Thea Hornbacher

Into the wild. We enjoyed a rainbow to cap off our day after foraging for oyster mushrooms this afternoon. 🍄‍🟫 🌈

Oyster mushrooms galore! 🍄‍🟫🫶

Violets upon violets oh my!

I went for a beautiful walk yesterday with my husband while our daughter was at forest school. It felt peaceful. I harvested a couple cups of violets to make a simple syrup, while Steve foraged for wild salad greens for supper. These simple delights sure bring me joy.

“The earth laughs in flowers.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Cupping out the Cold

My daughter is sick so I did gua sha and cupping on her back and then cupping out the cold on her navel. She enjoys it which helps the process because being sick is no fun.

I learned this technique from my teacher, Heather Bruce who learned it from her teacher, Dr John Shen. The basic premise is that the Yang is caught up in something else and needs to be free so it can get back to work.

There will be cold stored, which I have found true on 100% of my clients, as that is what the body does with it. Think of all the times we let cold into our bodies, living in the Midwest especially. Or think about cold smoothies or ice cold drinks- the cold creates stuckness and accumulates over time.

Cold wastes the Yang qi and cold gets stored in the stomach, intestines and uterus.

After cupping the navel I apply salt ginger moxa over her navel. Without circulation, gut health, which contains 70% of our immune system isn’t able to function.

And the beautiful thing is, the clients (or my daughter in this case) tongue changes immediately after the cupping and then moxa over the navel allowing the flows to flow and the body to return to homeostasis.

So they say you are ‘hormonal’ – what does this mean?

Backing up first – what is a hormone?
A body messaging system – chemicals traveling in the blood to let other places know what to do.

Some hormones keep the gut working and the pancreas has a lot to do with this. Some are produced by the brain are as to again – keep all working – like a giant computer.

Here we start with what are we making hormones with?
Proper ingredients and circulation. But we may need to get rid of what's blocking the essential ingredients from being seen such as heavy metals - mercury as an example – and light metals (aluminum is an example) and other sources (like bromide and flouride and chloride - these halides that block life's messages (which are absolutely needed for life – but NOT in the water) that living in the modern world has ‘gifted’ .

Detoxification becomes necessary for the body to be able to heal itself.

Scar Renewal

What is it? Adhesions and fascial disturbances that we may not be aware of – except that we live feeling STUCK and tend to get used to it as we are told that is what expect. We don't need these limitations! The body is miraculously designed to heal itself.

This scar work is done extremely gently as the body remembers everything that has ever happened to it and a lot may be released that has been stored. It can feel like complete freedom or like a big shift has happened if we allow it and set the body up right to win - by keeping warm, hydrated, give the body the right ingredients such as comfrey, castor oil and continue nightly adhesion undoing for at least 10 nights up to 1 month, more zinc. Moxa stick over the scar- we are multidimensional beings and bring in better nutrition and minerals, Vitamin C, proten and fat to rebuild the connective tissue and to further release what is stuck and allow the flows to flow and ourselves to be free.

Are you feeling ready for some adhesion breaking? In person appointments available. DM to schedule. 🪷

It brings my heart fulfillment and joy to to teach people how to care for their digestive and reproductive systems. I light up when I see people connecting to their bodies and the inherent wisdom that lies within. ❤️

Happy New Year!

We begin today and would love to see you back on the mat or have you join us for the first time if you've been wanting to try yoga! What a great way to start the New Year. 🧘

Warmest wishes. 🌟

Simple practices to Love Your Body Better. ❤ Thank you Heather Bruce for creating this poster.

Join me Today! 🙃 We will warm the body up from the cold temperatures outside and intend to have some fun!

"The study of asana is not about mastering posture. It's about using posture to understand and transform yourself." BKS Iyengar

Lustre Bowl For Client Sessions 🌹💦🌼

Lustre bowls or lustration (from Latin lustrare): To brighten or purify or to purify ceremonially. These are something I create for each client before they come in for a session or before we begin a session online. It has become something I very much enjoy and look forward to creating and I don't ever begin a session without one!

