Thrive With Cassandra

03/12/2026

Amen! Tathatsu! Yes!

If you don’t know how, come to my classes! 😉

Now honestly, feeling emotionally out of control is a very real, scary experience that many people talk to me about when anxiety is leading their reactions in life. You cannot control what happens around you, but you can train your nervous system and thought patterns so you can control your physiological reaction and respond to the situation with a sense of clarity in your mind despite the stress.

The mental fitness yoga practices I lead are what brought me peace in my life. I wish I had exposure to those techniques many years earlier when emotions felt so big, rather than turning to numbing-out habits. Come train with me and feel the difference.

ThriveWithCassandra.com

03/09/2026

You can feel the vibe, right? Mirror neurons cause us to mimic each other’s energy. Let’s do the work to regulate the nervous system because it not only feels good for the person doing it, but it also affects everyone around you.

The brain experiences second-hand trauma (like second-hand smoking, real physical effects) from seeing someone else’s trauma occur. Seems to me that we could make more second-hand bliss experiences for each other by choice!

03/07/2026

Search result for “yoga” in my photo album. 😂👏 Asher does a perfect chaturanga/tricep push-up while proving yoga uses functional movement!

03/05/2026

🤠 75 attendees for a 90-min presentation on Challenge vs Threat mindset science, including multiple short practices throughout because I don’t do a plain old lecture. 😉

Short version: You can control the entire physiological response to stress by thinking of it as a challenge. ‼️

Here’s the practice recipe:
1️⃣ Tactical breathing to reset the nervous system. 2️⃣ Plant a challenge mindset, or in irritating situations at home, remind yourself “not a threat” or “not an emergency”.
3️⃣ Physical challenge drills to to train regulation under stress.
4️⃣ Guided mental visualization or tactical breathing for final relaxation.

Grateful to the WI Dept of Justice conference board for selecting me as a speaker two years in a row, plus having me offer the officers yoga classes in the mornings. 👏🙏

Yoga For First Responders
WI DOJ Peer SupporYoga For First Responders

03/03/2026

12 cops in a 6:30 am yoga class this morning at the statewide Peer Support first responders conference. This is significant because:
6:30 am before breakfast on what is treated as a vacation for most people and was prior to general registration! 😲

It matters to instruct in a way that is culturally informed and relevant to the job.
Yoga For First Responders

03/02/2026

Steady breath >> steady mind >> steady body

Doing these movements for the FIRST time is exciting because I’ve been working with 8 out of 10 low back pain for many months. This was a huge accomplishment to be able to move and lift body weight in these ways!

For years, I’ve had various back pain issues from lifestyle patterns that I’ve resolved through a strength-based yoga practice. The constant pain that started last year was from the pelvis shifting out of place continually. No matter how many times a chiropractor set it back in place on one side, there was no pain relief and it always shifted back. Physical therapy programs had no effect. I worked with my former yoga anatomy teacher to figure out which small stabilizing muscles were being lazy and how to activate them in yoga poses. Instant pain relief when I worked on it! It is work that has forced my consciousness of details to advance.

If I go back to unconscious movement patterns, it’s not a permanent fix. Hence, a continuous conscious physical practice that keeps the body tuned. My yoga practice and study also helps me recognize and address new problems when they occur. I’ve used it to heal many injures and harmful movement patterns over the years.

Join me for slow and strong Hatha classes at Mandala Yoga Racine on Mondays 5:30 pm.

03/01/2026

Doing physical yoga drills while wearing a blinded blast mask is part of the training I went through to be a yoga instructor for first responders. WHY?

1) Practice controlled breathing for mental clarity under conditions that cause panic and stress,
2) Practice mastering the mind during a physical challenge,
3) Use aspects of the jobs, such as the gear, environments, and other pressures in simulations so I can teach yoga skills in a relatable way and experience that it works in those conditions.

(This was a classmate and cop in my training unit.)

When I teach community classes, I still teach with a science-based, no fuss approach so anyone can learn to process stress and build resilience.
Yoga For First Responders
Cassandra Bjelajac

02/28/2026

Next week, I will be presenting at the Wisconsin Dept of Justice Peer Support Conference for law enforcement. Session title: Challenge vs Threat Brain Training and Nervous System Regulation 🧠💪

THIS is what yoga is. Everyone can do it, and everyone benefits from it.

Yoga For First Responders

02/28/2026

02/08/2026

For me, most of my work time is looking at a computer screen creating organized plans, troubleshooting technology problems, and interpreting info between clients and tech engineers. Mental rest and sensory rest are my biggest needs daily and are not satisfied by more physical inactivity. Mental fitness practice has helped me know how to find sanctuary within my mind.

02/05/2026

👏🍻 💯 “The HOT Yoga Tee is for the people who don’t need a heated room. When you show up, it’s already hot. If you’re doing yoga… congratulations—that’s hot yoga.”

Yoga For First Responders



https://www.yogaforfirstresponders.org/product-page/the-hot-yoga-tee

Cassandra Bjelajac

This shirt is for the people who don’t need a heated room.When you show up, it’s already hot. If you’re doing yoga, congratulations — that’s hot yoga.Featuring the bold front design with HOT highlighted in red, this tee brings a little humor and a lot of truth to your practice. On the back...

02/04/2026

My mind has been consumed with how I can better get services to police because the average sacrifice is a life 20 years shorter than others! The wear and tear of the job is REAL and anyone who does a high-stress job must do more than the average person to manage and heal the nervous system effects. Many cops have a brief life after retiring.

Though the services I offer are valuable and worth being paid for, I am always willing to offer them for free to first responders.

Yoga that is relevant to the job conditions, coaching through mental fitness techniques, and Reiki emphasizing neuro reset.

Thank you to our former Mt Pleasant chief for his service and may he rest in peace. 🙏😔

Cassandra Bjelajac

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of former Chief Timothy Joseph Zarzecki (May 6, 1962 – February 1, 2026).
Chief Zarzecki dedicated over 30 years to the Village of Mount Pleasant. Before joining our department on January 17, 1988, he served as a Wisconsin State Trooper. During his career, he worked in patrol, was promoted to Sergeant overseeing all three patrol shifts, and became Police Chief in 2008.
He was a dedicated leader, mentor, and integral part of our community’s growth. In his own words at the time of his retirement in 2018:
"You are truly dedicated and professional individuals, every one of you! It has been an honor to serve with you and to be your chief of police. I sincerely wish you all the best in the future and will be here for you should you need anything of me."
Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and all who had the privilege of working alongside him. Former Chief Zarzecki will be deeply missed, but his legacy and service will live on in the Village of Mount Pleasant.
Rest in peace, Chief.