiences shared one glaring message: how I had been taught to teach yoga simply did not work for most students. With Ahimsa at the forefront, I tried my best to tailor my classes to meet my students’ diverse ages, bodies, abilities and limitations. It took me a few years to realize that how I adapted my teaching style to meet my students’ needs was based only on things visible to the human eye, and it was then that I began to learn about trauma.

Many experiences can lead to psychological trauma, including the all too common experiences of rape, war, abuse, and neglect. Every traumatic experience includes dis-empowerment (through force) and disconnection (through betrayal). Thus, healing from trauma requires empowering the victim (through choice) and rebuilding connection (through trust and predictability).

How I had been taught to teach yoga simply did not work for most students.

Offering multiple choices and invitational phrases like “on your time,” or “if you would like” is one simple thing that brings power and agency back to the student. Offering choices and invitations create a more trauma-sensitive environment, on and off the mat. In this context, a yoga instructor might say something like, “As you’re ready, you are welcome to lift your arms towards the sky, or maybe you keep your hands extended at your sides. Your choice.” The student regains a basic sense of control over their experience, the control that was taken from them during the traumatic experience.

Our bodies are wired for survival. When our brains detect a threat, our heart rate increases and our breath becomes shorter. Blood circulates quickly into the muscles that prepare us to fight or take flight. Parts of our analytical brain disengage so that we can focus on basic survival. But what helps us survive a dangerous experience is actually the source of suffering in the aftermath. Being traumatized means being stuck in the hyper-alert state when it’s no longer needed or helpful.

Yoga has the potential to bring traumatized people back into the present moment, but most current styles of yoga provide more harm than healing for those with trauma. A team at the world-renowned Trauma Center in Brookline, Massachusetts developed an empirically-based protocol for trauma-sensitive yoga.

There are many characteristics that help distinguish trauma-sensitive yoga from other yoga forms. Perhaps most notable is the invitational language. In my teacher training years ago, I was taught to teach using commands: “Inhale lift your arms to mountain pose. Ground down through your feet. Drop your shoulders away from your ears.” Because so many traumatic experiences involve someone in control commanding the victim to physically do something, this way of leading a yoga class can be triggering. The harm increases with commands to “go deeper,” “press your hips back,” or “do something today that you are afraid of.”

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Another element of trauma-sensitive yoga is the lack of physical touch.

While many individuals find touch to be healing, there are many people who have been violated through physical touch. Being trauma-sensitive means questioning your use of human touch without knowing the traumatic experiences students may have survived.

To be trauma-sensitive is to honor the inner teacher within each student. Who am I to say what feels good in your body when I don’t know the experiences your body holds? Trauma-sensitive yoga eliminates the judgment of what “proper” alignment looks like, how “relaxing” breaths should sound and which postures should feel “comforting.”

Trauma-sensitive yoga eliminates the judgment of what “proper” alignment looks like, how “relaxing” breaths should sound, and which postures should feel “comforting.”

As we shine a light on the prevalence of trauma in our culture, we broaden our understanding of diversity and our skills of inclusion. As yoga in the West continues to evolve, perhaps we might see the richness that comes from the possibility of creating a space and a practice that is healing to all students, whatever their story.

VISIT TRAUMASENSITIVEYOGA.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION.

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People

JOURNEY TO SVARUPA The Yoga of Transition

BY: ZOE ANNE GRUBBS ART: LARA CORNELL

t was shortly after I began coming to grips with my true self that I attended my first yoga class. I was in great shape.

Throughout my life I’d been a strong, powerful guy, a hard-core gym rat, weight lifter, a Vietnam veteran, father, provider and educated career builder.

Yet, I left that hot vinyasa class gasping for air and grabbing for a towel.

Yoga has a way of penetrating facades and leaving you face-to-face with yourself. I walked out feeling an honest connection between my brain and my body that I’d never felt before.

That brain/body connection was so foreign to me because I’d spent most of my life shrouded in secret. I’m transsexual. The façade I held up to the world throughout my life was a well-crafted illusion. When I first heard that I could come to my mat exactly as I am, it was a revelation.

This happened around the time I had started to transition my life to live as a female.

With all the recent press surrounding the transgender community, it might appear that transitioning is easy. But it’s substantially more complicated than just deciding to do it. It often means coming to grips with a lifetime of gender dysphoria which, if you don’t have it, is nearly impossible to understand.

I often describe it as the feeling of breaking glass and shrieking metal in my body when it’s triggered. It’s the physical and emotional pain that occurs when the mind identifies with a gender different than what the body and society says is so. I spent a lifetime suppressing it in any way possible, most of them destructive.

42% of transgender people in the US attempt suicide (as opposed to 1.6% of the general population) and I am one of them.

Every trans person’s journey is different. For me, transition was necessary and it took more than 50 years to start. Then, it involved a series of psychological, social, legal, and physical transitions over the course of more than 3 years. It meant great loss and many tears. It has been difficult, but also has brought me great joy; I’ve never felt so alive.

So authentic.

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The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.

JOSEPH CAMPBELL

Transitioning is not for everybody — it’s not an instant remedy, nor is it for the faint of heart.

Yoga is not an instant remedy either. I was very fortunate that yoga found me at that particular point in my life. It gave me a vehicle for turning inward and learning to accept my body as it was, instead of hating it for how it looked and felt. Yoga taught me to count on my breath during this emotional rollercoaster ride, and provided a release for the lifetime of trauma locked deep within. Most importantly, it taught me to work with my body instead of punishing it.

with gendered nuances or worse, are called by the wrong pronouns. Sometimes you get odd looks or overhear side talk in the locker room. Some studios have no gender neutral or private spaces to change.

These things can trigger enormous anxiety. They take away the security the studio should provide, pulling the focus from the yoga. Trans people often suffer from severe body shaming and internalized trauma, similar to abuse victims. They have lived much of their lives marginalized from mainstream society, and never know how they are being perceived.

When the experience in the studio contributes to that anxiety, the trans yogi will likely not return.

For the most part though, I’ve found the yoga community to be very accepting. Life Time clubs and Life Power Yoga have provided an incredibly supportive environment. I had to take a break from practicing asanas after my final surgery, but I still yearned to be around yoga people — it was an important part of my recovery. As soon as I could, I was back on my mat, just sitting and breathing, using my meditation practice and the community as my support system.

A person very dear to me once said my transition was not an act of survival, but a great act of compassion. Years of bearing deep wounds and hearing false messages had shut down my heart. But yoga gave me the tools to open my heart, and now that compassion is what lies at the root of my yoga practice.

It took time, but I discovered something else important; a community. Being a trans person is often a very lonely life. The isolation, secrecy, fear of intimacy and fear of discovery build insurmountable walls around the heart. Yet, what I found was that the teachers and people were compassionate, understanding and accepting. They truly practiced non-judgement.

Being trans in a yoga class can be challenging. A yoga studio should be safe — a place where you don’t have to think about gender, race, time, work, or anything but the breath. But it’s not always so.

Sometimes you hear cues laced

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YOGA /

People

CURVY YOGA

A Practice of Acceptance and Compassion BY: ELISABETH PLETCHER-HARINCAR PHOTOS: ROBERT J BURMASTER

“May I greet my body with gentleness,” begins each of my Curvy Yoga classes. This simple meditation, from Curvy Yoga founder Anna GuestJelley, is a reminder, not just to my students but to myself as well, to come to the mat with acceptance and compassion for ourselves just as we are.

When I began my personal yoga practice, it was anything but compassionate. While teachers were often welcoming, they didn’t necessarily have the understanding or the tools to help me find a way to move in my body. I loved the way yoga made me feel afterwards, but during class I spent my time glancing at the people around me, trying to make sense of poses as I struggled to figure out how to mirror what others were doing in spite of my curves, short arms and tight hamstrings. Floating forward from downward dog just was not going to happen; my float was more of a waddle. Even seemingly simple poses like child’s pose were difficult to drop into with a belly in the way.

I was thrilled to discover Curvy Yoga online, but dismayed to learn that there were no Curvy instructors in Minneapolis at the time. While becoming a yoga teacher was nowhere on my radar (I was still struggling to try to touch my toes!), I knew I wanted to learn more and that I was not alone in my experience. Curvy Yoga teacher training helped break down the poses, teaching me to move into and out of them safely. Straps and blocks helped bridge the distance between a hand and the floor, while blankets and bolsters helped to support and align. I saw how simple things like spacing feet wider, or tucking a belly or breasts out of the way, could create more room to move into a pose. I learned the importance of creating a safe and body-positive space that’s focused on welcoming and accepting language, teaching poses from the most supported version toward the more challenging. I also learned that the word “curvy” means something different for each of us, and modifications are helpful to all shapes and sizes.

Curvy Yoga makes room for everyone to explore what yoga means for them in the body they are living in today, not the body they hope to have, or the body they had before. Curvy Yoga simply makes space for students to be present, without judgment or fear, to connect breath to movement.

