Cohort 1 Boreal Bliss 200hr Teacher Training Graduates
Cohort 1
They went through yoga teacher training with us in the early days of the pandemic - a unique experience in its own right. Nine amazing women joined us for for 200 hours of education from August 2020-May 2021. Since their certification, many of our graduates have joined us as assistants and teachers at our yoga retreats. From Birchwood Wilderness Camp, to Camp Olson, and Eagle Bluff ELC - we’ve genuinely appreciated the opportunity to continue to mentor these amazing women. We also appreciate their unique areas of expertise, talents, and abilities while at retreats!
Learn more about a handful of our Cohort 1 graduates
Keep reading to learn about some of our grads’ surprising experiences in YTT, and what they’ve been up to since they completed training in May 2021!
Want to know more about 2022-2023 Boreal Bliss 200hr Yoga Teacher Training?
We are currently accepting applications for our next cohort. The idea behind this yoga teacher training is to bring aspiring yogis along, learn together in community, and grow through yoga and immersion in nature. This program will be a retreat-style offering, true to Boreal Bliss Yoga Retreats. Boreal means “of the north” and our training will largely take place in the wild north of Minnesota. Read more here: 2022-2023 Boreal Bliss 200hr Yoga Teacher Training.
Colombe Anderson
What's your favorite time of year and why?
Summer - its hot, days are longer, hiking, camping.
What is yoga to you?
Yoga saved me. It helps me manage my chronic pain, it grounds me, helps me to deal with all life has to throw at me.
Why did you decide to commit to a yoga teacher training?
I wanted to deepen my knowledge about yoga and share my love for it.
What surprised you during yoga teacher training?
How emotional it was and the connections you make with your fellow trainees.
Where are you currently teaching, what is your teaching style, and how can potential students find your classes/get ahold of you?
I teach through the Cloquet Community Ed as well as having a YouTube channel -everyBodies Yoga- where I post flows, guided meditation, and modification videos for poses. You can also follow me on Instagram @everybodiesyogallc.
If you could tell someone interested in yoga anything (but they may be leery to give it a try) what would it be?
Do it, you will not regret it! It will change your life in so many ways and you will make deep connections that will last forever.
Michelle LeBlanc
Where are you from?
Little Falls, MN
What's your favorite time of year and why?
Winter; it just feels so peaceful.
What is yoga to you?
Finding and connecting with your true self.
Why did you decide to commit to a yoga teacher training?
I love educating myself. I really enjoyed yoga as part of my fitness routine but I felt I needed to dig a little deeper and answer the question that I get asked quite often and that I used to ask myself "What is yoga?" It is so much more than a physical exercise!
What surprised you during yoga teacher training?
There were many surprises! First off, it may sound funny to some, but I learned how to breathe! Second, I went into the training with really no intention of becoming a yoga instructor but soon discovered not only am I capable of teaching yoga, I want to! Finally, and probably most important, I opened up a whole new chapter in my "life book" titled ME.
If applicable, where are you currently teaching, what is your teaching style, and how can potential students find your classes/get ahold of you?
Well, my physical yoga adventure is currently "on hold" as I recover from surgery. I am still exploring my teaching style. I love vinyasa flow and yin, but sometimes I feel like I need something a little more challenging. So I guess when the time comes. I would offer different classes throughout the week and see what my clients enjoy most!
If you could tell someone interested in yoga anything (but they may be leery to give it a try) what would it be?
Trust me...You can do it!
Alayna Sobieniak
Where are you from?
Minnesota, Grew up on Lake Minnetonka but it looked much different than today. My parents bought a fixer upper on the west end of the lake and my dad spent our entire childhood building it. We spent most of our days "free ranging" in and around the water.
What's your favorite time of year and why?
I really do appreciate all weather and season. I love the colors of autumn and the sense of change in the air. Winter is so beautiful and quiet and always makes me proud to be a hearty Minnesotan. Spring brings puddle stomping, the return of light, life everywhere. But Summer will always hold my heart...spending every minute outside, the long hours of sunshine, the warmth, the camping trips, and the fun energy. Every season is a reminder that life is always moving and changing which can be such an important reminder when you feel stuck.
What is yoga to you?
