Over the past year, I have had the honor of being a regular contributor to the “Balance” (health and wellness) section of a beautiful local print that is offered free to my community and surrounding tri-state area. Siouxland Magazine is filled with wonderful conversations from professionals, local business owners and individuals who are all seeking to live a more meaningful and healthy life. The owner of the magazine, Stacie Anderson and I discussed creating a health-related blog (800-1000 words) for the “Balance” section. If possible, she suggested I try to connect something from physical therapy or Medical Therapeutic Yoga with the theme of each issue. She stated that she would have a photographer available for each blog to take professional shots of any exercises or yoga poses that need to be demonstrated and included in the blog. Following is a collection of 6 different blog titles and the sources where they were posted online. January (theme: Vision) Title: Strengthen Your Spine, Strengthen Your Vision: Four Exercises to Live Taller Print version via Yumpu: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/63042205/siouxland-magazine-volume-2-issue-1/48 Blog on Lumin’s business website: https://livinglumin.com/strengthen-your-spine-strengthen-your-vision-4-exercises-to-live-taller/ March (theme: Question) Title: Discover Your Core, Unlock More Print version via Yumpu: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/63120053/siouxland-magazine-volume-2-issue-2/42 Blog has not been added to Lumin’s website page at this time. The photographer lost the file to the photos for this article. There will be a time that we take photos again so that I can include them in my blog on our website. May (theme: Failure) Title: “Rising Up, Back on Your Feet” Why Failure Isn’t Loss Print version via Yumpu: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/63485193/siouxland-magazine-volume-2-issue-3-version2/40 Blog on Lumin’s business website: https://livinglumin.com/rising-up-back-on-your-feet-why-failure-isnt-loss/ July (theme: Beauty) Title: Being Beauty Print version via Yumpu: https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/63793772/siouxland-magazine-volume-2-issue-4-version-2/38 Blog on Lumin’s business website: https://livinglumin.com/being-beauty/ September (theme: Grounding); Owner did not have a theme, as this was the magazine’s most popular issue of the year “Ten under 40,” highlighting 10 local young professionals who are leaders in their field. Owner said to pick theme of my choice, she recommended something that would be beneficial for young professionals to hear. I chose grounding.

This was a pleasurable experience and I truly enjoyed the challenge of writing a creative blog to encourage healthy living while safely guiding others through breathwork, exercises and yoga poses. I wanted to hit on the pain points of our community and how Medical Therapeutic Yoga can help to bring healing and peace to individuals and to the community. I wanted to emphasize making yoga accessible for all and discuss the many mind-body-spirit benefits of this practice.

If there is one thing that I would have done over, it would have been to finish my blog well before the deadline. I am someone who historically works under pressure when there is a deadline to meet, but I know that isn’t always the most effective nor the healthiest approach. Each article was due on the 1st of the month prior to the issue being printed. Almost always, I was