Yoga, Healing Touch, Stress Reduction, Paynesville MN

Below you will find quotes and stories from people who have attended classes or received Healing Touch treatments. I offer these so that you can see how real people have benefited from these practices and therapies. Namaste` Dana

Healing touch:
" I got up early one summer morning to re-stain a very large wooden
deck that had just been sanded. The only way to do a good job was to
paint on the stain and wipe the excess off with rags. The weather
conditions were perfect so I worked the whole day, stopping only for a
quick lunch break. I finished 12 hours later, just in time for my
yoga class with Dana Spates. I was the only one who came that night
so I asked Dana not to do poses that required weight bearing on my
hands because they were red, sore, and swollen. At the end of each
class we always do a Final Relaxation, lying on our backs for 5
minutes with the lights off. Dana gives a mini shoulder, neck, and
head massage at this time. I was unaware of the fact that she also
did healing touch on my hands after the massage. When it was over I
said I was so glad I came for yoga because my hands felt wonderful.
That's when Dana told me she'd done healing touch and could feel the
heat as she did it. I was amazed that healing touch had the power to
work even when the recipient was unaware it was being done. Dana had
helped my daughter previously with a wrist injury and my husband who'd
twisted his leg. There are no risks or side effects from this type of
cure(treatment). I'd recommend it to anyone." Kathleen Ziegler

I feel fortunate to be able to participate in Yoga right here in Paynesville with a talented and understanding instructor. I feel bad when I need to miss sessions because Yoga does help me feel more firm and agile even if I'd make a poor "Heron".

I love my yoga class on Monday nights. It is my "me" time, I know that for an hour and a half I have the pleasure of peace while working on my strength and inner balance. Staying flexible is important to me, I am a dairy farmer and keeping my muscles toned and lose really helps with all that I do on a daily basis.
Crystal

I have taken many of Dana's classes and am a regular at yoga. Both are a main stays in my my wellness and well being. I often come from a busy difficult day at work with a headache and fatigue, after yoga I feel better mentally and physically. Sometimes I say my practice keeps my head connected to my body.

Shari Heitke-Desmet

Yoga has been practiced for 5,000 years, so not much is new. However,
it is difficult to do yoga correctly on your own. I take classes 4
times a week (and would do it daily if Dana had time) because the yoga
"poses" need an instructor to sometimes make subtle adjustments on
some of us for good alignment. Dana stresses that we "listen to our
bodies" as they tell us what's right for us to do today. Yoga helps
us develop more sensitivity to our bodies. Yoga stresses relaxation
and steady breathing (which Dana constantly reminds us to do) as we
slowly stretch into our postures. We hold the pose, but not the breath.
Dana has a variety of "props" to assist us as we learn to do the yoga
practice correctly, to prevent any soreness, which comes from doing it
incorrectly, or going too far. We don't "go for the burn". Yoga
isn't a program for losing weight or building up muscle. Rather it
tones the body and strengthens our core muscles in particular. I find
yoga to be very therapeudic and know it helps to keep me limber enough
to do various activities (such as gardening or skating) with ease. At
70, I'm blessed with the gifts that come with aging, such as
arthritis, spinal stenosis, sciatica, etc. Yoga is better than any
medicine for my bodily aches and pains Many of us come into class
feeling stress, some stiffness, soreness or with a headache, and leave
feeling great. Yoga makes us feel rejuvenated rather than tired.
That's probably why the morning session has the best attendance! Dana
is so dedicated to yoga that even when I'm the only one who makes it
to a class because of the weather or just being too busy, she wouldn't
think of taking short cuts or canceling.
No one "competes" in yoga or takes much notice of what others are
doing. The focus is inward. New-comers get more attention from Dana
but from no one else. We have relaxing background music as we
concentrate on our breathing and poses. But we also have a laugh or
two now and then. At the end of yoga, we relax for 10 minutes in
darkness to allow the benefits of yoga to take effect in our bodies.
At this time Dana most often does individual head and shoulder
massages for those who want them. We meditate on being in harmony
with the world and everything in it. The words we say put us in touch
with our spirituality, but they do not in any way compromise any
religious beliefs we have. If you want more "balance" in your life, I
strongly encourage you to try yoga with Dana Spates!

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