There is something my BB teachers say about yoga "The more you learn, the more you realize you have to learn" (Ladies please adjust this quote if I dont have it quite right, THanks) Yoga started for me as a means to connect my body and practice mindfulness, to quiet the sounds of anxiety and depression. Then as I started attending yoga retreats, it became a way for me to deeply care for myself, opening myself to emotions and sensations and connections. Finally once diving into the true study of yoga and its roots, I see it clearly now as my lifelong practice and study. There will always be new ways for me to grow in my practice and knowledge of yoga, and what it brings to me in life will always be changing.
Why did you decide to commit to a yoga teacher training?
After attending a few yoga retreats (solo too!) I was amazed at how I felt after only two days. I would move, and cry, and share, and reflect. I came back a better person, a better mom, partner, and friend. I knew I had to do something like this seasonally for my physical and mental health. At Wolf Ridge a few years back I was hiking with Amanda and talking about the benefits of yoga, and me being a teacher, of course I was drawn to the idea of deepening my knowledge and learning how to share this with other. Amanda planted a seed that day when she mentioned they dreamed of doing a YTT and someday maybe we could work together at retreats. I was about to leave on a family gap year and we wrote out goals we wanted to accomplish during that time. I added YTT to that list. Our gap year was cut short with the pandemic onset so as I sat in my parents house, with no direction to go. BB YTT pops up and there was not a second of doubt. I signed up immediately, knowing full well I trusted these ladies to lead me on this journey and that there would never be a better time. I committed to YTT for my own personal health, mental and physical, because I was chasing that feeling retreats brought me. What I received was so much more. I will forever be grateful to myself for taking that leap in that moment.
What surprised you during yoga teacher training?
How deeply I connected with the roots of yoga, the study of the 8 limb path, Yama and Niyamas, the Sutras. I did not grow up with a religion per say, we were taught to be kind and open hearted people but never had a "framework". As I began reading the Yamas and Niyamas I quickly saw how helpful it can be to have these kinds of lessons and principles written out, and how you can look to them for guidance and apply them to your life during challenging times. As I read the Sutras I clarified by understanding and view of myself, my ego, and my connection to a higher power. These were some major shifts I felt vibrate throughout myself and my life.
Also the courage of the women that I shared YTT with. For us all to step into an unknown place and time, not knowing each other at all, and come out with such deep love for one another. I will always hold my cohort and teachers near and dear to my heart and have gratitude for us all for pushing fear aside, showing up, sharing our hearts, and holding each other up.
If applicable, where are you currently teaching, what is your teaching style, and how can potential students find your classes/get ahold of you?
My yoga teaching style is very gentle, meditative, and connected to nature. I love leading people through mindful movement and then into deep relaxation, using guided body scans, and meditations. I am currently offering the occasional virtual class or in person class in and around Lanesboro, Minnesota. My first passion, teaching young children, has my full attention these days, as I find myself back in (or out of) the classroom as a full time Nature Preschool Teacher! I am looking forward to adding regularly scheduled yoga classes for children and adults in the summer!
If you could tell someone interested in yoga anything (but they may be leery to give it a try) what would it be?
There is truly a yoga practice for everyone. Listen for the teachers that you connect with, listen to your own body and needs, and find a practice that fill you body, mind, and spirit.
Jessica Baumhofer
Where are you from?
St Paul
What's your favorite time of year and why?
Summer and Autumn are tied because I love to spend as much time outside!
What is yoga to you?
Yoga is coming to my mat and connecting deeply to myself through my breath and movement. It is my way to focus and center myself and slow down the chaos. It allows me to manage my mental, physical and spiritual health in a beautiful way. Yoga is not only movement but a way of life- aspiring to living more ethically and purposefully.
Why did you decide to commit to a yoga teacher training?
Boreal Bliss changed my life, when I went to my first retreat I learned that “if you are breathing you are practicing Yoga” I had never felt that before. I felt so moved and connected with my self. I wanted to help others feel this way and that Yoga is for ALL bodies!
What surprised you during yoga teacher training?
I never expected 9 women to connect so genuinely and so deeply! (And all the tears ha)
Where are you currently teaching, what is your teaching style, and how can potential students find your classes/get ahold of you?
Zen Fitness and Wellness in White Bear Lake. I am also teaching on my own via zoom. Feel free to reach out: ligeiasmom@gmail.com. I prefer a more gentle practice and teach candlelight every week. Tuesdays at 7pm. I am also loving teaching traditional Vinyasa but with a gentle pace and lots of modifications. I teach a flow Wednesdays at 9am. I believe Yoga is truly for ALL bodies and I would love to assist you on your journey.
