Self-Care

Dr Anna Fisher

Dementia Care Resource – Dr Anna Fisher

family

(L to R) daughter Zoa, mom Judy, me, dad Phil – a nutty crew!

We get by with a little help from our friends!

We are gifted people and circumstances in our lives to help us.  Sometimes they feel helpful, other times they feel more like a challenge!  I’ve been gifted an absolute angel on earth kind of person to help me through a challenging circumstance – that’s a double blessing 🙂

Many of you know my dad has Alzheimer’s (a type of dementia).  I moved he & my mom here so I can caretake for them both (the challenging circumstance).

I’m grateful to have this time and closeness with them, and it’s a lot – managing their healthcare, household, transportation, etc, as well as my business and a teenager.  I use all my yoga training to regulate myself, and some days it doesn’t work –  I’m not very nice.  (I usually just need a nap, a snack or a timeout, ha!)  I forgive myself, apologize to those I snapped on, and keep going.

I know this is an opportunity to cultivate compassion, patience and unconditional love – for myself as much as for my family!

Dr Anna Fisher

Dr. Anna Fisher, PhD CADDCT/CDP/CMDCP/CDSGF/QCP

The angel I was introduced to – thank you Stefi!! – to help me navigate this new life twist is Dr. Anna Fisher, a dementia educator with Hillcrest.
Dr. Anna quit her job at Union Pacific Railroad to become a nurse and doctor after her dad was diagnosed with dementia.  She’s passionately dedicated to helping families understand this disease and navigate life with it. 

She has been a lifeline for me.   One I intend to pass along to many who need education, direction, clarity, encouragement and validation.

I also want to give a massive thank you to my friends, family and yoga community who talk me off the ledge, offer a hug, say what I need to hear (whether I want to hear it or not) and challenge me to both push on and to rest!  I am so incredibly grateful to be surrounded by such kind, honest, encouraging and silly souls. 

I feel so loved!  You all make it possible for me to serve as a mom, daughter, friend, mindset coach, yoga teacher and business owner.  Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU all!

Nebraska Support Chapter – Alzheimer’s Association

 

Give help.  Ask for help.  Accept help.  Rinse and repeat.
We were meant to be in community… serving, encouraging and loving each other.
Sometimes that’s easy, breezy.  Sometimes it’s challenging.
We can do both the easy and the hard!

Anyone wanting some insight on dementia and it’s cascade of life effects, reach out.
I’m happy to share more about my journey, 402-885-8855.
Dr. Anna can be reached at 402-682-4800.

Much love,
Suzanne
Owner, Omaha Power Yoga

Breaking the mold of Yoga Teacher Training

What’s missing from Yoga Teacher Trainings?

yoga teacher training

Investigating why & how allows us to more fully understand & discern instead of simply repeating what we heard.

I am privileged to know some experts in the physical, mental and emotional bodies.  I asked one a while back if they practice yoga solely on their own or if they have a teacher they enjoy practicing with.

Their response was,  “I haven’t found a yoga teacher that I think really knows what they’re talking about, because their scope of training is so limited.”

That may strike a nerve for some, and when we feel a need to defend or explain it’s usually just a sign to pause and investigate instead.

Is there something missing from yoga teacher trainings?

Yes.  Frankly, I think there’s typically something missing from trainings in nearly every field.  The reality is we continuously learn from studies and experiences over time.  What we’ve known & applied previously doesn’t always withstand the test of time!  Stay curious.  Remain open to learning what you don’t know that you don’t know 😉

What is the goal of a yoga teacher training?

That answer varies depending on the program.  In studying various yoga teacher program curriculums, they typically have a clear goal to educate on the history and philosophy of yoga, human anatomy, particular shapes considered yoga postures, and how to cue people to make those specific shapes.

