Vanessa Blaisdell
Mankato, Minnesota
Vanessa is passionate about movement and loves to share her knowledge and experience. She has a deep understanding of the connection between the body, mind and spirit that comes from both her personal practice and her training as a certified Qoya instructor. Vanessa loves to help her students find freedom and joy in their movement and to explore their own personal power and potential. In her classes, the invitation is to for students to tap into their intuition, cultivate self-love and explore their own unique expression through movement.
Vanessa earned her Qoya teacher certification in 2023 in Costa Rica. She also earned her yoga teacher certification as recognized by the Yoga Alliance International in 2005 at the Sivanada Ashram in Quebec, Canada.
Vanessa has traveled her entire life including a move from Minnesota to Tokyo, Japan for a couple of years in grade school. A student of all cultures, Vanessa studied abroad in her early 20's in Martinique, French West Indies, Nepal, Indonesia, Vietnam, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and Chiang Mai University in Thailand. Vanessa continues to 'study abroad' with her work in the travel industry for the past 23 years and weaves her personal Qoya practice into all her travels.
When did you take your first Qoya class? I think my first Qoya Inspired Movement class was in the fall of 2017 with Colleen LaSota at Four Gates Studio in Minneapolis.
What does it mean for you to teach Qoya? I am honored to hold space as a Qoya Inspired Movement instructor for those drawn to the embodiment practice. The process of becoming certified has been deeply healing. The practice has attuned me to more subtle energies around me and the needs of my body and nervous system. Through the ritual of the practice, things are brought to the surface to be cleared and released.
What is your favorite song to dance to right now? It's hard to pick just one but I am currently smitten with “Stars” by Ayla Nereo!
What book has inspired you on the path to embodying the feminine? “Women Who Run with the Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estes inspired me deeply. I loved the use of myth and folktales to illustrate how society strips away the feminine spirit. I was able to identify more with my wild spirit through Dr. Estes' exploration into the nature of the wild woman archetype.
What would you tell someone who is thinking of taking a Qoya class for the first time? It's a fun and inspiring way to move your body! I like to tell people the Qoya saying, "Come as you are, leave as more of who you are."