WHERE TO FIND CURVY YOGA WWW.CURVYYOGAMPLS.COM YESS YOGA (MINNEAPOLIS) ENJOY WELLNESS (EDINA) YOGA QUEST (MINNEAPOLIS)

In the years since I began practicing yoga, our community has made huge strides in the dialogue around yoga for all, but there are still plenty of people who are uncertain. Almost weekly I hear, “Do you really mean this is a yoga class for me?” Or, “I think I’m too big for your class.” My goal in offering Curvy Yoga classes is to create a safe space where anyone can greet their body with gentleness, acceptance, and compassion.

May I greet my body with gentleness.

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THOUGHTS OF A

Curvy Yoga Virgin BY: MAGGIE FRYE SELF-PROCLAIMED PLUS-SIZE YOGI PHOTOS: MARNIE BOUNDS

I am a yogi. But here’s the thing — I am also a plus-size woman, otherwise known to some as “curvy.” I found yoga about seven years ago while working on a better body for my wedding. One wedding, two kids, and many stubborn, middle-aged pounds later, I still practice yoga on a regular basis. Those who know the real me, know I practice to experience the full mind, body, and spirit benefits of yoga. But those who don’t know me tend to look at me funny when I say I am a yogi. I can sense their ignorance while they look at me and think, “How can she be a yogi? She is a large girl.” So when MN Yoga + Life Magazine asked me to check out a new class called Curvy Yoga, I was intrigued. A yoga class geared towards us larger ladies? I was eager to investigate.

On my way to class, I wondered why classes like these weren’t around when I first started my practice. Through the years, I had to learn how to modify poses to work with my body. But in this class, with this teacher, I learned new ways to move my body. I quickly learned this class wasn’t only for us curvy folks, but for anyone desiring a welcoming, self-accepting environment to practice. Next to me was a wonderful 70-year-old lady, who was there because, as she claimed, she couldn’t “bend like those young girls.” I love the concept. A class designed to help anyone feel comfortable in their own body. It has taken me years to become confident enough in my practice to enter a studio filled with flexible, slim, and young yogis.

How can she be a yogi? She is a large girl.

To you seasoned yogis — if you know a fine lady with curves, a beginner wanting to learn some modifications, or a retiree wanting to stay limber, I encourage you to send them to a Curvy Yoga class. After all, yoga is for everyone, and this class provides an environment for anyone wanting to feel the benefits.

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YOGA /

Seva

Journey of Love

KARMA IN ACTION BY: SHELLEY PAGITT

ast spring I found myself teetering atop hand-crafted stick scaffolding overlooking the coffee fields of Guatemala. I was squatting next to Henry, captivated by his easy smile, as we built his new house together.

Henry (11) and his sister Marisol (7) had been living in a tiny room with their mother and grandparents after fleeing from their abusive father. This new simple cement block home, built by their grandfather, a local mason and a handful of yogis from Minnesota, will allow these children to continue living with their mother in a safe and caring community.

I’m the curator at Yoga Sanctuary. Before our doors opened three years ago I was already dreaming about inviting yogis to join in serving our friends in Guatemala. I began traveling to

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San Juan la Laguna, a small farming village on Lake Atitlan, 16 years ago with Solomon’s Porch Church, and have developed lasting friendships with many of the families who have built their homes with us. Our intention is to create a cross-cultural experience that embodies our practice, where we view ourselves as being equal to those we are serving. This “namaste posture” has allowed us to partner closely with local leaders in ways that truly benefit the most vulnerable in the community, profoundly changing the trajectory of entire families, and in many cases, allowing the family to break the cycle of generational poverty. Owning and caring for a home often initiates new values.

Many children, especially girls, begin attending school, and compassion and generosity are extended beyond the walls of their homes.

children and caretakers at an orphanage, and at a school that has organically sprouted within a dump in Guatemala City. Dorita, the founder of the school, has a magnetic smile that radiates pure joy. This tiny school offers free education to children who would otherwise be roaming the streets in neglect. We were blessed to teach yoga, or “conscious movement” to the kids and their caregivers in hopes of offering healing in

I am moved, consciously and fully, to tears. Samadhi.

This year, along with building two homes, we were able to share yoga, life and love with

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bodies, minds and hearts, and to establish a relationship with the teachers and classroom that Yoga Sanctuary sponsors. To close our practice, we invite all adults and children to lay in savasana. We tip-toe around the cement floor, pausing briefly to anoint each head with a touch of peace and compassion. I kneel by Dorita, flies at her feet, face still beaming. I am moved, consciously and fully, to tears. Samadhi.

Before leaving the village, we gather around the newly built homes and exchange gifts of gratitude. We are keenly aware of the boundless nature of love and we receive small, woven gifts with open hearts. As we hug good-bye, we whisper “hasta luego/see you later.” We will return next year. Would you like to join us?

Yogi, Jennifer Hawkins Finn, joined us recently.

She reflects: “Traveling to Guatemala with Yoga Sanctuary was a beautiful, heart-opening experience. I feel so blessed to have found such an amazing tribe of people to journey with. A big highlight for me was getting to love on the kids and being able to share yoga with them.

The younger kids especially seemed to just naturally resonate with the conscious movement and breathing we shared with them. It was an absolute joy to witness and experience.

It was a gentle reminder for me to nurture my true nature and intuition. We went to Guatemala to serve others, and I am positive that we got just as much out of the experience, if not more.

Upon returning to Minnesota, it was impossible not to see the world in a whole new light. I am humbled, grateful, blessed, awakened and alive. Peace!”

Upon returning to Minnesota, it was impossible not to see the world in a whole new light.

FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE: WWW.YOGASANCTUARYMPLS.COM

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YOGA /

Meditation

STILL YOUR MIND AND THRIVE A ”Listening” Meditation to Manage the Holiday Hoopla

Deep, contemplative stillness is as important to your health as nourishing food, sleep and exercise.

BY: JAINA PORTWOOD PHOTO THIS PAGE: ANDY RICHTER PHOTO NEXT PAGE: LARA CORNELL

The holiday season can be very stressful. Luckily, meditation is a perfect remedy. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of shopping, cooking, and entertaining, take some time to focus on the stillness that is ever present within your being.

Deep, contemplative stillness is as important to your health as nourishing food, sleep and exercise. It doesn’t have to take hours. Even just a few minutes throughout the day will bring you peace and calm that accumulates and strengthens over time.

The goal of meditation is to reconnect our personal self to the transpersonal dimension

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of our being-to shift the perspective from the limitations of I, me, and my, to the perspective of the higher self, who was never born and cannot die. It’s to expand awareness beyond the confines of ego, into the expansiveness beyond thought, concept, belief, and language-beyond the limitations of desire or preference. It’s the practice of being fully in the present moment with what is. Meditation is an opportunity to tap into the self that is beyond your busy mind. It is a vehicle toward self-liberation and wholeness.

As yogis, the holiday season can be a time of heightened perception of imbalances, particularly if we are sensitive to the suffering of others. We may notice our stress and triggers

more than the average person because we’re so invested in our health, well-being, selfless service, and self-evolution. Running from here to there, tight schedules, to-do lists, hosting and even rushing to get to an asana class for an hour can feel like added stressors!

One really powerful technique is Nada Yoga, or listening meditation. Sometimes we think…

“I can’t meditate with all of this noise around, I need a quiet space, free from distractions!”

The truth is that you can use the noise around you as a focal point to move deeper into the present moment. Learning to meditate even in the most chaotic environments is a powerful skill to have.

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LISTENING MEDITATION TIPS 1. Find a comfortable seat. Sit up tall. Relax your shoulders.

Soften your face. Close your eyes.

2. Feel your breath moving through your body. Send the breath into any areas of tension or fatigue. Deep breathing calms the nervous system, and boosts immunity by flushing the body with oxygen.

3. Listen deeply to the sounds around you. Instead of attaching a story, preference, or idea about each sound, listen to the pure vibration. Imagine that the universe is providing you with a beautiful orchestra of sound, with many layers of complexity, some loud, some soft, some startling. Hear the wind, traffic and voices, as pure vibration, or notes on an instrument.

4. Notice when you start to go into a mental dialogue about the sound. It’s in that exact moment of noticing where the practice begins. Then come back to listening again. Feel your body, your nervous system, even your hair as an extension of your perception, taking in the rich sounds of the present moment.

5. Feel an inner bliss arising as your mind is absorbed in the sound. Start to notice more subtle sounds beneath the obvious, as inner vibrations emanating from your being.

6. Watch your thoughts as if they were additional notes in the melody. Rest your awareness at the intersection of here and now.

Anger, sadness, frustration and anxiety make equally good candidates for awareness. The mind does not have to be calm to be in awareness.

