Bend & Brew (Yoga & Coffee)
Description
Bend your body, sip your coffee, and let your worries flow away. Join our Yoga and Coffee program where zen is in every sip. Stretch, sweat, and savor the perfect balance of strength and caffeine.
This program is open to all age groups but aimed at adults looking for laid-back exercise and socializing. Sessions start with an hour of yoga led by Blandina Peterson. We’re proud to partner with Caribou Coffee as the exclusive coffee provider for Bend and Brew. Their generous support helps us serve high-quality coffee at every session, creating a warm and welcoming environment where families can recharge and reconnect. Participants can register to attend with their families or by themselves.
Class is from 9:30am – 10:30am at RHF | Rick’s Place
The coffee station offers a variety of options so every participant can find something regardless of dietary restrictions. Water and a small snack will also be available. Participants can bring their own yoga mats from home or use a mat provided by RHF.
This program is free of charge to service members and their families. Registration opens for each session 2 weeks before that session’s start date.
You will be asked for proof of Military Affiliation at check-in for this program. Have your Military ID available. If you have any questions about what qualifies as proof of affiliation, please reach out to the team at Rick’s Place.
Each participant is required to register for this program, with 1 ticket needed per individual. The start and end times are prompt. If anyone under the age of 18 is attending, they will need a parent on the premises for the duration of the program.
About the Instructor:
Blandina Peterson retired from the U.S. Army as a Sergeant Major and is a disabled Veteran who wants to give back to her community by sharing the benefits of yoga with others. She personally practices yoga to help manage her back pain and other medical conditions. She teaches seven in-person yoga classes (chair, chair yoga dance, gentle yoga, and aqua yoga) mainly to Seniors 55+, Veterans (any age), and individuals with limited mobility; and two online live-stream yoga classes weekly.
She is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT) 200 (hours), a Yoga Vista Academy Chair and Senior Yoga, Chair Yoga Dance, Gentle Yoga, and Wheelchair Yoga graduate, a certified Warrior At Ease Yoga Teacher trained to teach trauma-informed yoga and meditation to military communities, and completed iRest Level 1 training, which allows her to provide guided meditation and Yoga Nidra to yoga participants. She continues her yoga teacher training by participating in an RYT300 hour program, and a Yoga Therapist program.
This is her second time teaching yoga as she previously taught yoga from approximately 2000-2005, while on Active Duty, during the weekends and evenings. She missed sharing the joy of yoga with others and in 2020, during a time when the world needed yoga and meditation the most, decided to attend yoga teacher training again to do so. Just as she did in the military, she continues to make a difference. She is honored and grateful for the opportunity to share this practice with others.