If you were to meet Karen Blunier, owner of Nauvoo Yoga, your first impression of her would probably be that she is an incredibly calm and mellow person.
In first meeting her, you would, of course, have no idea where she’s been and what she’s been through.
You wouldn’t know that she’s a nurse with over ten years of medical experience.
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You wouldn’t know she’s worked for seven years delivering hundreds of newborns.
Or that she was a nurse in the army in Texas for six years.
Or that she recently fought and overcame a battle with breast cancer.
You wouldn’t know that she’s been married nearly 25 years and is the mother of five children.
You wouldn’t know any of this about Karen Blunier when you first met her, but you would walk away thinking that that she’s a kind and patient person.
She’s also a fantastic yoga teacher.
Blunier started Nauvoo Yoga in 2022, but she first began practicing yoga while she was in nursing school.
“I just became a raving fan,” Blunier said.
In life, she said, “you can’t always control what happens, but you can control how you react.”
Just remember to take another breath. And then another, she said.
Nauvoo Yoga provides a service to the small community nestled along the Mississippi. Especially for senior citizens, Blunier said. Her chair yoga is her most popular class because it is accessible and manageable for students of all ages.
“Yoga is at-home physical therapy,” Blunier said.
She offers chair yoga both at her studio in the old elementary school and at Nauvoo Health & Chiropractic.
Yoga isn’t just good for people’s bodies, she said. It’s also good for their minds, as well. Your mind affects your body.
“Another benefit of coming to a class is you get that connection with community,” Blunier said.
Yoga helped Blunier overcome one of the biggest obstacles she has yet to face: her battle with breast cancer in 2020.
“One of the biggest benefits of yoga is the ability to just patiently endure discomfort,” Blunier said.
She has videos of herself doing yoga while she was bald.
“To be completely overwhelmed in life, but to have a moment of just serenity and joy. You can create that,” Blunier said.
My Story & Experience with Karen Blunier & Nauvoo Yoga
When I first moved to Nauvoo, Karen was one of the first, if not the first friend I made here. She sought me out and made me feel welcome.
When I started taking yoga classes with her, I was blown away. She is an incredibly gifted teacher. She helped me stay healthy throughout my last pregnancy and prepare for the delivery of my daughter.
Her yoga classes are gentle, but challenging. After class, you feel like you worked out, but you also feel incredibly relaxed, stretched, strengthened, toned, and balanced. Your mind is also calmer.
I think one of my favorite parts of practicing yoga with Karen is that my mind always feel quieter when I leave. I have had plenty of “zen” moments during class where I feel like my mind becomes both focused and at ease. Any stressful thoughts or worries I have when I enter the yoga studio always seem to just drain away during class.
Karen’s calming voice and gentle instruction create a serene atmosphere. She has worked very hard to make her studio feel like an oasis—a beautiful place to spend time and unwind. Motivational yoga quotes cover the walls, but my favorite part of the studio décor are all of the butterflies.
Butterflies have become a common symbol for breast cancer survivors. My mother died of breast cancer nearly a decade ago. To this day I cannot see a butterfly without thinking of my mother.
Perhaps that’s another reason I love to visit Nauvoo Yoga. Visiting the studio feels like getting a hug from my mom.
Be sure to visit Nauvoo Yoga and look for the butterflies.
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Thanks for reading. Be mindful and be happy,
Justina #NauvooBlogger
This article was featured in the local newspaper, The Nauvoo Honeybee. You can see the article here.