Meditation is not about stopping the thoughts or feelings that arise. It’s about being in surrender with what is. Avoid the pitfall of being judgmental in your meditation practice. Release all judgment, and wonder at the gift of the present moment. Over time, you will undoubtedly find that these emotions are replaced with feelings of calm, serenity, tranquility and peace.

When you are consistent with this practice of meditation, you will find you can meditate in any circumstance and location, simply by bringing your awareness to sound, and listening with a calm, steady breath. It can lead to lowered stress levels, and help provide you with more energy to fully enjoy the holidays, which ultimately are about gratitude for family, friends and community, and sharing in spiritual presence.

Relax deeply, and remember that you’re divine perfection on the path towards awakening.

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YOGA /

Book Review:

MEDITATION AS A WAY OF LIFE

BY REV. ALAN L. PRITZ REVIEW BY: JENNIFER DERHAM, MA, EDS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AND FOUNDER OF MN YOGA + LIFE

Forget the fluffy, new-agey stuff. Meditation As A Way of Life is a no b.s. guide to meditation.

If you want a quick and dirty Meditation for Dummies type of read, look elsewhere.

Meditation As A Way of Life is intelligently written and saturated with spirituality. The central tenet of this guide is strong, authentic, and bold, which is why I loved it. Pritz says that meditation is a method by which we become closer to God. Period. Mindfulness, peace, a sense of calm, etc., are powerful byproducts of a consistent meditation practice — not the ultimate goal. It’s our separation from God, and focus on the external, that often underlies human misery.

This is not a religious book in the traditional sense. It’s free of dogmatic bias, and in fact, respectfully explores religion versus spirituality. Pritz explains that we are made to seek connection with our Source, and quotes Jesuit Teilhard de Chardin to underscore the point, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Pritz makes a similar point using the words of Patanjali, “By total surrender to God, Samadhi (enlightenment) is attained.”

Throughout the book, he proves himself as a spiritual scholar, and not one to play religious favorites.

I appreciated Pritz’s nondivisive approach. He draws parallels between religions.

For example, he explores the connection between the sacred words, Aum, Om, Amen, Hum, and Amin. Likewise, the often difficult-to-understand concept of one God manifested as three, is illustrated using Taoist, Vedic, and Christian frameworks. He refers to God as God, but also as the Source, Infinite Spirit, Divine Mother, and the Holy Spirit in addition to exploring what, or who, God is. Pritz, an interfaith minister, references an inclusionary ambrosia of visionaries such as Krishna, Jesus, Buddha, Rumi, Martin Luther King Jr., Chief Seattle, various saints, and scholars.

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Meditation

Mantras unique to secular, Christian, Jewish, Islamic, Buddhist, and Hindu traditions are shared.

Physical, mental, and spiritual applications of the Yamas and Niyamas are offered, as well as various breathing and meditation techniques. Pritz sprinkles in poetry, excerpts from sacred texts, and everyday anecdotes as beautiful illustrations.

Because this book is inclusive of various religious and spiritual ideals and practices, one may wonder if it’s watered down to appeal to the masses.

It’s not. For those who may draw upon a Life of Pi type of spiritual belief system such as myself, that is part of the allure. As Iyengar states, “As bees savour the nectar in various flowers, so the Sadhaka absorbs things in other faiths which will enable him to appreciate his own faith better.”

While Meditation as a Way of Life is not a light vacation read, it will attract those seeking more. It captures, in a meaningful way, the very definition of yoga, to yoke, or unite, which Pritz contends, “is the ultimate goal of meditation.” To quote the author, this book will help people “through meditation and spirituality to achieve greater life balance, happiness, and growth.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rev. Alan L. Pritz, a spiritual disciple of Paramahansa Yogananda, is an Interfaith Minister, and has trained in inner sciences for more than 40 years. Selected by the US Army Reserves and Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN as a Meditation & Life–Balance Provider, he provides personal/ couples meditation instruction and spiritual life coaching and counseling, plus related corporate programs and coaching through his Minneapolis practice, Awake In Life. To learn more about his services see, Awake-InLife.com.

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YOGA /

TEACH. LEARN. GROW.

Choosing a YT T BY: SHEILA BURNS

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali define yoga as what you experience when the fluctuations of your mind have stilled. When that happens, the True Self is revealed. It is a deeply profound gift available to anyone who is interested. What Patanjali wrote down thousands of years ago still forms the essential teachings of yoga today. But if you were to ask someone in the U.S. to define yoga, most people would describe a series of postures performed in a sequence coordinated with breathing. Yoga is often simply considered a form of physical exercise for getting stronger, more flexible and hopefully thinner. There is nothing wrong with these goals, but for anyone who may have started out with them and practiced regularly over a period of time, something else begins to emerge as the real and tangible benefit of yoga. It is a feeling of coming home to your Self, a feeling of connectedness and calm in a world that can seem difficult, out-of-control, and chaotic.

At the Minneapolis Yoga Conference this year, keynote speaker Max Strom described teaching yoga on September 11, 2001 in Manhattan. As news of the tragedy unfolded, the owner of the studio where he was teaching decided to cancel all remaining classes.

But Max asked to teach, feeling it would be especially important to be there on that day. His class that evening went on record as the most attended yoga class in the history of the studio.

Why become a yoga teacher? Most likely you will never have to face a decision like Max did that day.

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But becoming a yoga teacher is a tremendous privilege and responsibility. It requires a serious investment of time and money and a real commitment to continue learning all that yoga has to offer long after you have completed your first 200 hour training. My decision to become a teacher came after I took my first restorative yoga class more than 10 years ago. Something happened in that class that changed my entire relationship with yoga for ever after, and I needed to share the experience. I started my teacher training the next year. I began teaching and offered free classes to anyone who wanted to try it, driving to schools, hospitals, and peoples’ homes. Through a serendipitous series of events, I found a small and inexpensive space in the Como neighborhood and opened Bliss Yoga Studio. Things moved very quickly. I had a tremendous sense of purpose which helped me greatly during the first years of my new business.

As the owner of a busy yoga studio, I have worked with teachers from many different schools of yoga within the Twin Cities, from across the U.S., and internationally. I’ve heard many stories about yoga trainings, most of which are wonderful and inspiring. I have also worked with teachers who have shared issues that have caused confusion, frustration and hard feelings.

Some yoga teachers and yoga schools have trademarked yoga styles and specific sequences, and require student teachers to sign restrictive contracts which prevent them from teaching these styles or sequences without the school’s permission. The contracts may require very specific and limited uses for any information learned in the training. Yoga schools have brought lawsuits against students who have not followed the terms of these contracts. This sort of restrictive contract is not unusual. If you consider yourself a creative person who wants to develop your own voice as a teacher and maybe even open your own school, look carefully into whether or not the school you are interested in has trademarked its style of yoga and if you will be asked to sign documentation restricting or limiting your use of what you learn. A school which requires a contract may offer a truly wonderful training, but if you are looking for full freedom of expression in your teaching, it may not necessarily be the one for you.

According to the Yoga Alliance website there are currently fifty-one schools of yoga in Minnesota that offer teacher training, and four thousand, six hundred and eight Yoga Alliance (YA) registered yoga schools (RYS) worldwide. With so many options you are certain to find what you are looking for. Your first training may be right where you love taking yoga classes. The Yoga Alliance website has some wonderful resources for new teachers including lots of information regarding what to expect from 200 hour and more advanced trainings.

Your journey starts with intention. Get as clear as you can about what you are looking for in a yoga teacher training and how you hope to use your new skills as a yoga teacher. There are so many ways that yoga teachers are integrating yoga in their work as educators, therapists and medical professionals.

With the benefits of yoga becoming increasingly recognized, the possibilities are endless.

At Bliss Yoga Studio, we will begin offering Teacher Training (specialty classes for registered yoga teachers at the 200 hour + level) and Deeper Studies this autumn. Our Deeper Studies courses are open to anyone who is interested in learning more about yoga but not necessarily interested in or ready to commit to becoming a yoga teacher. It will allow students to delve further into the life-changing, teachings of yoga. For more information, please visit our website at www.blissyogastudiomn.com.

The path of yoga and the choices to go deeper will change your life in ways you can’t yet imagine. Yoga isn’t just a practice, it’s a way of life, a systematic approach given to us by Patanjali so many years ago, passed from teacher to student, to help you to become fully realized as your true and authentic Self. There is no path, wisdom and purpose greater than this. It will not only change you, but will influence everyone you will have the great honor to teach, or to share your experience with. It will help you to “become the change you want to see in the world.” I wish you many blessings on your path.

Namaste.

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HEALTH / Food

COCONUT CURRY SWEET POTATO SHEPHERD’S PIE

BY: JENNI FLORING

Comfort Food for the Soul

Move Over Turkey Sandwich. A Delish Way to Use Up Those Holiday Leftovers

As the weather gets cooler, we naturally gravitate towards warm, hearty, and nourishing foods to help us through the winter. I created this recipe as a way to use Thanksgiving turkey leftovers.

