March 29, 2024

‘Mindful living studio’ opening in uptown Creston

A local yogi is taking her practice to the next level. Michelle Wilson, owner of Radiant Wellness Solutions, is opening a “mindful living studio” Nov. 6 in Creston.

Wilson, of rural Adams County, has instructed yoga since 2007 and once had a studio from 2008 to 2012 in Corning. Upon selling her commercial building, she continued teaching at a variety of locations to serve a more diverse population of clients in southwest and central Iowa.

While Wilson’s mobile yoga studio has allowed her the flexibility of mentoring students in yoga, wellness and nutrition in different locations – even on yoga hikes in rural Ringgold County and around Lake Icaria in Adams County – she thought it was time to establish herself in a permanent location again as her practice grows.

“I’ve been doing this as a side project and passion for a long time and it really just seemed like the right time to give it 100 percent,” said Wilson. “In order to give it 100 percent, I felt like I needed a nice home base to do that.”

Wilson, who said her car is currently loaded with tubs of yoga mats, blocks, blankets, eye pillows and essential oils, said it’s time to offer her clients a more “spa” like yoga experience.

Nutrition

Nutritional coaching, which Wilson has offered virtually for six years, is a service she will offer at her mindful living studio.

Wilson, who completed her foundational nutrition coaching training through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in 2013, said she is excited to help others learn about the benefits of good nutrition as it helped her through her own health issues.

Classes

Wilson said her decision to label her practice as a “mindful living studio” was in an effort to help others understand that it’s not just about yoga.

“There’s a lot of a misconceptions about yoga. I’ve had people say, ‘I can’t touch my toes. I can’t do yoga,’ or that yoga is for people who want to chant ‘om’ or turn into a pretzel. There’s a lot of ideas about what yoga is that are not necessarily true. I want to make sure people know the range of things I offer. I am offering something for pretty much everybody,” said Wilson.

At 5:15 p.m. Nov. 6, Wilson will open her studio with a beginner’s yoga series. Each class during the six week session will last one hour.

“It’s for people who have never been to yoga before, aren’t quite sure what to expect or people who are returning to yoga after a few years,” said Wilson.

Afterward, “flow yoga” will be held at 7 p.m. for more advanced yoga practitioners, who want to experience yoga that is a bit more strenuous.

This summer, Wilson began teaching children’s yoga classes, which she will offer at her studio as well.

“It’s fun and challenging at the same time,” said Wilson. “It’s very playful and energetic. We use stories and games. We do yoga obstacle courses. It’s a lot of fun. It’s not a regular yoga class but they still get the concept. So, just to see them actually learn to kind of find a quiet, peaceful place, even if it’s just for a little tiny moment or two, is really cool.”

For those with limited mobility or looking for a gentle yoga experience, Wilson is also offering “chair yoga.”

“There is everything and in between ... a little more intense or a little more relaxed,” said Wilson.

Mindfulness

As part of her practice, Wilson teaches mindfulness classes, a form of non-religious meditation.

“There’s so much research out about mindfulness. There’s sort of this mindful revolution. A lot of athletes ... and high performing area folks are using mindfulness as a new edge in some ways,” said Wilson.

Wilson said there is no need to be a high performing athlete or CEO of a company to participate. She said there’s mindful component to everything, whether it’s choosing what we eat or how we live our lives.

“[It’s about] being in the moment and not letting stress form the past take you down,” said Wilson. “It’s like retraining your brain and it’s about what’s happening now, not what happened before or what’s going to happen in the future.”

For those looking for a way to unwind during the workweek, Wilson is offering a mid-day, lunchtime yoga class where participants can drop in and stay in their work attire.

“It’s a way to reset and move on into the rest of their day feeling really refreshed,” said Wilson.

Radiant Wellness Solutions’ mindful living studio is located at 111 W. Montgomery St. in Creston. For more information on schedules and services, visit radiantwellnesssolutions.com.