I have a deep appreciation for what I learned in the yoga trainings I’ve taken.  I am also incredibly grateful for my continued studies in energy work, human behavior and trauma, biomechanics, etc.  What I’ve studied outside the yoga teacher trainings I attended has helped me integrate the philosophy into daily living, practice self-awareness and regulation, and understand mobility limitations, tissue response and biomechanics.  They challenged me to investigate why & how I say and do what I do, which has had a massive impact on the way I teach yoga – and on my relationships!

Our goals for Power Yoga Teacher Training are:

  1.   To challenge what you think you know.
  2.   Improve your awareness of the physical body and its connection to the mental and emotional states.
  3.   Educate on mobility limitations and biomechanics (a step beyond anatomy).
  4.   Understand that self-awareness and self-regulation are more important than making a shape
  5.   Give you ample teaching practice to apply what you’ve learned so you feel confident in your ability to guide others’ in practice.  Getting the words out effectively is very different from just knowing the words.

Knowing information is important and helpful.  It’s the application of information – the doing and surrendering to let it permeate your life – that has more impact.

It is important to recognize that bodies will have various limitations.

While it is outside a yoga teacher’s scope to diagnose or treat movement limitations, understanding the why and how of their existence is key in accepting that not everyone will look or move the same way or make the same shapes.  Which is paramount when guiding a movement practice.

Further, plenty of folks have a hard time accepting their starting point and want to jump directly to their perceived end result.  From the understanding of why and how limitations exist, we instinctively create an environment conducive to folks accepting themselves where they are.

Rachelle McGuigan, PT and I share a passion to empower people to answer…

What are you aware of, and how well can you regulate it?
Related to physical movement, as well as relationally in your life!

To empower folks to do just that, we combined our decades of physical body, subtle body and emotional body training with our spiritual and self-awareness studies, to create a comprehensive Power Yoga Teacher Training.

This is an accelerated course that requires some prior experience or training in yoga, body work, mental or medical health fields.

Rachelle and I are excited to prepare the next generation of yoga teachers to share the mindset and techniques to think better, move better, feel better & human better!
Join us [upcoming dates TBD] for Power Yoga Teacher Training – get details here.

Much love,
Suzanne
Owner, OPY

Read more about our approach to yoga here.

Find more helpful articles and videos from OPY here.

daughter's emotional expression

The Disconnection Epidemic

What do you mean I’m disconnected from my body?

daughter's emotional expression

Sometimes our emotions intensely register and our expressions speak them loud and clear! (my daughter at age 6 stuck in her bike helmet & not happy about it)

To say “I’m disconnected from my body” sounds absolutely absurd, right?!  I mean, come on… my brain is inside my head, my head is attached to my body, and I’m walking around in this meat suit.  So, there’s no possible way I’m not connected to my body!

You’re right, it sounds nuts…. and just because something sounds completely crazy, doesn’t make it untrue!
Believe it or not, we can, and do, disconnect from our bodies.

Typically as a protective response, our brains can disconnect the “registering” of emotions and physical sensations, which can be helpful in making it through a tough situation.
Unfortunately, the parts of the brain needed to perceive sensations and emotions, don’t always come back online after a threat has passed.  This deadens our sense of self, impairs our perception of reality, and makes for some serious struggles in living.

 

A psychologist once asked Bessel Van der Kolk, PhD (founder and medical director of the Brookline, MA Trauma Center), ‘When will my [talk therapy] patient be ready for yoga?’
Dr Van der Kolk replied, ‘You have it backwards!  Your patient needs the yoga to reconnect to their feelings so they can effectively explain what they’re experiencing.’

We’ve seen countless physical therapy patients and yoga students unable to engage a specific muscle, feel a body part, or connect to an emotion.  It’s also possible to feel something physically that isn’t actually present.  You’ve heard of phantom limb syndrome, where pain is felt in a limb that doesn’t exist?

 

Sometimes we use our minds not to discover facts, but to hide them
the screen partially removes from the mind the inner states of the body, those that constitute the flow of life as it wanders in the journey of each day.”   ~ Antonio Damasio

In order to change anything, we have to first be aware of it.