You can also make this into a delicious vegan option if you replace the turkey for mixed mushrooms such as shitake, oyster, portabella or crimini. Serve this along side a simple kale or spinach salad topped with a light vinaigrette for a healthy, and grounding cold weather meal.

Directions: Preheat oven to 350F. Place the chopped sweet potatoes in a steamer basket and steam for 15-20 minutes, or until soft. You can also boil the potatoes in hot water, but steaming helps preserve their flavor.

While the potatoes are steaming, open the can of coconut milk. Often, the fat from the milk will separate and you may need to empty the contents into a blender and mix until combined. When the potatoes are soft, place them in a food processor with 1/3 cup of the coconut milk, maple syrup and ½ tsp sea salt and process until smooth. If you don’t have a food processor, you can also use a potato masher and fold in the ingredients until well combined.

Heat the coconut oil in a 10-inch cast iron pan on medium.

Add the onions and sauté until soft. Add the garlic, ginger, red pepper, and jalapeno, (and mushrooms if you are making it vegan) and sauté for a few more minutes. Add the frozen vegetable mix and combine. Let simmer until the vegetables thaw.

Ingredients: 4 cups chopped sweet potatoes or yams 1 can full fat coconut milk 2 cups frozen vegetable mix (corn, peas, beans) 2 cups shredded leftover holiday turkey or 2 cups mixed mushrooms (shitake, oyster, portabella, or crimini) for a vegan option 1 small red onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 1 small jalapeno, chopped

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1 heaping tsp chopped ginger root 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1 red bell pepper, chopped

Whisk the arrowroot powder in with the remaining coconut milk (about 1 1/3 cups should be left), making sure there are no clumps. Add the shredded turkey and coconut milk to the pan along with the curry paste, lime juice, 1 tsp salt, and about ½ tsp pepper. Mix until all ingredients are well combined and simmer on low, uncovered for about 7-10 minutes, or until the coconut milk becomes noticeably thicker.

Remove the pan from the heat, and spoon on the sweet potato mixture, spreading evenly to cover the entire top of the dish.

1 tbsp coconut oil 1 tbsp pure maple syrup 2 tsp green curry paste 2 tsp arrowroot 1 tbsp lime juice Sea salt Pepper

Place the pan in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.

The top should be a bit golden and firm, and the creamy coconut curry should be bubbling. You can also turn the broiler on high and let sit for a few minutes to brown the top – just be careful not to burn.

Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes before serving.

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Dark chocolate, pomegranate, and coconut

COOKIES

Ingredients:

YIELDS: 12 COOKIES

3 tbsp honey (or agave or maple syrup)

PREP TIME: 25 MINUTES // BAKE TIME: 12 MINUTES

1 large egg

TOTAL TIME: ROUGHLY 40 MINUTES

BY: EMILY JETLAND

2 cups almond meal ½ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 2 tbsp coconut oil – melted

1 tsp vanilla extract ½ cup pomegranates ½ cup coconut ½ cup dark chocolate chips – melted

Directions: • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

• Grease cookie sheet and set aside.

• Combine dry ingredients (almond meal, baking soda, and salt together in one mixing bowl.)

• Combine wet ingredients (melted coconut oil, honey, egg, and vanilla extract).

• Mix the dry and wet ingredients together until wellcombined.

• Mix in pomegranates and coconut until well-combined.

• Take a handful of the dough and roll it into a ball and place on the baking sheet.

• Once all the dough has been rolled into balls (should make 12), take a spoon or use a few fingers and press down into the dough to help form the cookies.

• Place the cookies into fridge for about 10 to 15 minutes.

• Place into the oven for 12 minutes.

• While baking, melt the chocolate.

To melt the chocolate: • Place chocolate in microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir and continue to do this at 30 second intervals.

• Once the cookies are done and the chocolate is melted, drizzle the chocolate across the cookies.

• Enjoy!

Side note: Due to the pomegranates, these cookies should be kept in the fridge and will last up to a week.

www.mnyogamagazine.com 55

55

HEALTH /

Food

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HEALTH /

CLEAN EATING

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Whole, unrefined foods can be described as foods in their most natural state, containing all the nutrients that existed when harvested. Refined foods are those that have had elements or nutrients removed to improve things, such as color, flavor or texture. Opt for unrefined options over refined, whole-grain over white bread, whole-wheat flour over white, and avoid artificial coloring and flavors.

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2. Read Your Labels.

Nutrition fact labels not only provide information about suggested serving sizes and calorie counts, but also offer a look into what is truly in your food. Are there ingredients you have never heard of or cannot pronounce? Typically, these items are not natural and are many times included to extend shelf life or increase usability.

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Understanding where your food is coming from is empowering; and buying food that is locally grown without chemicals or pesticides is beneficial to yourself, your community, and to local farmers.

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Environmental Working Group (EWG) offers consumer guides to the fruits and vegetables that have the highest and lowest pesticide impurities. The “Dirty Dozen” and “Clean Fifteen” lists can be found at ewg.org/foodnews.

Choose proteins from animals raised in their natural habitats, free of unnatural antibiotics and hormones. Buy sustainable or wild-caught seafood over farm-raised, grass-fed beef, pastured pork, free-range chicken, and cage-free eggs whenever possible.

Eating clean starts with the practice of preparing and consuming nutrient-dense, fresh & unprocessed whole foods. By embracing whole foods & minimizing processed ingredients, we are better able to understand the journey of food from its origin to our plates, while also fostering a sustainable environment.

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Blend ingredients in the listed order. Add ice to thinken as needed.

Top with almonds, dried cranberries & diced apples.

Eat well. Be Well.

YOKING WINE WITH THE LIMBS OF YOGA Q&A With Shanna Marx of Amara Wines

BY: SARAH BAZAKOS, RN BSN, RYT-200, FOUNDER OF POWER OF TWO, MN YOGA + LIFE MAGAZINE AMBASSADOR AND ELIAS BAZAKOS, MD, BROGA CERTIFIED TEACHER

PHOTO: ALISON MICKELSON 58

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HEALTH /

Drink

Shanna is a friendly, beautiful, and intelligent person who is passionate about her family, wine, and life. She and her husband own Amara Wines, a wine importer and distributor in Minnesota. Shanna is a certified sommelier (soh-mell-eeeAY) who is profoundly unassuming. A sommelier is a steward of wine who is knowledgeable in the details of its production, taste, and service. Yoga and wine offer similar experiences.

Both are ancient practices, natural processes, approachable to beginners, limitless in possibility for the most practiced, and can be as simple or complex as desired.

As we sit down in her tasting room, Shanna pours an amber wine from the country of Georgia. She explains that it is produced using an ancient wine-making technique with natural and earth-friendly methods. We drink the story just as we do the wine, which is dry and earthy, and mystically tastes like honey and apricot. We discussed the eight limbs of yoga and used that as a guide during the free-flowing conversation that ensued.

was a discolored green-blue. The soil in the next-door vineyard I visited looked normal, and they explained to me that organic standards allow for the spraying of vineyards with copper sulfate, a chemical that helps to reduce mold and rot. It is unnatural and oxidizes the soil, changing the soil chemically, and damaging its nutrients.

Many wineries that follow the most natural techniques don’t pursue certification because their standard is higher. Sheep can be used to eat underbrush, and horses that plow the fields leave behind manure as the fertilizer. Natural wineries maintain a life creating balance in the vineyard, treating the earth with ancient respect, putting back whatever gets taken. Vineyards and wines are living things and express themselves best in this way.

I was inspired by my own children, as I found myself thinking more carefully about how I fed them than how I fed myself. Once you realize that fast food isn’t really food, it’s a short step to discovering that some wines have so much chemical dumped in, that you can hardly call it wine anymore.”

Q: “The third limb is Asana (physical postures). Wine is described as having ‘body.’ The terms light, medium, and full body are used to describe the heaviness or weight of the wine in your mouth. How is this term relevant in a practical way?”

A: “In the same way that different yoga postures do different things for your body, wines of differing body serve different purposes. The body of wine selected can match a mood, event, company, or food.”

Q: “The fourth limb is Pranayama (breath). Breath is the most essential part of yoga. How is breath important to wine tasting?”

Q: “The first limb is Yama (universal morality). As one contemplates the value that wine brings to the table, what is the difference between a $10 and $1000 bottle of wine?”

A: “The most expensive wines earn their price tag because of their history, track record, and prestige. The price of expensive wine is driven by land value, costs including taxes and water, and even currency exchange rates. Vineyard land in Napa is some of the most expensive in the U.S. While there are great values for wine within the US, other nations like Portugal and Argentina can offer spectacular values. Great wine can be found for $20 a bottle, with quality similar to the most expensive wines.”

