Cleo's Teaching Schedule:
Wednesday Gentle 5:30pm - 6:45pm
Wednesday Level I 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Contact Cleo; register for a class
Cleo Bloomquist welcomed yoga as a constant in her life in the mid-90's when she started classes with Annie at Two Dog Yoga. She began teaching in 1999. Cleo finds that her yoga practice is continually changing and expanding to reflect her personal exploration. She receives guidance from many wise teachers, including Denise Benitez, Judith Roth, Sarahjoy Marsh, Doug Keller, John Friend, as well as her students. Cleo's teaching is also informed by her study of meditation, her practice as a pediatric physical therapist, and her experiences as mother. She has a deep appreciation of yoga as a path of discovery -- one that will meet you just where you are, offering benefits at any level of experience and background. Her classes offer a safe and comfortable setting to learn and practice yoga with emphasis on skillful alignment, balanced action and mindfulness, while honoring the uniqueness of each student's experience. Contact Cleo.
Cleo’s mindfulness, easy manner, and professional work in physical therapy combine to
create a teaching style that is accessible and clear in word and pose. Cleo encourages us to find
our own best yoga, whether it is in some thoughtful yogic perspective to ponder as we practice or in some
hands-on guidance as we waver through a pose or in the simple reminder to breathe as we flow.
— long-time student
From Meet the Instructors: Cleo Bloomquist, June 2010 Two Dog eNewsletter
"Practice, practice and all is coming” ~ Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois
Earlier in my life I would have responded to this idea with the thought of, “How am I going to fit anything more into my day?” However, I have come to know my yoga and meditation practice as an invitation to be present and participate, nothing forced or rote about it. Each movement, each breath imbued with attention. It is more about softening than nose-to-the-grindstone work and effort. Not that it is all easy, but there is a quality to the effort, a sense of mindfulness and moving from intention, from my heart. Discipline that is a choice versus being imposed from an internal or external source.
My work as a pediatric physical therapist gives me many opportunities to observe children moving through the steps towards independent mobility and beyond. This involves a lot of practice, and not the 3 sets of 10 repetitions kind of practice, but more being fully present and engaging in a movement or activity that ultimately results in a new skill. It involves lots of repetition with slight variations. A baby will practice pushing up on their arms (upward facing dog pose) alternating with “airplane pose” (cobra variations) many times. As they mature, strength increases, neuropathways connect and they begin to pivot on their bellies, then commando crawl, rock on hands and knees, and then finally crawl. With a little or a lot more practice they develop speed and more coordination – the world gets bigger. Time for child proofing! It is a long process relative to their short lives, but they embrace every step of the way, not really knowing what freedom and independence lie ahead.
No matter where we are in the cycle of life, this process of growth and development continues to unfold. I have found yoga to be the path that fosters my continued exploration on many levels. I was drawn to yoga, initially seeking the physical benefits of strength and flexibility. Over time and with a more consistent practice, I have experienced subtle transformation, which sometimes results in a more profound shift in my day-to-day life. As I practice the postures or asanas and stay with the awareness of my breath, I learn to recognize what is habit, which action creates tension or ease, what it feels like to know a solid base of support and move from it. I appreciate how a small adjustment can make a huge difference.
Off the mat, my yoga practice influences my thoughts, emotional responses, and interactions at work and with family. I become aware that I have been holding a judgment that is based on habitual thinking, and learn to let it go. I am able to “be” with my newborn grandchild, relishing his warmth and steady breath and put my “to do” list aside. I am grounded through my heels as I bend forward to weed my garden, and rise back up to appreciate the contrast of the foliage, a fragrant blossom, or the antics of the birds flitting through the shrubs.
I have the opportunity to practice every day – meditation, yoga postures, thoughtful communication with those I love, and I look forward to it. The process of the practice is what matters, not the end result. As I hold a child-like sense of being present, I am not concerned with knowing the outcome, but embrace the moment. I can make choices, set my intention and move forward on a path that nourishes and sustains my whole being.
Cleo's teaching schedule can be found on the Yoga Schedule page.
