Snowy Cedar Center for Wellness

Snowy Cedar Center for Wellness Soma yoga, yoga therapy, Thai yoga bodywork, reiki, and sound meditation from the heart of the Keweenaw in Hancock, MI
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Our Story of Creation

Snowy Cedar Center for Wellness was born out of pure coincidence; strategic alignment of the planets; travels; people met along the way; some unfortunate, rather rocky circumstances; happy trees (thanks to a childhood fascination with Bob Ross); the obscene amount of rocks I collect; and a series of moves from the rocky shores of Duluth on Lake Superior to the quite shores of Gladstone on Lake Michigan and back to Lake Superior in Marquette before finally settling in the Keweenaw Peninsula in the middle of Lake Superior. But, what’s most imperative is that throughout it all, yoga, reiki, sound meditation, and hiking have been consistent practices in grounding, rooting, and finding freedom in movement. My goal is simple: to help you plant your own roots and allow energy to travel into you, through you, and out into the world. We will practice yoga together, allow the energies of the world to shift us through reiki, listen to sounds of instruments and nature that alter our vibrations by spending time outdoors together, and most importantly, build a community of wellness. This is Snowy Cedar Center for Wellness where you are enabled to be rooted, strong, and stable. Welcome to Snowy Cedar Center for Wellness, proudly headquartered in Hancock, Michigan, and happily traveling across the Western UP to bring you yoga, reiki, sound meditation, and hiking since 2019. Snowy Cedar Center for Wellness
Rooted | Strong | Stable

Ahimsa, or non-violence, is the foundation of the Yamas or guidelines of yoga. You could think of non-violence as being ...
01/25/2026

Ahimsa, or non-violence, is the foundation of the Yamas or guidelines of yoga.

You could think of non-violence as being in right relationship with others and with your self. Ahimsa is neither self-sacrifice nor self-aggrandizement. Acts of greed, control, and insecurity all stem from fear. Fear incites violence.

Pause and consider that how we treat ourselves is how we treat those around us. If you are ok with seeing another person suffering, with seeing discrimination as acceptable, with not seeing the sacredness and opportunity for connection and equanimity in every relationship, then take a look within. What are you afraid of?

Love is the way we turn away from fear. Love is the heart of non-violence. Non-violence begins with self love. Where fear creates harm and violence, love creates safety. Non-violence asks us to honor relationships with others and ourselves through compassion and empathy.

Explore on your own: Begin to observe the difference in how your body feels and what sensations arise when you see blatant discrimination, violence, and harm in the news or on social media. Practice noticing sensations in your body when you’re enjoying a cup of coffee or tea with a friend, watching the sunrise, having a conversation with a stranger who may become a friend, or when you see someone caring for another person.

Name the sensations. Notice if there is a pattern when you see or practice non-violence that is different than when you see or experience violence. Really take the time to observe and see how violence and non-violence affect your physical body. You may have never paused long enough to notice the way small acts of violence or even small gestures of love can affect your physical body. Notice how long these sensations remain present in your body.

Spend more and more of your time in activities that create sensations of calm, ease, lowered heart rate, quieter breathing, and joy rather than frenetic energy, anger, hurried breathing, fast heart rate, churning knots in your abdomen, or fleeting moments of elation.

Thank you for supporting my small business this past year! Each December, I look forward to the darkest night of the yea...
12/22/2025

Thank you for supporting my small business this past year! Each December, I look forward to the darkest night of the year as we gather for restorative yoga and a sound bath. It is my favorite time for reflection and gathering in community. This year has felt especially dark with the loss of two very important people in my life - my mom and my brother-in-law - and I have felt anything but festive as the holidays have approached. Today I finally felt a moment of joy while playing the sound bath, and I hope you did too. The greatest work of our life, of our yoga, is finding tiny moments of joy even when the world feels dark and heavy. May this season offer time for reflection. May you remember those you’ve loved who have departed this world. May you find comfort in the darkness. May you surrender to the season. 💙🤍

🌑 Preparing for the Winter Solstice – Sound Bath & Restorative Yoga📅 Sunday Dec. 21 | 4 - 5:30 pm🍂 Join us for a nurturi...
12/19/2025

🌑 Preparing for the Winter Solstice – Sound Bath & Restorative Yoga

📅 Sunday Dec. 21 | 4 - 5:30 pm

🍂 Join us for a nurturing afternoon as we honor the turning of the seasons and prepare to welcome the stillness and reflection of Winter Solstice.

🪷 In this 90-minute experience, Brigitte and Danielle will guide you through gentle restorative yoga postures supported by props, allowing your body to fully relax and release tension. As you rest, you’ll be immersed in the resonance of a sound bath with singing bowls and other healing instruments designed to soothe the nervous system, quiet the mind, and open the heart.