Like being able to notice subtle messages (sensations) in the body, before they turn into screams or an abrupt stop.
Or being able to recognize our emotional response, and how it helps or escalates a situation.
Or notice how basic needs (like hunger or tiredness) contribute to our mood, our speech, and our actions.

So, how do we become more self-aware?
The same way we improve at anything… we practice.

“Simply noticing ourselves fosters self-regulation.”   ~ Dr. Van der Kolk
…and you may have witnessed or directly experienced the need for an uptick of self-regulation in our collective world.

Here is a handful of practices to get you started:

  1.  Pause what you’re doing, and notice what each of your five senses are taking in at that very moment.
    What do you smell?  What do you hear?  What do you taste?  How does your clothing or the temperature of the air feel on your skin?  What do you see (whether your eyes are open or closed)?
  2.  Focus on every detail of what it feels like to breathe.
    Your belly, ribs and shoulders move.  The soft breeze of air entering the nose.  Warmth across your upper lip or nose as you exhale.  Your face muscles, ears and scalp relaxing.  Your mind settling.
  3.  Take a “selfie MRI.”  Scan your body starting at your toes, and notice each and every part and the sensations happening there.
  4.  Notice the physical feels of a thought.  Rest your attention with a word (gratitude, joy, relief) or phrase, and notice where in your body you feel it, and what, specifically, are the sensations (warm, cold, light, heavy, tingly, dull, flowing, contracted).

 

“In our response, lies our growth and freedom.”  ~ Viktor Frankl

If you need individual or community support, come see us…
Increase self-awareness and strength at Omaha Power Yoga – learn more here.
Trinity Physical Therapy connects body + mind + emotion to heal – learn more here.

 

Find more helpful articles and videos from OPY here.

PT Informed Yoga - Foot, Ankle, Knee

Why Omaha Power Yoga?

What’s so different about yoga at OPY?

Ours is an empowering practice that takes into account the influence our mindset and nervous system have on how we move.  The pace of practice is slow enough to allow you to notice how your body and mind respond to stimuli.  Our Engagement & Mobility Skills address imbalances in strength and flexibility.  Our community is welcoming and supportive.  Our space is clean, calming and inviting.  And our staff is committed to skillful thoughts, words, and actions in yoga and in life. 

Our limited capacity Small Group Yoga sessions let us work more closely with attendees so they can reach the goals that brought them to yoga.  Our Community Classes are are open to anyone to attend, and are a lively gathering of our slightly off-kilter and fun-loving community that will lift your spirit and challenge your outlook.  We also offer streaming, replay and on-demand options through our Online Only Pass.  For more details on these options, click here.
You can also schedule private sessions with a Power Yoga trained Physical Therapist to customize a sequence just for you!

Our Power Yoga is for anyone who wants to be their strongest, steadiest, best self!

  • Do you want to bend and move with ease?
  • jump, laugh at a joke or sneeze and not pee your pants?
  • get out of bed without pain?
  • pick something (like yourself!) up off the ground and not feel old?
  • keep your [bleep] together when life gets [bleepy]?
PT Informed Yoga - Foot, Ankle, Knee

This yogi experienced a “wobbly, clicking, painful knee.” After applying E&M skills, clicking stopped, stable knee and no pain!

Our cuing helps you target stability and mobility of the smaller (negleted) tissues.

The average fitness class or workout routine is focused on strength and/or flexibility of the big, obvious muscle groups:  traps, delts, lats, pecs, biceps, triceps, superficial abs, glute max, quads, hamstrings, and calves.

Together with Trinity Physical Therapy, we developed Engagement and Mobility  (E&M) Skills in response to years of treating ailments in a clinical setting and observing movement patterns and strategies used in a yoga practice.

E&M Skills address the over/underuse of muscular engagement that over time can cause a chain reaction of movement compensation throughout the body, often resulting in limited range of motion, injury, or pain with movement.

Incorporating E&M Skills into yoga turns “I can’t” or “I shouldn’t do yoga” into “Yoga is a non-negotiable, must do for feeling my best.”