Q: “Yama also refers to non-violence. As non-violence pertains to nature, what’s the difference between boxed and bottled wine?”

A: “There are advantages and drawbacks to both. Boxed wine can be environmentally friendly, with recyclable cardboard and BPA-free lining.

However it’s not for age-worthy wines, because they are air-tight, and natural sediment can clog the dispenser. Though bottles can be recycled, they weigh a lot more, and the carbon footprint associated with the transport of bottles is much greater. Though cork is not recyclable, the cork industry is very important to Portugal because it finances the maintenance of the cork trees, the presence of which is preventing much of Portugal from becoming a desert.”

Q: “The second limb is Niyama (personal observances) and one aspect of this is Saucha (cleanliness). What does it mean when a wine is ‘certified organic’?”

A: “It means it has been certified by the USDA according to minimum criteria for grape growing and winemaking. It does not necessarily mean it’s healthy for you or made naturally. While I would tend to buy organic over conventional wine, there are some non-organic wineries that do it even better. I once visited an organic vineyard in the U.S. and noticed the soil

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A: “Breath is essential to grasp the complexity of wine. Being aware of the smells and aromas in wine adds quality to the experience. Our tongue is limited to the major taste groups, but our nose detects all the variations. There are layers of aroma in wine too. Smell the wine after it’s been poured and sitting undisturbed in the glass for a few minutes to experience delicate aromas; volatile esters that float inside the glass. Then swirl the wine to spread it around the glass and concentrate new aromas.

When you take a sip, another layer of aroma comes off the back of the tongue and throat and reaches the nose from the inside.”

Q: “The fifth limb is Pratyahara (self-examination). How does wine let us examine and express ourselves?”

A: “Wine lets you try different flavors to surprise yourself; it’s a world you can explore with little risk. It brings people together and creates a powerful bond through shared experiences, memories, and emotions.”

Q: “The sixth and seventh limbs are Dharana (concentration) and Dhyana (contemplation). The world of wine can seem overwhelming and complex. How would you advise someone new to wine to approach it?”

Neither wine nor wine people should be pretentious.

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HEALTH /

Drink

A: “Focus on enjoyment. Bring things into your life that you enjoy. It’s not worth doing if it’s not enjoyable. Contemplate your choice and contemplate the taste, allow yourself the desire to try new things, and don’t allow yourself to be intimidated. Push your comfort zone, and make your own rules. It’s OK to have white wine with your steak.”

Q: “The eighth limb of yoga is Samadhi (union), the ultimate stage of yoga where everything comes together. Can you describe what it is like to be a sommelier?

A: “Even a sommelier continues to learn. You realize there will always be more to learn. As the experience brings you higher, you meet others who enrich the experience. In recent classes, I learned the most from those who were willing to share their unique knowledge and listen to mine in return. They encouraged me to expand and grow in experience. A sommelier should be approachable. Neither wine nor wine people should be pretentious.”

Wine is a transcendent creation. Simple and complex, wine and the vineyards are living things. Without human influence, grapes and natural vineyard yeasts left to their own devices will ferment as nature intended. When this process is cradled by thoughtful hands that respect the work of nature, wine can offer experiences as deep as you want to go. Sound like anything else you know? The story of wine is important, and knowing an excellent teacher like Shanna can give one the chance to appreciate and benefit from an enriching and ancient human experience. As we end the interview, Shanna sends us off with a smile and a jar of her home-made kombucha.

corrin saintey PHOTOGRAPHY your yoga practice is unique. it heals. it challenges. it brings joy. it transforms.

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HEALTH /

Theraputics

SAD YOGA A Therapeutic Approach to Mental Health and Healing BY: MOLLY MCMANUS ART: LARA CORNELL

Addressing Stress, Anxiety and Depression within the context of Yoga’s 8 Limbs.

In a world where everything is becoming more fragmented, electrified and high-paced, many people find themselves becoming distracted, overwhelmed and increasingly affected by diseases of stress.

I began teaching classes specifically designed for people suffering from stress, anxiety and depression (SAD) around 4 years ago. For some time, in every class and teacher training I offered, I was met with people suffering greatly from stress that was manifesting itself as anxiety, depression, PTSD, or chronic pain. These people are seeking a way out of suffering, and it reminds me again of my own journey through anxiety and depression. When I turned to yoga, I found it to be the best “anti-anxiety medication” I had ever taken. I was able to deal with my suffering from a multi-level plan, and I knew that it had to be part of my life’s work to pass on this incredible gift of possibilities.

Yoga and Eastern philosophy have been used as a means for self-study (Svadyaya) for thousands of years. Yoga is a great tradition out of India with the specific purpose to help each individual find their own path to harmony and unity with their true Self. It provides a systematic approach to move away from suffering and toward the unity and harmony of the individual spirit. Yoga is an eight-limbed path toward selfrealization. Asana is just one small portion of that system. The tools laid out in the yogic texts if practiced regularly, will move you toward a more resilient and joyful life.

The model of allopathic medicine for mental illness is just beginning to embrace some of what yoga has known for centuries — that everything is connected and we must look at the whole to create lasting change.

Even doctors and other care providers are beginning to include yoga in their prescription for stress related diseases. Mayo Clinic says, “yoga brings together physical and mental disciplines to achieve peacefulness of body and mind, helping you relax and manage stress and anxiety.”

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Yogic perspective looks at the diseases of stress and what western medicine calls “mental illness” as a pattern of constriction. These constrictions are thought to take place in the five layers of the Koshas. The Koshas are aspects of each individual that range from the grossest layer that directly relates to the physical body, to the most subtle which relates to the layer most closely associated with soul or spirit. If there is a constriction at one layer, it will affect the whole system and cause suffering. Thus, the importance of working within a multi-layered approach.

To work with each layer of the five Koshas, a typical SAD class includes an emphasis on the Anamaya Kosha or physical body, working with the SomaYoga therapy understanding of the patterns of stress that manifest and get stuck in the

body. A portion of class uses specific practices designed to undo chronic contraction in the body, which can both be the result of stress and the continued cause of the chemical responses in the body that keep stress hormones flowing.

Movements range from smaller movements, to increase both proprioception and interoception, as well as larger movements, or asana, that help to positively change brain chemistry.

Breath, and the ability to connect to our resilient life force, are crucial in wellness. One direct way to affect mood is by changing breath pattern. Think of the old prescription of breathing into a paper bag for an anxiety attack. While this technique itself may not be used, classes focus on finding a connection to diaphragmatic breath patterns. Diaphragmatic breath patterns

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support the parasympathetic response. This encourages relaxation, digestion, and healing while simultaneously interrupting negative patterns such as breath holding or chest breathing. These negative patterns can cause the sympathetic nervous system to trigger and the fight or flight stress response to rule the brain and body. These breath patterns work at the layer of the Pranamaya Kosha.

Another aspect of suffering is what yoga refers to as avidya, or ignorance – ignorance of the truth of one’s actual nature as complete, connected, and whole. SAD classes examine the yogic maps of the Mind and the Kleshas, which is the process of suffering or separation in which many of us find ourselves. These maps begin to help us understand that we are not our thoughts, and that we can train our minds just like we can train our muscles. Work at the Manamaya or Mind layer, and Vijnanamaya or Wisdom layer, is using your mind to heal your brain, and find a deeper connection to the true self that is always connected, ever-present and does not suffer.

Class sizes are kept small (10-14 students) and are usually registration classes or longer workshops where a safe space can be created and a group can establish themselves to help the healing environment. Classes I’ve taught are Making a Change for Good - A Guide to Compassionate Self Discipline, Yoga for SAD: Stress, Anxiety and Depression, Working with the Chemistry of Joy by Henry Emmons and Partners in Resilience, The Mind Study, The Kleshas — the path of separation.

A recent documentary at CallMeMental.com features the work of a SAD class. If you’re interested in more information, including teacher training, contact YogaNorthDuluth.com or attend the workshop taking place at Tula Yoga and Wellness November 20–22, 2016.

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HEALTH /

Theraputics

YOGA FOR ADDICTION RECOVERY Breathing New Life into Treatment Plans

BY: KRISTI ABBOTT

began teaching yoga in a recovery center 5 years ago. During those 5 years, I have experienced a multitude of challenges and rewards.

When I first began teaching 16 years ago, I taught in a gym setting or small class settings, with people who were usually eager to try yoga. When I walked into the recovery center to teach, it was a whole new energy, new feeling and new challenge. The teacher is always the student in yoga, and in my case this couldn’t have been more applicable.

I knew the approach to teaching I had used before was not going to work. I wanted to get these clients to like yoga, and had to change their perspective on what it was. I sometimes had to start out with a challenging pose, or have everybody close their eyes and pick a yoga card out of the deck. I needed to make it feel like it wasn’t just another “group,” but an authentic experience. I needed to make it interesting and different, and learned by trial and error until I found strategies that worked. It was unconventional. Teaching with an open heart and open mind – it was my job to introduce to them, for possibly the first and only time, yoga.

