By Heather Van Dalfsen, M.Ed, C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, Certified Yoga Therapist, Yoga Teacher and Pilates Teacher Photo Credit to Heather Van Dalfsen “The land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness.” Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass Every season has its gifts, yet in the warmer months, the sun’s potency pulses with the […]
Read More ›
By: Heather Van Dalfsen, MED, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, Certified Yoga Therapist, Yoga and Pilates Teacher Each summer 5 Koshas offers outdoor yoga in two different locations. One is atop Rib Mountain, and the other is at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum Sculpture Garden. Practicing in nature offers many benefits, according to Heather Van Dalfsen, […]
Read More ›
By: Heather Van Dalfsen, MEd, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, Certified Yoga Therapist, Yoga and Pilates Teacher “I didn’t realize how tense I had been in my shoulders and back but also in my mind. My thoughts have been racing since my breast cancer diagnosis. When I was in relaxation at the end of the yoga class, […]
Read More ›
By Heather Van Dalfsen, Certified Yoga Therapist, Yoga Teacher & Pilates Teacher in Training Movement. Everyday you have the opportunity to move. • From fingers, toes, limbs and spine • To creating facial expressions • To subtle internal movements through shallow breathing, deep breathing • Through softly singing, humming or • Even imagining these ‘movement’ […]
Read More ›
By Heather Van Dalfsen, MEd, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT Habits are always of interest to me. Even though they are part of our human experience, many of us move through life and our habits on ‘cruise control,’ a subconscious auto-pilot, where we don’t stop to see, hear and feel what is happening. There are some days […]
Read More ›
By Heather Van Dalfsen, MEd, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT | Photo Credit: Heather Van Dalfsen I Remember… When my 7th grade English teacher offered this writing prompt, I sat up with my attention. “Short, detailed slices of your life,” he repeated as he moved around the room in his cadenced, heavy-heeled walking pace. He loved his […]
Read More ›
By Heather Van Dalfsen, MEd. C-IAYT, E-RYT 500, Certified Yoga Therapist and Viniyoga Teacher Your outdoor ‘green space’ yoga practice invites you to reconnect with the earth, stretch to the sky, inhale fresh oxygen and exhale a sense of groundedness – present for even one breath cycle, especially after such a significant year of change, […]
Read More ›
“Your Mother is in the closet with the kids.” I paused and tried to picture this. My Dad continued, “I’m not sure if she’s teaching the kids something or trying to find a new perspective?” His voice trailed off as I stared at my cell phone. “Send me a picture Dad. I’ve got to see […]
Read More ›
Tempers, Tools & Pandemic Ponderings, Part 1 What. Are. You. Doing?! A low, loud voice attached to an angry face bellowed to me from an open car window. The honking came next to punctuate the intensity. My emotions rallied and my stress response accelerated. What WAS I doing? The drive north over the Mackinac Bridge […]
Read More ›
“I rarely laughed at my husband’s jokes.” Recently I spoke at the Alzheimer’s Association Conference to support caregivers. After a short yoga practice of breath guided movements, the caregivers participated in a meditation that invited them to pause in gratitude for themselves, the choice they made to attend the conference and for the sacred work […]
Read More ›
“Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” -John Muir Free yourself from winter hibernation + Free yourself from cold weather tension and stagnancy + Free time to be outside, breathe, […]
Read More ›
Resolve – settle or find a solution; decide firmly on a new course of action Revolution – to overthrow a social order in favor of a new system (Google.com) Could ‘New Year Resolutions’ be overthrown? What if they were erased from our culture? How would we react? What would we talk about? Would we still […]
Read More ›
“Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.” — Pablo Picasso Most of us are aware when we are stressed: the shortness of breath, tension in areas of the body, stomach twinges and mental meltdowns indicate how much stress we are dealing with. It also invites us to slow down, breathe and acknowledge what […]
Read More ›
Just the word ‘violence’ catches our attention. We are inundated with violence in movies, media; an overload of destruction and hurt and an ‘underload’ of kindness and compassion. For many, MMA – Mixed Martial Arts – is synonymous with some type of combat, rough and tumble contact and yes, even violence. So where does the […]
Read More ›
How do you fuel yourself? Working-out Outdoor activities Food Family and friends Music Quiet…? Recently a student stated, “Remind me what the 5 Koshas represent.”
Read More ›
Did you grow up in a family where there was little time for boredom or do you remember days of announcing to anyone that would listen, ‘I’m bored!’ As an adult trying to stay physically active and mentally sharp, boredom can be a challenge. Muscles get bored with repetitive activity while the multi-tasking mind needs […]
Read More ›
It’s almost that time again. The snow that filled the amphitheater atop Rib Mountain has been soaked back into the earth or evaporated into the sky. This corner of the world that peers over Wausau offering quiet respite, a vast view and one of the best ‘seats in the house’ is ready and waiting for […]
Read More ›
My next purchase will be a telescope. Until then, when the evening sky is clear, a few times a week you can find me standing in my yard, activating my Star Chart application and lifting my iPhone to the sky. I can now observe the intricate web of relationships between the stars, planets and galaxies, […]
Read More ›
I recently presented to a small group of individuals who were curious about yoga. Many in the group had heard about yoga, had watched yoga DVD’s, or had friends or relatives interested in yoga.
Read More ›