🕯️ The Winter Solstice invites us inward, offering a moment to pause, reflect, and set intentions for the months ahead. This practice is suitable for all levels and requires no previous yoga or sound bath experience.

🌿 Dress comfortably, bring layers, hydrate prior to the workshop, and prepare to leave feeling grounded, peaceful, and aligned with the season’s energy.

🔗 Register by visiting https://www.freshcoast.yoga/workshops

Reposting the schedule update for December from New class times + new offerings this month!🌙 Morning Flow with JoanTues...
11/29/2025

Reposting the schedule update for December from

New class times + new offerings this month!

🌙 Morning Flow with Joan
Tuesdays & Fridays | 6–7am (NEW time)

🧘‍♀️ Deep Stretch with Joan
Tuesdays | 5:30pm (NEW class)

📣 Class Update + Instructor Swap
Wednesday Rise & Flow
is cancelled for the winter starting Dec 8.
Sascha moves to Blend on Mondays, Brigitte returns in spring.

🕊 Holding Space for Grief
Tuesday Dec 16 | 7pm
with Danielle & Emilie

❄️ Winter Solstice Sound Bath
Sunday, Dec 21 | 4pm
with Danielle & Brigitte

Come move, breathe, and stay cozy with us this season. 🤍

Grief touches us all, through loss, change, or the unseen weight we carry day to day.Join Fresh Coast Yoga instructor o...
11/21/2025

Grief touches us all, through loss, change, or the unseen weight we carry day to day.

Join Fresh Coast Yoga instructor of and local author for a workshop to honor our experiences with grief and move with compassion.

Through yoga, breathwork, meditation, and guided journaling, we’ll gently soften into emotion, reconnect with the body, and create space for healing and presence.

This workshop offers a space to ground release, and nurture resilience, recognizing that grief isn’t something to fix, but something to tend to with care.

No experience needed — come just as you are.

Bring a journal if you have one (we’ll have extras).

Sign up by visiting www.freshcoast.yoga/workshops

Special classes and schedule updates for the week of Thanksgiving (Nov. 24 - 28) at Fresh Coast Yoga:✨Black Friday Vinya...
11/21/2025

Special classes and schedule updates for the week of Thanksgiving (Nov. 24 - 28) at Fresh Coast Yoga:

✨Black Friday Vinyasa with Katy | Friday 10am

✨Rest & Digest Restorative Yoga with Danielle | Sat 10am

Both are regular, drop-in classes -> sign up by visiting www.freshcoast.yoga

Tonight’s Harvest Moon Night Market was whimsically fun! Thank you to all the patrons, vendors, and event organizers for...
10/13/2025

Tonight’s Harvest Moon Night Market was whimsically fun! Thank you to all the patrons, vendors, and event organizers for enhancing the spooky vibes. We at had a fabulous evening! Special thanks to for helping me out tonight and to the event organizers

As a yoga teacher and yoga therapist, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how often and how easy it is to be disconn...
10/05/2025

As a yoga teacher and yoga therapist, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how often and how easy it is to be disconnected from what truly builds community. It isn’t about having cool, flashy classes. It isn’t about what type of practice you offer. It isn’t about any of that. What matters is ahimsa or kindness, satya or truthfulness, asteya or non-stealing, brahmacharya or non-excess, and aparigarha or non-possessiveness.

The positive experiences I’ve had as a student and as a teacher all have these principles in common. In yoga, these principles are the yamas, or those guideposts that help us live in relationship with others and with this earth. They are what builds an authentic connection through community.

These same principles apply to my job in architecture. What makes a good architect and a great building?

These same principles apply to being a doctor and a writer like my friend Michelle Seguin. (BTW, if you want to read about authentic connection to the earth from soil to soul, I highly recommend you follow and read her newsletters. Talk about kind authenticity!)

Your homework, should you choose to accept it, is to reflect on how you experience the yamas in your everyday life. How does authenticity lead to vulnerability and connection for you? What role do the yamas play in your experience? How does authenticity lived through the yamas bring you closer to the present? How does being present to experience awe help you reach a state of nirvana?

I am so grateful for Michelle’s authenticity and reflection on her experience with soma yoga. It made me tear up 😢, and tear up even moreso because I absolutely love seeing clients and students of my yoga community thriving in whatever they do like Michelle is doing with her writing, gardening, cooking, doctoring, and mothering.

People sense authenticity somatically. People know when the yamas are at the foundation of your work and how you live your life. This is your yoga off the mat. How are you living yoga in everyday life?

Tonight was the last session of Sunset Soma Yoga at Bucky’s. It was a warm summer day with large 🌊 on the lake providing...
09/29/2025

Tonight was the last session of Sunset Soma Yoga at Bucky’s. It was a warm summer day with large 🌊 on the lake providing a soothing backdrop of music as the sun slipped below the horizon.