I went through my own recovery a few years ago. After feeling sorry for myself and picking myself back up from the floor, I decided to do something positive, and bring yoga to a population who is often overlooked by society, those who have alcohol and drug addiction problems.

Most of these people have not done anything healthy for themselves for years. Most had never tried yoga, or even wanted to. The apprehension, fear and nervous energy of my clients was tangible the first few times I taught. I too was nervous, until I sat down and opened up about my own experiences. They were allowed to do the same, and from that day on, a beautiful union formed.

The apprehension, fear, and nervous energy of my clients was tangible.

Most of the people I’ve encountered in this work have changed my life and have made me a better person. The rewards of being able to watch someone go from nearly crying and not wanting to be in class at all, to relaxing comfortably in savasana, is like nothing else. Watching someone strip away years of physical and mental pain during a guided relaxation, or balance in tree pose for the first time, is what this is about. I once had a student who was skilled at martial arts before addiction consumed him.

He had never tried yoga before, but he appreciated how the breathing and meditation were very close to what he used to practice. After completing the program, he went on to find other yoga classes and eventually began doing martial arts again. I was excited to hear he was looking to teach himself. Those kinds of moments truly make all the challenges worth it.

It’s not about who you are, what you are, or where you came from when you do yoga. It’s about the person you are now, and becoming the person you want to be. It’s about hope, new experiences and feeling the sense of accomplishment that so many of us lack. I have received so much positive feedback over the years, and many of my clients outside of the facility are still practicing yoga. Yoga doesn’t only bring peace and calming to those in matching yoga outfits and water bottles, it brings yoga to those who hurt, those who need, and those who want to be better.

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Local

COMPILED BY: SHANNON STEFFENS MN YOGA + LIFE AMBASSADOR

October WEDGE COMMUNITY CO-OP COMMUNITY YOGA Wedge Table, Minneapolis Free gentle vinyasa class for all levels.

Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. beginning October 28 www.wedge.coop FALL WILDLIFE FESTIVAL Sherburne National Wildlife Refuge, Zimmerman 5k, food, wildlife crafts and art, education, wagon rides.

October 3 www.fws.gov/refuge/sherburne TWIN CITIES MEDTRONIC MARATHON WEEKEND Races of varying distances, walks, family activities.

October 2–4 www.tcmevents.org FALL FOLIAGE FEST Harmony, MN Tours, apple treats, Niagra Cave.

October 2–4 www.exploreharmony.com/events REFLEXOLOGY OF THE FEET WITH JUDITH HINZIE AND PAUL TROVECKE The Meditation Center, Minneapolis Learn the art of gentle pressing of points on the feet that effects change in other parts of the body.

October 3 www.themeditationcenter.org SHEEP & FIBER FARM TOUR Faribault, MN Self guided tour of fiber farms and the Woolen Mill. Includes sheep, lambs alpacas, angora rabbits, yaks, and more.

October 9–12 www.fiberfarmtour.com

VEDIC HEALING WITH PAT LAYTON The Meditation Center, Minneapolis Learn more about the healing practices of the Vedic culture before the era of Ayurvedic medicine.

October 15–17 www.themeditationcenter.org SUPER STRETCH KIDS YOGA TEACHER TRAINING Blooma Yoga, St. Paul Learn practical yoga play and get tips and tools on how to be a good yoga guide for toddlers through teens. No experience teaching yoga necessary.

October 17 JOIN MN YOGA + LIFE MAGAZINE EDITOR IN CHIEF AND FOUNDER OF BLUE LOTUS YOGA RETREATS

WINE & WELLNESS LUXURY YOGA RETREAT MAYACAMAS RANCH IN NAPA, CA

OCTOBER 13-17, 2016 4 NIGHT STAY IN PRIVATE COTTAGES OR ROOMS YOGA, MEDITATION + JOURNALING AND WELLNESS ACTIVITIES ORGANIC BEDDING ALL ORGANIC-BASED MEALS FROM ON-SITE GARDEN

www.blooma.com HEALTHY LIFE EXPO Minneapolis Convention Center Speakers, vendors, giveaways, and product demos.

October 17 www.mediamaxevents.com APPLE FEST Carlos Creek Winery, Alexandria Celebrate the apple harvest.

October 17 www.carloscreekwinery.com HAPPY HOUR ACUPUNCTURE Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Mendota Heights Group acupuncture session designed especially to relieve stress.

October 23 www.greenlotusyogactr.com MINDFULNESS YOGA & MEDITATION TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga and Wellness Center, Lakeville Learn to mindfully teach students the intimate and integrated relationship between meditation and asana. For yoga teachers. CEU credits: 20.

October 23–25 www.greenlotusyogactr.com YOGA SCULPT TEACHER TRAINING Core Power Yoga & Spa. Woodbury Strengthen your own practice, learn to lead a fun and safe Yoga Sculpt class, and take the opportunity to give back to others.

October 23 Email romy.ecker@corepoweryoga.com for more details.

SWIMMING PANORAMIC MOUNTAIN VIEWS WINE TASTING HIKING PRISTINE & PEACEFUL SURROUNDINGS BONFIRE SHOPPING AND TASTING EXCURSION

REIKI LEVEL 2 TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga and Wellness Center, Lakeville Delve into the origin and meaning of the 2nd & 3rd symbols of Reiki with David Kaley Prerequisite: Reiki Level 1.

October 24, 2015 www.greenlotusyogactr.com

SOMATICS & SOMAYOGA INTENSIVE Yoga North, Duluth Learn how Somatics can help us work toward smarter muscles.

October 9–11 www.yoganorthduluth.com

HAPPY HIPS & STUPID HUMAN TRICKS Yoga Center of Minneapolis Work to go deeper into hip opening poses so that you can progress into challenging armbalancing postures with ease.

October 25 www.yogacentermpls.com

YOGA FOR CANCER CARE TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Lakeville For cancer survivors, patients, medical professionals, yoga and fitness instructors. CEU credits: 20.

October 10 www.greenlotusyogactr.com

CHINESE FOOD THERAPY The Wedge, Minneapolis Join licensed acupuncturists Leah Liefield and Ben Jacobson for a fun, informative wellness workshop where you will learn the medicinal therapy of Chinese food. They’ll conduct live

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demos to show you the effect of food on different body types.

October 27, 7–9 p.m. nwhealth.edu/behealthyevents PERSONAL PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT SERIES Yoga Center of Minneapolis Explore challenges surrounding your yoga practice, identify limitations, and develop your strengths. Second session in December 2015 Session 1: Wednesdays starting October 28– November 18 www.yogacentermpls.com TERROR TROT Minneapolis 5K run starting at the Lake Harriet Band shell to benefit the Children’s hospitals of Minnesota.

October 31 busybodypromotions.com/terrortrot THAI YOGA BODYWORK LEVEL 1 & 2 TRAININGS Devanadi School of Yoga and Wellness October 28–November 4 www.devanadiyoga.com/thai-yoga-bodywork/ bodywork-courses ANNUAL HALLOWEEN OUTDOOR PUPPET EXTRAVAGANZA This is a larger then life pageant of puppetry, drama, stilting, dance, fire, song, and music that honors the circle of life by celebrating its seasonal arc of death in the fall.

October 31 barebonespuppets.org/halloween-show KIDS YOGA TEACHER TRAINING CorePower Yoga & Spa, Edina Join us for our first ever Kids Yoga Teacher Training! This program will prepare you to teach kids to breathe, stretch, play, and make NAMASTE a part of their day!

October 29 kim.nelson@corepoweryoga.com

November PARENT AND CHILD THERAPEUTIC YOGA WITH JENNIFER DERHAM Live True Yoga, St. Michael Jennifer will use Yoga Calm techniques to teach you and your children the healing and calming powers of yoga in a fun and interactive way.

November 15, 22, 29 www.livetrueyogastudio.com PARTNER YOGA Live True Yoga Studio, St. Michael Deepen the impact and experience of your practice by joining forces with a partner for this fun and playful 90 minute class.

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November 6 www.livetrueyogastudio.com WEDGE COMMUNITY CO-OP COMMUNITY YOGA Wedge Table, Minneapolis Free gentle vinyasa class for all levels Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. www.wedge.coop YOGANANDA-STYLE KIRTAN River Garden Yoga Center, St. Paul Includes chants from the Yogananda tradition (mostly sung in English) with meditation to deepen the inner experience. Suggested Donation: $10–$15.

November 6, 7:30–9:30 p.m. www.awake-in-life.com/chant-meditate YIN YOGA TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Mendota Heights Yin Yoga is an intensely deep form of yoga and requires specialized study to teach or to deepen your personal Yin practice. For yoga teachers and yin students. CEU credits: 20.