Learn more about the big vs small muscles in Trinity PT’s article:  White Meat vs Dark Meat.

Our engagement and mobility skills are rooted in a foundation of FOUR COMPONENTS:

  • AWARENESS… We can’t change what we aren’t aware of, and when we are not aware of our own thought patterns, emotions and sensations, it impairs our perception of reality.  So, improving our awareness of the physical body and its connection to our mental and emotional states, is paramount.   
  • MOBILITY is, very simply, the ability to move.  Obviously very beneficial in being self-sufficient.
  • STABILITY… A healthy body can hold strong and steady through a wide range of motion and in a still, static position.
  • AGILITY is the ability to move, think or understand quickly and easily.  Our bodies adapt (often immediately and unconsciously) in response to stimulus of pain, injury, or change of any kind.  Similarly, our minds and emotional bodies adapt based on our perception of our experiences.

“You can’t do what you want, till you know what you’re doing.”  ~ Moshe Feldenkrais

The more conscious and steady we are in our responses to the stimuli life throws at us, the more serenity and satisfaction we can experience.  

Our goal is to help people move better, think better, feel better, and human better!
Get started now.

 

Coming soon… Power Yoga Teacher Training!

Find more helpful articles and videos from OPY here.

Learn more about Trinity Physical Therapy here.

hypnotherapist

Hypnosis Pop-up

hypnotherapist

Sami Herbster, PT, CPT, CHT

No, not the comedy club type hypnosis!
Omaha Power Yoga is hosting Hypnotherapist and Physical Therapist, Sami Herbster, for a 75 minute pop-up class to explore how hypnosis can be a powerful tool for deep relaxation, self-discovery and healing.

In this session you will:
~ Experience the deep relaxation benefits of hypnosis
~ Tune out external distractions for deep mind and body relaxation
~ Create positive change via your subconscious mind
~ Take home tools and resources to use in your everyday life

Sunday  |  August 20th  |  10:00 – 11:15 am
~ pre-registration required
~ membership or class pass gets you in

~ don’t have one?  
no problem, you’ll be prompted to buy a single class pass ($20) at sign up
~ bring your nest making supplies 
(pillow, blanket, etc)
~ in studio, live stream and replay available

TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT:
1) go to the OPY schedule page
2) scroll to the 8/20 Hypnosis Pop-up *or the Live Stream Hypnosis for Zoom or replay
3) click the Sign Up button

 

WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT WORKING WITH SAMI:

“It is a pleasant, almost euphoric state of peace.  It is where time and my problems don’t even matter.” – Nichole F.

“My fibromyalgia pain has improved so much after daily self-hypnosis, that I have been able to start my yoga practice again!” – Alison R.

“I was able to dig deep and change an old pattern that was holding me back from being more successful in the work that I do.  In just one day after my first hypnotherapy session, I was able to make the change I needed to show up as my full self.” – Heather K.

ABOUT HYPNOSIS:
Hypnosis is a guided practice to reach a relaxed state of consciousness similar to being completely absorbed in a book, movie or music.  It is also the state right before you drift off to sleep.
In this state, you have increased focus and concentration which is very therapeutic as it accesses the calm from within.
Since we also become highly suggestible, we suggest positive changes here to help overcome negative thought patterns, annoying behaviors, and manage physical symptoms like pain and anxiety.

ABOUT HYPNOTHERAPY:
Hypnotherapy uses the state of hypnosis to help people overcome mental and emotional struggles.  A trained hypnotherapist guides you through a therapeutic experience under hypnosis.  Hypnosis places the mind in a state of openness and acceptability. “Therapy” performed in this relaxed state of mind is highly effective.

 

ABOUT SAMI HERBSTER, PT, DPT, CHT:
Sami is a master of unwinding the mind and the body. She helps people get unstuck, out of pain, and moving freely in their lives.  She is The Emotion Doctor.
Her foundation as a Physical Therapist, combined with her training as a Hypnotherapist offers a precise, effective, and fast approach at finding root cause, gaining lasting relief and feeling positive momentum.