If you could tell someone interested in yoga anything (but they may be leery to give it a try) what would it be?
I would tell them that Yoga truly is for them, it is gentle movements and breath- it is for every one of us. There are many ways to practice the physical, come to a class or try a video or a zoom. You can keep your camera off! Have an open heart and mind and remember this is for you!
Candace Henry
Where are you from?
Park Rapids
What's your favorite time of year and why?
Fall, because we are able to reflect and integrate the fun and intensity of the summer. The colors and sent of the earth as things change.
What is yoga to you?
A guide and tools to embody my truth and live fully.
Why did you decide to commit to a yoga teacher training?
To expand my understanding of yoga beyond the Asanas and acquire tools to be able to share the life changing aspects of the practice with others.
What surprised you during yoga teacher training?
How all encompassing yoga is. Beyond the mat and how it truly permeates all aspects of life.
Also, my own ability to truly show up for myself.
If applicable, where are you currently teaching, what is your teaching style, and how can potential students find your classes/get ahold of you?
Currently I teach weekly chakra vinyasa at 180 Balance in Detroit lakes mn as well as private yoga sessions at ReLakes professional massage in Detroit lakes.
I love teaching empowering and fluid vinyasa as well as meditation and pranayama.
If you could tell someone interested in yoga anything (but they may be leery to give it a try) what would it be?
You’re worth the sacrifice. You’re worth the hard work that it may require. You’re capable and able to embody the healthiest version of yourself in all ways. The hardest part is just getting to the mat, and If you’re breathing you’re doing yoga.
Theresa Bilben
Where are you from?
Walker, MN
What's your favorite time of year and why?
I enjoy all seasons that our beautiful state of Minnesota offers and I embrace the changes.
What is yoga to you?
Yoga to me is way of life both on and off the mat. Yoga heals me. Yoga brings me to peace and calm. I enjoy sharing yoga through my classes.
Why did you decide to commit to a yoga teacher training?
I decided to commit to YTT because I wanted to grow my personal practice due to the occasion yoga class desert where I live AND I wanted to take YTT so I could have a retirement side gig.
What surprised you during yoga teacher training?
I was surprised by how deep yoga can be if you dig into the history and all of the modalities associated with it.
Where are you currently teaching, what is your teaching style, and how can potential students find your classes/get ahold of you?
Currently you can find me teaching morning flow for all levels at my coffee shop in Walker.
Village Square Coffee Shop in Walker
Tuesdays and Thursdays @6a.m.
$72 for a month of classes or $15 drop in.
Coffee and tea are always on and complimentary.
Pop up classes are offered at Wine Down in Walker usually two to three Saturdays a month @9a.m.
$20 includes 1 hour gentle flow for all levels and social time after with signature house made green juice made at Village Square, Kim’s mimosa or hot RISHI tea with lemon and honey from our local hives.
In the past I have taught at Trappers Landing Lodge for resort guests, 6 weeks of classes (12 classes) for my close friend group, at Wine Down for a ladies weekend spa event and looking forward to assisting/teaching at a weekend yoga retreat in January.
My future plans are to keep classes at the coffee shop, offer pop up classes at other venues, to travel and teach with yoga event set ups for 10 guests (mats, bolsters, blocks, straps and blankets) and I also offer food catering (Village Square is licensed to cater off site starting in 2022). Curate your own special event.
Personal/private classes are also an option. We own a small lakeside condo for a small group or I would travel to your home.
My yoga style is gentle flow, stretching and intentional breath work. I strive to adjust to the guests and use the seasons, moon phases and themes as a base for classes and no two are alike.
The best way to be in the know about the yoga classes I offer would be to text, email or message on Facebook.
Contact:
Village Yoga with Theresa
theresabilben@gmail.com
218-556-3980
If you could tell someone interested in yoga anything (but they may be leery to give it a try) what would it be?
Yoga is healing. Yoga can be for everyone. Yoga is a practice not a perfect. You don’t have to be flexible, buy expensive or fancy clothes/gear to practice yoga. Yoga can be as simple as a short breathing exercise or stretching before getting out of bed. Yoga can be intense or simple. Yoga is your practice. This may not be the time in your life for yoga but I encourage you to ask me questions you may have about why I love it so much.
Thank you!
Thank you to our Cohort 1 graduates for continuing to share your incredible journey through yoga with us. <3