November 6–8 www.greenlotusyogactr.com REEFUEL WORKSHOP WEEKEND Jes Rosenberg, Decorah Iowa November 6: Power Vinyasa Yoga Class.

November 7: The Art of Alignment + Inversion Workshop. www.reefuel.biz PSYCHIC SALON Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Lakeville Group reading by Intuitive, Amy Vasterling.

November 6 www.greenlotusyogactr.com DISCOVERY DAY Northwestern Health Sciences University, Bloomington Get to know Northwestern Health Sciences University! We’re at the helm of the natural healthcare revolution, and we want you to join us. Visit us during Discovery Days to shadow a student, speak to our faculty, and experience campus life firsthand. See our healing garden, herbal dispensary, fitness center, and bookstore.

November 7, 9–noon nwhealth.edu/ddregistration

aspect of working in an off-site location, as well as creating sequences and individual plans for a variety of student abilities and environments including chair-based yoga and meditation. CEU credits: 19.

November 13–14 www.greenlotusyogactr.com INTUITIVE READINGS WITH LAURIE WONDRA Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Mendota Heights 30-minute private readings to connect you with your angels or loved ones, give insight into your past lives, or facilitate healing.

November 14 www.greenlotusyogactr.com NATURAL HEALING AND PSYCHIC FESTIVAL Courtyard Marriot: Mankato Learn about a variety of alternative options for Natural Healing and health as well as get Psychic readings.

November 14–15 matrixmediaexpo.jigsy.com HAPPY HOUR ACUPUNCTURE Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Lakeville & Mendota Heights Group acupuncture session is designed especially to relieve stress.

November 20 www.greenlotusyogactr.com BE THE LIGHT COMMUNITY APPRECIATION & ANNIVERSARY EVENT CorePower Yoga & Spa, Maple Grove We want to celebrate our Yoga Community!

FREE Yoga all day. Live Music. Free food and refreshments. Biggest retail sale of the year.

Don’t miss this!

November 21 jamie.nelson@corepoweryoga.com LIFETIME TURKEY DAY 5K Minneapolis Start your Thanksgiving off with a fun event.

Where else can you not only get in your run, yet participate in events like Turkey Bowling. Carnival, REI photo booth, cider and coffee.

November 26 www.turkeyday-5k.com/page/show/370479minneapolis

CHOCOLATE FROLIC 5K/10K Harriet Island Pavilion Run and expo that covers all things chocolate!

November 8 www.chocoholicfrolicrun.com/stpaul/quick-info. html

BEAST TO FEAST 5K Lake Calhoun Thanksgiving day run. All proceeds benefit the Children’s Hospitals of Minnesota.

November 26 busybodypromotions.com/beast2feast

TEACHING IN THE WORKPLACE TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Lakeville This hands-on session includes the business

PARTNER PLAY Yoga Center of Minneapolis Experience Partner Yoga. Learn the tips, tech-

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niques and tools to teach connection through the unique and uplifting practice.

Saturday, November 28 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m. www.yogacentermpls.com FESTIVAL OF TREES Rochester Kick off your holiday season with the 30th annual Hiawatha Homes Foundations Festival of Trees.

November 24 and 27–29 hiawathahomes.org/festival-of-trees CITY OF LIGHTS AND FIREWORKS FESTIVAL Nisswa Enjoy horse drawn wagon rides, bonfires and holiday carolers. Love Lights A Tree dedication and a Santa Claus appearance. Ending with the lighting of Nisswa, and fireworks.

November 27 www.nisswa.com

RIVER!

spirit, your life!

BENTLEYVILLE TOUR OF LIGHTS Duluth, MN Free walk through tour of lights - a Duluth winter tradition.

November 21–December 27 www.bentleyvilleusa.org WOMEN’S HEALTH LECTURE LifeTime Fitness, Roseville Women face a unique set of challenges in health care. Join Dr. Oyelowo as she explains her approach to women’s health and addresses how to change the way we think about health care for women.

November (date and time TBA) nwhealth.edu/behealthyevents

December

e‐ www.azitala.com

2015 SEMINARS

2-4 hours instruction as well as practice, details will be posted at www.azitala.com JANUARY: “26 POSES” Breaking down 26 static traditional yoga poses FEBRUARY: “WHAT DOES YOUR YOGA LOOK LIKE” Finding peace in yourself and your yoga visualization MARCH: “DEEP TISSUE STRETCHING” Intro to anatomy and deep stretching with straps APRIL: “YOGA ON YOUR HANDS AND ARMS” Breaking down arm balancing and learning courage MAY: “AHHH DEEP BREATHS” Breathing techniques for stress reduction and anxiety JUNE: “CLEAN FROM THE INSIDE OUT” Clean eating and cleansing postures for detoxing

HOT YOGA IN ELK RIVER SCHEDULE AND REGISTRATION AVAILABLE AT WWW.AZITALA.COM

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WINTER COURTYARD Landmark Center, St. Paul Celebrate the opening of the indoor Wells Fargo Skating Rink with family fun.

November 28 www.landmarkcenter.org

WEDGE COMMUNITY CO-OP COMMUNITY YOGA Wedge Table, Minneapolis Free gentle vinyasa class for all levels.

Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. www.wedge.coop HOLIDAZLE VILLAGE AND MARKET PLACE Downtown Minneapolis Shopping and events from glass blowing to dog sled races and even an ice skating rink.

Village is open: November 28, 29, 30 and December 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, and 21 Market Place is open daily: November 28–December 24, 2015 www.holidazzle.com PERSONAL PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT SERIES Yoga Center of Minneapolis Explore challenges surrounding your yoga practice, identify limitations, and develop your strengths.

Session 2: Wednesdays starting December 2–23 www.yogacentermpls.com YOGA & AYURVEDA TEACHER TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Lakeville Learn about doshas, gunas, marma points, mantra and more. For yoga teachers. CEU credits: 26.

December 4–6 www.greenlotusyogactr.com SNOWFLAKE SHUFFLE St Joseph This is a fun run that some say has the best

long sleeved T-Shirt in Minnesota.

December 5 www.snowflakeshuffle.com CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Mendota Heights Complementary healing services, classes and annual gift card sale.

December 5 www.greenlotusyogactr.com HOLIDAY ON MAIN Lakeville Fun family celebration in downtown Lakeville featuring visits from Santa Clause, stories from Mrs. Claus, trolley rides, live reindeer, face painting and more.

December 5 downtownlakeville.com/event/holiday-on-main MASTER REIKI TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Lakeville Final attunement to become a master Reiki practitioner with David Kaley.

Prerequisite: Reiki Levels 1 & 2 December 12 www.greenlotusyogactr.com CHAIR YOGA TEACHER TRAINING WORKSHOP Devanadi School of Yoga and Wellness, Minneapolis Chair yoga’s therapeutic adaptive exercises work your body from head to toe and allow you as a yoga teacher or caregiver to develop a new niche to your yoga teaching and learn to ‘Sit Your Way to Better Health.’

December 12 www.devanadiyoga.com

SANTA’S HOLIDAY WORKSHOP Landmark Center, St. Paul Kids are able to make gifts, visit Santa, and play games.

December 13 www.landmarkcenter.org CHAIR YOGA 101 Yoga Center of Minneapolis Chair yoga’s therapeutic adaptive exercises work your body from head to toe and allow you as a yoga teacher or caregiver to develop a new niche to your yoga teaching and learn to ‘Sit Your Way to Better Health.’

December 18 www.yogacentermpls.com SANDSTONE ICE FESTIVAL Sandstone Festival of ice climbing.

December 18–20 sandstoneicefest@gmail.com

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January WEDGE COMMUNITY CO-OP COMMUNITY YOGA Wedge Table, Minneapolis Free gentle vinyasa class for all levels.

Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. www.wedge.coop 235 HR (RYT 200) WINTER WEEKEND YOGA TEACHER TRAINING & INTENSIVE Devanadi School of Yoga and Wellness Starts January 2016.

Early Bird to save $200: Nov 15, 2015 www.devanadiyoga.com/training/235-hourdevanadi-yoga THAI YOGA BODYWORK LEVEL 1 & 2 TRAININGS Devanadi School of Yoga and Wellness January 29–February 5 www.devanadiyoga.com/thai-yoga-bodywork/ bodywork-courses 240-HOUR YOGA TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAM Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center 200-hour certified yoga teacher training. Graduate with the ability to sequence and teach Gentle, Hatha and Vinyasa 1. Strong philosophy, anatomy and pranayama curriculum to compliment the physical aspects of the practice.

January–June www.greenlotusyogactr.com YOGA STUDIES: MEDITATION, PRANAYAMA AND YOGA PHILOSOPHY Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Lakeville The first module of our 240-Hour teacher training. Open to all students or teachers interested in deepening their understanding of these topics.

January 12–March 29 www.greenlotusyogactr.com US POND HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS Minneapolis Outdoor hockey at it’s best. A great time to enjoy winter and see some great hockey.