With 20 years of movement restoration experience, Sami has developed a comprehensive awareness and appreciation of the physical body.  Her extensive post graduate training through the Postural Restoration Institute helped develop her foundational approach to bodily pain, discomfort and dysfunction.
She became a certified Hypnotherapist through Boulder Hypnotherapy Institute after discovering how powerful thoughts, beliefs, and past experiences impact the way our bodies feel, move, and can lock us in a position physically and mentally.

Sami unwinds the mind and body, using Hypnotherapy and blending her unique skills to discover, unlock and resolve anything is keeping you stuck and in pain.  Her work is highly effective when combined with other healing modalities, therapies and self practices.  This combination makes everything make sense, and the momentum and progress is unmatched.

  • Licensed Physical Therapist – NE & IA
  • Certified Hypnotherapist – Life Regression and Group Therapy
  • Certified Emotion Code/Body Code Practitioner
  • Trained in Past Life Regression Hypnotherapy
  • Certified Selective Functional Movement Assessment Practitioner
  • Trained in Manual Therapy
  • Trained in Postural Restoration Techniques

 

Find more helpful articles and videos from OPY here.

Puppy Yoga

Lucky Pup Yoga

Puppy Yoga

Puppy Love Yoga in February was sheer delight!

Lucky Pup Yoga  

We are so happy to report that Puppy Love Yoga in February was such a smash hit!  Two furever homes were found, and the rescue raised a little over $600.  There are still so many adorable puppies looking for their furever homes, and because you asked for another puppy yoga…

We give you LUCKY PUP YOGA on March 19th!!

Get your stretch & strength on, snuggle puppies, have your cheeks hurt from smiling so much, and support a worthy cause.

Lily’s Litter of 5, and the Porch Puppies Litter of 6 will be in attendance, so prepare for cuteness overload!
We also hope to have nice enough weather that puppy pens, registration and raffle tickets can be outside to allow more space in our lobby for the AWESOME crowd of support!

Sunday  |  March 19th  |  1:30pm
~ $10 yoga class  (100% to BBRH)
~ 50/50 cashpot raffle prize  
(winner splits with BBRH)
~ loaded doggie-bag raffle prizes  
(2nd & 3rd place raffle winner)
~ snuggling with puppies?  PRICELESS

The pups will hang around from 1:30-3:00pm.
Our yoga class will run from 2:00-2:45pm.
Our cashpot raffle drawing will take place at 2:45pm – and no, you do not have to be present to win.
Come for just the yoga, just the cashpot, pup snuggles, adoption or fostering opportunities, or all of the above.

Join us in supporting a wonderful organization, and share some love and connection!

TO REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT:
1) go to the OPY schedule page
2) scroll to the 3/19 Lucky Pup Yoga class
3) click the Sign Up button

Pre-registration is appreciated, not required.
Bring your yoga mat if you have one (we have a few that can be loaned out if you don’t).
You can pay via cash or venmo at the door.  Cash is required for raffle tickets.

“Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change.”
~ Karen Davison

Basset & Beagle Rescue of the Heartland (BBRH) rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes mostly beagles from medical testing laboratories, breeders, high kill shelters and owner surrenders.  Rescue pups are at an ALL TIME HIGH, and adoption applications are LOW right now.  They currently have more than 60 fostered dogs awaiting adoption, and more pups coming in.

BBRH is a foster-based rescue, and runs 100% on volunteers, donations and fundraisers.  They depend on and appreciate community support like Lucky Pup Yoga to fund, foster, and adopt their rescued pups!

 

Find helpful articles and videos from OPY here.

Puppy Yoga

Puppy Love Yoga

Our Beagle Rescue Yoga in August was a blast!

Puppy Love Yoga  

Have some goals to get healthier in the new year, but the weather makes you want to curl up and watch Netflix?  Here’s your motivation… plus you get to help the pups!!!

Get your stretch & strength on, snuggle puppies, have your cheeks hurt from smiling so much, and support a worthy cause!

