ABOUT US

OUR MISSION

We strive to create a beautiful, open community of like-minded people who support each other's wellness and feed off each other's energies. We also understand the value in personalizing your practice. We offer to you an intentional, peaceful space to quiet your mind and listen to your body, a place free of inhibitions and judgment of yourself and others. We want to communicate the importance of strengthening the whole self: mind, body, and spirit, as all are worth your attention. By bringing balance to our bodies, we bring balance to our lives: amplify when you can, modify when you need to.

Share. Experience. Listen. Engage. Be mindful of the moment.

STUDIO

Brief History

The St. Peter Yoga Studio building was built by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) in 1903 and is located in the city’s historical downtown. The studio still showcases the beautiful architecture of the early twentieth century with original brick and woodwork. The IOOF believed that friendship, love, and truth were basic guidelines to live by, and they created this space for meeting and social unity (these actions were seen as “odd” or out of place from the status quo). Since the space was used as a place of social unity in the past, it only makes sense to use it to unify people of all kinds today with yoga. Also, get this: when we purchased the building in 2003, it was being used as a storage space! We knew it was way too beautiful to let go to waste so we brought it back to life and found a way to share it with the community.

What's Happening Inside

Brace yourself for true elegance. Our studio has ten large windows that illuminate the room with sunlight and outdoor energy. It’s especially stunning in the Spring time during evening classes when the sun sets in hues of red, orange, and yellow just in time for savasana. The ceiling in the studio is seventeen feet-high, and this openness allows our practice to expand and flow throughout the room. Physical space is very important for yoga, and our spacious studio creates a feeling of true freedom. It seems almost boundless; the ceiling is simply a pathway to the sky. Tell us that’s not inviting.

MEET THE INSTRUCTORS

Tressa Bushaw

I walked into my first yoga class thirteen years ago amid personal tragedy. That class set me on a path of healing and profound change. I was immediately drawn to the mind body connection, and the balance that a consistent yoga practice brought to my life.

I have been a Yoga Alliance, Registered Yoga Teacher since 2000. I began teaching yoga at Sun Moon Studio in Mankato ten years ago. I have also spent time teaching at the Mankato Family YMCA, Gustavus Adolphus College and many "lunch hour classes" at local businesses. In 2004, my husband, David, and I purchased the historic Odd Fellows building and the St. Peter Yoga Studio was born. It has been a labor of love over the years, a love that David and I share with our seven children.

Over the years, my teaching has been influenced by some amazing people. I have had wonderful opportunities to study with Baron Baptiste, Tias Little, Seane Corn, Cindy Lee, Gary Kraftsow and Marsha Wenig.

Liz Power Hawkinson

I have been a Yoga Alliance, Registered Yoga Teacher since 2002. I initially taught at SunMoon Yoga Studio and have been teaching in the beautiful studio at St. Peter Yoga since 2003. I am very appreciative of the opportunities to study with Mona Ceniceros, Gary Kraftsow, Nischala Joy Devi, Jon Kabat Zinn, John Teasdale, Christina Feldman, Joen Snyder O'Neal and Saki Santorelli, Sri VBN Rao, Shyam Naraim of Hyderabad, and the teachers at Kripalu. In addition to teaching Monday night yoga, I facilitate a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction course. I love to spend time reading poetry aloud, digging in the dirt and heading out of town on road trips. My favorite moment is watching the Monday night yogis drift off into savasana--it's a maternal thing.

Kelly Holland

I began my journey into yoga much like so many others. I bought a yoga video, watched it once and put it on a shelf to collect dust. Little by little my body began to respond to a daily practice and now after almost fourteen years I can't imagine life without it.

I began teaching at Sun Moon Studios in Mankato about 10 years ago. Currently I am teaching at the Mankato Area Family YMCA, St Peter Yoga Studio and Dance Express in Mankato. I have had experience teaching children, seniors, adults, athletes and individuals with special needs.

My training has been varied and extensive throughout the United States. Some of the teachers who have influenced my style include: Judy Lucier, Mona Ceniceros, Baron Baptiste, Bryan Kest, Gary Kraftsow and Ana Forrest. Some of my favorite yoga experiences have been traveling and training with my dear friend Tressa Bushaw who has allowed me to express and share my true love of this practice through her support and ownership of the beautiful yoga studio in St Peter, MN.

In addition to my regular scheduled classes I am available for teaching privates, small groups and any special occasions.

Brittany Bushaw

I discovered my passion for holistic health and healing in 2006, the year I became serious about my yoga practice and began massage therapy school. I was fascinated by the spiritual connection to my body that yoga enhanced, and also with the knowledge of the physical body I discovered in school. This exploration created a foundation of knowledge I want to share with others. One thing I love about teaching yoga is when we all begin to focus on our breath and quiet our minds at the beginning of class. I can feel the peace and calm enter the room as everyone comes into the present moment. It’s beautiful. My vision for each individual is for them to get to know their bodies so well that they are able to transcend ego and teacher instruction and do what feels right for their bodies. This self-discipline is so awesome to see in practice!

I graduated from Rasmussen College in March 2008 with an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science with a certification in Massage Therapy. I opened Luna Massage in September 2008 and earned a certification in pregnancy massage. I earned a 200-hour yoga teacher training certification from Sun Moon Yoga Studios in the spring of 2009 and began teaching at St. Peter Yoga shortly after. I had the honor to study the chakra system and become certified in Reiki 1 & 2 with Melanie Williams, take an eight week mindfulness/stress reduction course with Liz Power Hawkinson, and participate in an intense yoga workshop with Baron Baptiste.

Janet DeMars

I have been a yoga practitioner for nearly 30 years, a Certified Health Education Specialist since 2006, and a recent graduate of the 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training course at Sun Moon Studio in Mankato. This teacher training was a holistic complement to my daily meditation practice. The more I study yoga the more I see that the benefits transcend the physical. For me, yoga is a spiritual practice which allows me, through breathing, meditation, and the asanas, to find balance, peace, joy, relaxation, and reduced stress in my life. Kundalini Yoga is of great interest to me because of the emphasis on breath work, meditation, and compassion to ourselves and those around us.

The practice of yoga invites all of us to go inward and to center within ourselves. It is a time for us to leave the chaotic world behind, and in return, we gain spiritual and emotional strength so that we can navigate through all areas of our lives.

"Never trust that there is a limit to your compassion. Never trust that there is a limit to your kindness. Never trust that there is a limit to your capacity." ~Yogi Bhajan (Founder of Kundalini Yoga)

Judy Lucier

I took my first yoga class in 1973. I had an inconsistent practice for many years, but then I became more serious and started practicing on a regular basis. I love the body-mind connection of yoga and the awareness it brings. My biggest thrill is seeing a student "get it" in that learning moment. I try to sefely work everyone toward a stronger, more flexible body with breath awareness. My biggest wish is for every student to embrace a great love and joy of yoga. It is a gift for your entire life. Much of my time is spent with my Bernese Mountain dog, my yard, and my books.

For the last eleven years I have traveled to learn many different yoga styles from incredible teachers in the U.S and Mexico. I have blended these trainings into my own personal flowing style. I have studied for five days with David Swenson (Ashtanga), seven days with Ravi Singh/Anna Brett (Kundalini), ten days with Erich Shiffman, two weeks with Baron Baptiste (Power), two weeks with Ganga White and Tracy Rich (White Lotus), three weeks with Bryan Kest (Power), four weeks with Patrticia Walden Out (Iyengar), and eight weeks with Gary Kraftsow (Viniyoga).