One of the core tenets of yoga practice is the concept of stretching one’s own personal limits, as well as awakening a link between the body and the mind. This is the foundational model for Mind Body Solutions yoga studio, a nonprofit organization in Minnetonka, and it has helped hundreds of people of all abilities for more than a decade. “We like to think that we’re a pioneer in this type of teaching,” says Matthew Sanford, yoga instructor and founder of Mind Body Solutions. “We’re welcoming to anyone and everyone.”
Sanford founded the studio with the notion that everyone deserves to feel the healing power of yoga, regardless of physical ability. In fact, this brand of healing is extremely personal for Sanford, as he has been a paraplegic for the past 37 years. “I guess you could say that a lot of this came from my story,” Sanford says. “I wanted to share adaptive yoga with everyone who might be interested.”
A nationally recognized public speaker, Sanford released his first book in 2006. Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence tells the story of his journey through a traumatic car accident at age 13, which left him paralyzed from the chest down, to his rejuvenation through yoga and meditation.
After years of studying and seeking different treatments and healing philosophies, Sanford was led to yoga, thanks to its acceptance of all bodies and its focus on linking the mind and the body. “It leads to a view of existence as a whole person,” Sanford says.
While the studio in Minnetonka prides itself on its pioneering adaptive yoga instruction, it also hosts traditional yoga classes. All classes run for about an hour to 90 minutes, with instructors demonstrating various poses and techniques, often using props such as blankets and blocks.
“We offer different types of yoga for different types of people,” Sanford says. “The principles of yoga do not discriminate.” For traditional yoga students, Mind Body Solutions offers everything from gentle classes (with more restful, low-impact poses) to intermediate and advanced courses for experienced yogis. Adaptive yoga, on the other hand, emphasizes the experience within the poses, not just the participant’s physical accomplishments in completing them.
“A common misconception of yoga is that all of the accomplishments come from the physical exercises,” Sanford says. “We at Mind Body Solutions are trying to prove that the link created [between the mind and the body] should be the main focus during our classes.”
One group of students that has benefited from Mind Body Solutions is returning military veterans. The studio has collaborated with Veteran Resource Centers in the Twin Cities; Mind Body Solutions teachers offer yoga classes for veterans at centers in Brooklyn Park and St. Paul. The classes are free of charge to all veterans and any friends or family members who accompany them. Sanford is also on the advisory board for There & Back Again, a national nonprofit that offers reintegration services for veterans.
Sanford and many of the founding members of Mind Body Solutions work out of their Minnetonka location, but the organization’s students are global. “We teach people from all across the world,” Sanford said. “It goes way beyond our Minnetonka studio.” Sanford and his team have hosted students and yoga teachers from as far away as Australia who want to learn more about adaptive yoga and bring the approach back to their communities.
While Mind Body Solutions has influenced people internationally, Sanford is extremely fond of the lake-area community, where it all started. With its active and open-minded residents, Sanford says he’s proud to call Minnetonka home. “I think the community really vibes with our outlook, which is why we’ve been successful here for so long,” Sanford says. “There’s certainly a more holistic message in this neighborhood that really boasts a forward-looking demographic.”
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Mind Body Solutions
17516 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka
952.473.3700
@mb_solutions