Interoception matters. Last week, my friend and coach asked me “What is the goal of all your various offerings in yoga, ...
09/28/2025

Interoception matters. Last week, my friend and coach asked me “What is the goal of all your various offerings in yoga, yoga therapy, Thai yoga bodywork, somatics, breath re-education, meditation, heart coherence, and sound baths?” And I froze. You see, that’s the issue. I didn’t know what my goal was other than to help people live with more joy and authenticity. She pressed me again “But why these offerings?” As we continued to talk, it finally came out that what I want people to experience is increased interoception.

Somatic is a trending word right now. But do you even know why? This study highlights why you should know why and how increased interoception develops with continued practice. Give it a read at https://yogauonline.com/yoga-practice-teaching-tips/study-shows-yoga-enhances-body-awareness/

My coach continued in her questions and asked me what brings me the most satisfaction in working with people, and my response was that they seem lighter, happier, and able to know what they need at any moment. They speak up for their needs, are more patient, laugh more, love deeply, experience less pain and illness, and seem to glow from within. This is what increased interoception offers all of us. How simply amazing!!

This is why I do what I do. Soma yoga opened a myriad of possibilities for me once I connected with myself through increased interoception. I hope to share this gift of interoception with you.

Shoutout to my coach Cindy at Spring Brook Holistic Wellness. Her ability to ask the tough questions is inspiring.

Yep! It’s true. I taught a yoga class in jeans last week at Fresh Coast Yoga. Heck, they even let me continue teaching t...
09/28/2025

Yep! It’s true. I taught a yoga class in jeans last week at Fresh Coast Yoga. Heck, they even let me continue teaching there! (That’s one reason why I 💙 teaching at Fresh Coast Yoga.)

If you’ve been thinking about joining a yoga class but not feeling like you’d be able to because you:
a. don’t have yoga clothes
b. don’t have a yoga mat
c. think you’re not flexible
d. can’t get up & down from the floor
e. all of the above
f. any other “reason”

Then I’m here to tell you these are all worries that are simply not true. Much of what we fear and many of the excuses we make are beliefs we think are true, but are not. In yoga philosophy, this is known as asmita or false understanding.

In yoga, the yamas of ahimsa (non-violence) and satya (truthfulness) are one way of moving beyond the false beliefs we all create for ourselves. Yep, including me! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve talked myself out of going to a yoga class that I feared I wouldn’t be able to do. Bet you didn’t know yoga teachers fear classes they’ve never tried too, huh? We’re all seeking comfort and familiarity.

So if you’ve been thinking about coming to a yoga class but haven’t because of any of these “reasons,” then this is your encouragement to join one of my classes at Fresh Coast Yoga. I guarantee you that we sometimes wear jeans, have a yoga mat (and all sorts of supportive props) for you, can and do practice yoga in a chair rather than on the floor, and have the absolutely most welcoming student community in the Keweenaw.

I teach a Mindful Midweek Mix class on Wednesdays at 5:30pm and a Sunrise Soma Yoga class on Thursdays at 6:45am at Fresh Coast Yoga. If you’re still not sure about joining a class, I am a certified yoga therapist and offer private sessions through my small business Snowy Cedar Center for Wellness. We can connect privately and then I can recommend some classes and teachers that will meet you where you’re at in your yoga practice. Links in bio.

Did I mention that new students at Fresh Coast Yoga get their first class for only $5?!!? What have you got to lose? Join me this week. Wear your jeans if you want. You are always welcome here.

Address

Hancock, MI

Opening Hours

Monday 4pm - 9pm
Tuesday 4pm - 9pm
Wednesday 4pm - 9pm
Thursday 4pm - 9pm
Friday 4pm - 9pm
Saturday 8am - 9pm
Sunday 8am - 9pm

Telephone

+17016405510

Website

https://calendly.com/snowycedar

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Category

Our Story of Creation: Yoga as a Rock

(and a Happy Rock at that!)

Happy Rock Yoga was born out of pure coincidence; strategic alignment of the planets; my travels; the people I met along the way; some unfortunate, rather rocky circumstances; happy trees (thanks to my childhood fascination with Bob Ross); the obscene amount of rocks I collect; and a move from the rocky shores of Duluth on Lake Superior to the quite shores of Happy Rock on Lake Michigan. But, what’s most imperative is that throughout it all, yoga, reiki, sound meditation, and hiking have become the rocks that ground me, root me, and make me...well, me.

My goal is simple: to help you become you own rock by growing your roots and allowing energy to travel into you, through you, and out into the world. We will practice yoga together, allow the energies of the world to shift us through reiki, listen to sounds of instruments and nature that alter our vibrations, spend time in nature together, and most importantly, build a community of wellness. This is Happy Rock Yoga where you are enabled to be blissful, be simple, be YOU.

Welcome to Happy Rock Yoga, proudly headquartered in Gladstone, Michigan, and happily rocking across the Central UP to bring you yoga, reiki, sound meditation, and nature hikes since 2019.