Sunday  |  February 12th  |  1:30pm
~ $10 yoga class  (100% to BBRH)
~ 50/50 cashpot raffle prize  
(winner splits with BBRH)
~ loaded doggie-bag raffle prizes  
(2nd & 3rd place raffle winner)
~ snuggling with puppies?  PRICELESS

The pups will hang around from 1:30-3:00pm.
Our yoga class will run from 2:00-2:45pm.
Our cashpot raffle drawing will take place at 2:45pm – and no, you do not have to be present to win.
Come for just the yoga, just the cashpot, pup snuggles, adoption or fostering opportunities, or all of the above.

Join us in supporting a wonderful organization and sharing some love and connection!

To register for this event:
1) go to the OPY schedule page
2) find the 2/12 Puppy Love Yoga class
3) click the Sign Up button

“Saving one dog will not change the world, but surely for that one dog, the world will change.”
~ Karen Davison

Basset & Beagle Rescue of the Heartland (BBRH) rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes mostly beagles from medical testing laboratories, breeders, high kill shelters and owner surrenders.  Rescue pups are at an ALL TIME HIGH, and adoption applications are LOW right now.  They currently have more than 60 fostered dogs awaiting adoption, and more pups coming in.

BBRH is a foster-based rescue, and runs 100% on volunteers, donations and fundraisers.  They depend on and appreciate community support like Puppy Love Yoga to fund, foster, and adopt their rescued pups!

 

Find helpful articles and videos from OPY here.

Underestimating Surrender

Contemplating in Hawaii

Me 7 years ago in Hawaii, surrounded by beauty and not carrying it with me

KNOWING ISN’T THE PROBLEM…  

You know how tweens and teens know EVERYTHING?
When asked or reminded about something, mine respond with “I KNOW!”
To which my response is, “knowing isn’t the problem, doing is.”
Well, as we sometimes do as parents, I found myself choking on my own words…

I was a business owner, yoga teacher, personal growth coach, and a mom.  It was literally my JOB to lead people out of suffering and into serenity, ease, and good humaning.
(Yes, humaning can be a verb!)
I was good at it.  I had helpful perspective, loads of knowledge, and countless effective skills & techniques.  I was helping people, and it felt really good!

Yet quietly and gradually my life became unmanageable.
My energy was tanked.  I was avoiding people and responsibilities.  My finances and relationships were suffering.  I hadn’t realized how much of myself I had lost.

How in the actual heck did I get here?!
I had the skills.  I KNEW they worked, because I watched them create better lives for others.  I practiced them myself… so what the @!#&% was going on?!

No problem is isolated.  A problem in one area bleeds into all aspects of our life.
And at some point,  you lose so much blood you end up in critical condition.

I was there.  I was at the point where I could no longer carry on as is.  I could admit the momming needed work.  Ok, so did the business owner.  I’m continuously learning and developing my yoga and coaching skills.  I sought help WHEN I needed it because I could see WHERE I needed it.
Or could I?

Here’s the deal y’all… it doesn’t matter how much knowledge or skill you have or even whether or not you’re applying it in your life!  It is easier to see what’s happening from the outside than from the inside.

A wise friend and physical therapist said to me, “We cannot effectively treat ourselves.  Just because I provide the treatment doesn’t make me exempt from needing the treatment, and that needs to come from an objective source.”

We all need objective outside help.  Ideally, we’re willing to lean into it BEFORE we hit critical status.
The trippy thing was that I WAS leaning into outside help, and in more than one way.  And I KNEW change only comes from the inside out – ultimately, I had to be the source of the change.  So, again, what the f***?!

I’ll kill the suspense and just give you the answer… 

Two things created my situation:

  1. I wasn’t leaning into the PROPER support ENOUGH.
    I was still trying to manage (some would say control) the process and outcome too much myself.
  2. I was not focused ENOUGH on MY part, MY contributions to my situation.
    My attention drifted too often to others’ contributions (or lack thereof).