January 14–17 www.uspondhockey.com LIFE OF SWAMI VEDA BHARATI PART 1 WITH SWAMI RITAVAN BHARATI The Meditation Center, Minneapolis January 21 www.themeditationcenter.org KITE FEST Lake Harriet Bandshell, Minneapolis See kites of all shapes, sizes, colors and themes flying over frozen Lake Harriet. Also enjoy horse-drawn wagon rides, snowshoeing, ice fishing and a marshmallow roast.

January 16

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http://lindenhills.org/event/kitefest-2016 MINI RETREAT AT THE MEDITATION CENTER The Meditation Center, Minneapolis January 22, 23, 24 www.themeditationcenter.org ST. PAUL WINTER CARNIVAL This is a Minnesota tradition running for 10 days during the coldest months. There are parades, a 5K, medallion hunt, and dozens of other fun activities for the entire family.

January 28–February 7 www.wintercarnival.com HOT FUSION YOGA TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Mendota Heights Hot Fusion Yoga is a powerful, life-changing practice. For yoga teachers and students. CEU

AN AUTHENTIC SCHOOL OF YOGA

RADIANTLIFEYOGA.COM

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GRATITUDE FLOW DONATION CLASS North Minneapolis Studio Join us for a special Thanksgiving Day class. We will offer up our intentions of gratitude through meditation, vinyasa, and pranayama. Proceeds will be donated.

November 26 10:00 a.m.–11:30 p.m.

CHITTA PRASADANAM WORKSHOP DONATION CLASS Uptown Minneapolis Studio Examine how your thoughts and expectations affect the physical world.

December 12

credits: 20.

January 29–31 www.greenlotusyogactr.com

February WEDGE COMMUNITY CO-OP COMMUNITY YOGA Wedge Table, Minneapolis Free gentle vinyasa class.

Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. www.wedge.coop 300 RYT TEACHER TRAINING STARTS Radiant Life Yoga, Uptown Minneapolis Studio Advanced Training for dedicated yogis of all backgrounds and experience. We explore yoga through multiple mediums; postural, physi-

200 & 300 TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS INFORMATIONAL SESSION Uptown Minneapolis Studio Students in our training program graduate with not only a depth of philosophical knowledge, but refined and polished public speaking and teaching skills. We offer yoga with a spiritual intention, and invite profound awakening into your life!

January 9 10:30–11:30 a.m.

200 & 300 RYT TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS INFORMATIONAL SESSION Uptown Minneapolis Studio Students in our training program graduate with not only a depth of philosophical knowledge, but refined and polished public speaking & teaching skills. We offer yoga with a spiritual intention, and invite profound awakening into your life!

March 25

200 RYT TEACHER TRAINING Uptown Minneapolis Studio Dive deep into the foundational elements of teaching yoga in a spirit true to the roots. Explore philosophy, asana, sequencing, adjustments, western & energetic anatomy, bandha, mudra, sanskrit, shatkarma, nutrition, classical texts, mantra, meditation more.

Starts February 2

200 RYT TEACHER TRAINING Uptown Minneapolis Studio Explore philosophy, asana, sequencing, adjustments, western & energetic anatomy, bandha, mudra, sanskrit, shatkarma, nutrition, classical texts, mantra, meditation more.

April 2016

HOMEMADE BODY PRODUCTS WORKSHOP Uptown Minneapolis Studio Join us for simple and straightforward tips to take your beauty routine to the next level. Create decadent skin care recipes that are delicious, edible and leave your skin glowing and alive.

March 19

SPRING JUICE CLEANSING 101 WORKSHOP Uptown Minneapolis Studio Why only green vegetable juices? How to navigate detox? How to handle cravings? We’ll delve into skin cleansing, wheatgrass, colonics, ancient yoga body cleansing techniques and more.

April 16

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ological, energetic, biochemical, mathematical, sacred geometry, archetypes, and more.

Starts February 3 www.radiantlifeyoga.com LIFE OF SWAMI VEDA BHARATI PART 2 WITH SWAMI RITAVAN BHARATI The Meditation Center, Minneapolis February 4 www.themeditationcenter.org SKIING LOPPET Minneapolis A jam-packed weekend of out-door skiing events.

February 5–7 www.loppet.org/cityoflakesloppet MINI RETREAT AT THE MEDITATION CENTER The Meditation Center, Minneapolis February 5, 6, 7 www.themeditationcenter.org LOPPET Mora, MN If you enjoy cross-country skiing and want to get way from the cities this is a fun event.

February 6 www.moramn.com RAW MEXICO YOGA + ADVENTURE San Pancho, Nayarit, Mexico Join our Publisher, Juli Rathke and friends in Mexico for her 3rd Annual Yoga + Adventure at a private jungle location.

February 17–22 www.julirathke.com EAST MEETS WEST ASANA ANATOMY TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Lakeville Journey deep within the physical and subtle aspects (chakras, koshas, marmas) of the practice of teaching asana. CEU credits: 26.

February 12–14 www.greenlotusyogactr.com LITTLE LOTUS KIDS YOGA TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Mendota Heights Learn how to relate the wisdom of yoga to the kids in your life. Perfect for daycare providers, teachers, parents and yoga teachers. CEU credits: 14.

February 26–28 www.greenlotusyogactr.com 8TH ANNUAL WOLFTRACK CLASSIC, Ely A great chance to view dog sled racing and enjoy winter.

February 27–28 www.wolftrackclassic.com HOME AND GARDEN SHOW, Minneapolis

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If winter has you feeling hemmed in, start planning your next fun family project.

February 26-28 and March 4–6 www.homeandgardenshow.com/MHGS/EventsHome.aspx GRUMPY OLD MEN FESTIVAL, Wabasha This weekend has it all-ice fishing, a plaid parade, cribbage tournament, bingo and minnow races.

February 27 www.wabashamn.org/grumpyoldmenfest

Escape the winter blues and relax at the beautiful eco-yoga retreat center of Xinalani outside of Puerto Vallarta. Daily yoga and tai chi sessions tailored to attendees.

March 12–19 www.greenlotusyogactr.com/events-retreats.php

ST PATRICK’S DAY PARADE Enjoy this annual tradition celebrating Irish culture.

March 17 at noon www.stpatsmn.org

KISS MY ASANA A month-long, virtual, global yogathon where participants dedicate their February yoga practice to support the adaptive yoga program at Mind Body Solutions. Kick off event with Matthew Sanford January 31 at Aria Minneapolis.

February www.mindbodysolutions.org

IRISH DAY & IRISH DAY OF DANCE Landmark Center, St. Paul A celebration of all things Irish.

March 17 & March 20 www.irishmusicanddanceassociation.org/stpatricksday.html

March

NATURAL HEALING AND PSYCHIC FESTIVAL Courtyard Marriot, Mankato Learn about a variety of alternative options for natural healing and health and get Psychic readings.

March 19–20 matrixmediaexpo.jigsy.com

WEDGE COMMUNITY CO-OP COMMUNITY YOGA Wedge Table, Minneapolis Free gentle vinyasa class for all levels.

Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. www.wedge.coop INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF OWLS Houston, MN This weekend is the only full weekend everything owl event in North America. There are events for the entire family from kids art and howling contest to the birding tour and nest box building.

March 4–6 www.festivalofowls.com THE ART OF ASSISTING AND ADJUSTING TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Mendota Heights Intensive study for yoga teachers focusing on assists and hands-on adjustments that will deepen your teaching skills. CEU credits: 22.

March 4–6 www.greenlotusyogactr.com ASSISTING AND ADJUSTING TRAINING LEVEL 2 Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Lakeville Assisting and adjusting for a series of advanced postures in addition to modifications for special populations with common injuries, weight and health issues. Prerequisite: Level 1 or equivalent. CEU credits: 13.

March 11–13 www.greenlotusyogactr.com MEXICO YOGA & SPA RETREAT Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center

April WEDGE COMMUNITY CO-OP COMMUNITY YOGA Wedge Table, Minneapolis Free gentle vinyasa class for all levels.

Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. www.wedge.coop SCOTTISH RAMBLE AND TARTAN DAY Landmark Center, St. Paul The largest Scottish Festival in the mid-west.

April 2 www.facebook.com/pages/Scottish-Ramble/113315882023194 RESTORATIVE YOGA TEACHER TRAINING Green Lotus Yoga and Healing Center, Lakeville Based on Judith Lasater’s Relax and Renew®, this training is designed for yoga teachers and yoga students who want to deepen their personal practice. CEU credits: 20.

April 8–10 www.greenlotusyogactr.com MINNEAPOLIS YOGA CONFERENCE Hyatt Regency Hotel, Downtown Minneapolis Providing a safe and transformative learning experience that allows each participant to go deeper, connect and awaken to who they truly are through the teachings and practices of yoga.

April 15–18 www.mplsyogaconference.com

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