I had to surrender and trust.
I had to lean on an intangible power greater than myself.
I had to admit I didn’t have answers, and ask for them to be revealed.
And then I had to wait.

Again, this wasn’t shocking news.  I knew it was true (remember choking on my own words).  I even had prayer and meditation practices to live this truth.  Yet I was holding back in them.  Ironically, trying to protect myself from disappointment, failure, fear (etc) and ultimately success.
It really is true that what annoys us about others exists in ourselves, because I can easily recognize obstinance!!

“Though we travel the world to find beauty, we must carry it with us or we find it not.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Replace “beauty” in Ralph’s statement with anything – anger, contentment, fear, courage, love – and it holds true.
We are a source of what surrounds us.  We are with ourselves wherever we go, even in our escapes – ESPECIALLY in our escapes.  There is no “destination cure” – no effective hiding place!

So here I am, refocused, leaning fully into the proper support and feeling relief.  Balancing knowing with faith, and action with surrender – admittedly in some moments better than others.
Waiting time is not wasted time . . .
Chapter 2 to be revealed!

Much love, Suzanne

 

May we courageously change what we can, and graciously accept what we can’t.
May we keep what’s ours, and leave what’s not.
And may we have the wisdom to know the difference.

May we trust in something greater than ourselves.
May we seek to understand over being understood.
And may we prioritize peace over happiness.

If you need one-on-one support, schedule some coaching.

Find more articles and videos from OPY here.

Beagle Rescue Yoga

Beagle Rescue Volunteers

Christine with 1 of her 4 beagles, Bindi

For The Love Of Dogs  

Our pups so generously love us despite character flaws like forgetting the occasional biscuit or skipping a walk, but not all pups get safety and love returned to them.  Sometimes they end up neglected, abandoned or abused.

Long time OPY-er, Christine DeMey, adopted her soul-pup, Jovi, in 2008 from Basset & Beagle Rescue of the Heartland (BBRH).
Knowing Jovi would have died had BBRH not saved him was Christine’s impetus for volunteering to help the rescue.  She raised funds, transported pups, assisted at adoption events, and started fostering the day after she bought her own home!

BBRH rescues, rehabilitates, and rehomes mostly beagles from medical testing laboratories, breeders, high kill shelters and owner surrenders.  They recently took in 40 dogs in just one week, and now have 21 newborn puppies!  There are currently 18 foster dogs on their website awaiting adoption.  They are a foster based rescue, and run 100% on volunteers, donations and fundraisers.

Supporting the rescue is one of the most rewarding things Christine and her husband Tim have ever done.
Their current foster pup, Vinnie, has been with them just shy of a year.  Vinnie has come a long way from being so scared he wouldn’t let anyone touch him, to now walking on a leash & asking for pets!!

Christine and Tim want to stress the need for foster homes for rescued pups.
BBRH has to turn down dogs in need on a daily basis because there are not enough foster homes available.  The rescue makes fostering easy by supplying everything, while foster homes just provide love and training.

To give back to pups that bring so much joy, and support an organization that works tirelessly to ensure the safety of pups in harms way, Omaha Power Yoga is hosting a class to raise funds and awareness for the BBRH.

Sunday  |  August 21st  |  1:00pm
~ $20 yoga class  (100% to BBRH)
~ 50/50 cashpot raffle 
(winner splits with BBRH)
~ loaded doggie-bag raffle 
(2nd place raffle winner)

And for those looking for a furry addition to your family, there will be some fostered pups in attendance looking for a loving, forever home!  

Our foster pups will hang around from 1:00-2:30pm.
Our yoga class will run from 1:15-2:00pm.
Our cashpot raffle drawing will take place at 2:15pm – and no, you do not have to be present to win!

Come for just the yoga, just the cashpot, the pup snuggles, the adoption or fostering opportunity, or all of the above!

To register for this event go to our schedule page, find the 8/21 Beagle Rescue Yoga class and click the sign up button.

Join us in supporting a wonderful organization and sharing some love and connection,
Suzanne, Owner OPY
Christine, beagle lover, foster and yogi
Kathi, BBRH Executive Leadership

 

Find helpful articles and videos from OPY here.

2023 Omaha Power Yoga Retreat

Nourish with nature, nutrition, movement and learning

NOURISH IN NATURE

2023 OMAHA POWER YOGA RETREAT
APRIL 27th – MAY 1st

It’s time for some adventuring and nurturing!  Spend 5 days and 4 nights nourishing yourself with nature, nutrition, movement and learning secluded in the stunning Ozark Mountains of Arkansas.

Enjoy reflective, silent mornings until breakfast, daily yoga and meditation, hiking, swimming holes, a river float, as well as a unique opportunity to attend Relationship School!  Don’t worry, there are no tests, and you can’t flunk out.  You’ll learn how to recognize self-sabotage, hone communication skills and effectively handle your stressors.

 

Our very own secluded lodge in the stunning Ozark Mountains

Our private lodge is creekside with a gorgeous deck and footbridge spanning the creek.  A spacious lawn, stone creekside patio, and hillside pavillion with outdoor fireplaces provide plenty of areas to spend some quiet alone time.  There is even a horseshoe pit if we feel so moved!

Our Relationship School is an effective program that equips you with the mindset and skills to get out of others and back into yourself and your connection to a power greater than you!  This is not religious – it is spiritual.  The result is deeper, more loving and fulfilling relationships in every single area of your life.  Sound like something you can use?

Our retreat kitchen will be hosted on site by the Rooted Table Kitchen + Juicery* to support our nourishment and well-being.  Throughout the retreat, attendees will enjoy fresh juices, superfood smoothies, nourishing and invigorating plant-based meals, health-filled snacks and satisfying treats.

Our menu will be dairy free, egg free, and meat free.  Some nuts (almonds, walnuts and cashews) will be used in a few dishes.  There will be gluten and soy-free options available at each meal.  *do let us know if you have any food allergies

 

THURSDAY, APRIL 27th – MONDAY, MAY 1st

Upper Buffalo River | Ponca Wilderness Area, Arkansas

3 Private Queen Rooms:  $2345 single occupant | $1833pp double occupants

4 Loft Full Beds:  $2220 single occupant | $1770pp double occupants

All-inclusive*

*All meals, snacks, drinks (no alcohol), classes, activities, and excursions included.  Transportation to and from the retreat not included.

Check-in as early as 4:00pm on Thursday, 4/27.  There will be a Thursday evening yoga practice and dinner.
Check-out on Monday, 5/1 will be after morning meditation, yoga, and breakfast.

Zipline

Hiking, river float, yoga, meditation, education

Daily schedule:

  • 6:30am meditation
  • 7:00am yoga
  • 8:30am breakfast
  • 9:30am relationship school
  • 11:30am-5:00pm lunch, excursions & free time
  • 5:00pm yoga
  • 6:30pm dinner

Our schedule is subject to change depending on our excursion timing for the day.  Use your yogi flexibility and go with the flow!

 

Make your $250 non-refundable deposit
  ~ payments can be made at any time, full balance due by August 18th
  ~ 50% of retreat price refundable for cancellations up to August 29th

Private Queen Room – Single Occupant  (full payment link $2345)
Private Queen Room – Double Occupant  (full payment link $1833pp)

Loft Full Bed – Single Occupant  (full payment link $2220)
Loft Full Bed – Double Occupant  (full payment link $1770pp)

 

Rooted Table Kitchen + Juicery

*Rooted Table is a new elevated fast, casual plant-based cafe serving nutritionally dense, nourishing food and drinks coming to the Omaha area. Rooted Table exists to serve with love, nourish with plants, and heal with deep-rooted connection one cup, bowl, and plate at a time.  Omaha Power Yoga is excited to partner with Rooted Table to nourish attendees with fresh, healthy, rooted nutrition!  Stay tuned for more information and updates on their opening.