"Breaking up all forms, doing away with the past, water possesses the power of purifying, of regenerating, of giving new birth. Water purifies and regenerates because it nullifies the past, and restores- even if only for a moment- the integrity of the dawn of things." Mircea Eliade

It is a beautiful devotional practice of gathering flowers and herbs in prayer before the clients session. It can provide cleansing and purification, connection with the sacred, removal of negative influences, anger, fear, grief and trauma and provides protection and offers guidance and wisdom and beauty of Nature and the Divine.

Ready to schedule and recieve your personalized lustre bowl? I have 1-Hour Craniosacral and Lymphatic Drainage Sessions open or 2-3 Hour Intensive Bundles of Care are also available. DM me or click the link to get scheduled and https://theasatrom.simplybook.me
💧💦💧

Lustre Bowl Creations Before Client Sessions 🌹💦🌼 Lustre bowls or lustration (from Latin lustrare): To brighten or purify or to purify ceremonially. These are something I create for each client before they come in for a session or before we begin a session online. It has become something I very much enjoy and look forward to creating and I don't ever begin a session without one! "Breaking up all forms, doing away with the past, water possesses the power of purifying, of regenerating, of giving new birth. Water purifies and regenerates because it nullifies the past, and restores- even if only for a moment- the integrity of the dawn of things." Mircea Eliade It is a beautiful devotional practice of gathering flowers and herbs in prayer before the clients session. It can provide cleansing and purification, connection with the sacred, removal of negative influences, anger, fear, grief and trauma, exhaustion, and anxiety and provides protection and offers guidance and wisdom and beauty of Nature and the Divine. Ready to schedule and recieve your personalized lustre bowl? I have 1-Hour Craniosacral and Lymphatic Drainage Sessions open or 2-3 Hour Intensive Bundles of Care are available. DM me or click the link to get scheduled and https://theasatrom.simplybook.me 💧💦💧

Recent adventures and delights. 🤗🐚🌀 💇‍♀️😻 🦅 🦅

It was cold and they were on a mission! 👻🎃✨🥰 🪄 ♥️ 🥣 🧹

We had our 1st snow yesterday!
Steve went to the farmers market to pick up this huuuuge squash and cardoon and some other last harvest delights. We are preparing for winter by making turkey tail tea with allspice and cinnamon which is known to be great for the immune system and cooking the last of the fresh oyster mushrooms. first dry sauté to release the water. Then add butter, salt, some garlic, soy sauce and last chives from our garden - delicious! Winter is on its way. 🥶 🔥

Mushroom Bounty Continued 🍄🥰

Mushroom Bounty 🍄

It’s prime elm oyster weather here in the Midwest. It looks like it’s going to freeze this weekend and it’s been raining so we made it a priority to get out today. And we are glad we did! 😀 We found not only the traditional elm oysters but these gorgeous browns too! Thank you Mother Nature. 🥰

Warming Chai Tea for this windy autumn day. My husband says it tastes authentic and my body feels warmed up by it. 🥰 thanks to our kind friend, Duncan, for sharing. Cheers!

Marsala
Ingredients:
4 green cardamom pods
2 black cardamom pods
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 tsp black pepper corns
1/2 tsp white pepper corns
1/2 Tsp fennel or anise seed
1 bay leaf

Preparation:
1. Cut open cardamon pods and remove seeds (could try grinding whole pods)
2. Break up cinnamon stick small enough to fit in grinder
3. Grind all ingredients except bay leaf together.
4. Break up bay leaf into small pieces and add to ground spices
5. Store in sealed container
——————

To make Chai:
1/4" ginger root, sliced thin
1 tsp black tea leaves (Brook Bond or similar Indian tea)
1 tsp marsala (above)
2 cups milk

Method:
1. Dice ginger and place in saucepan
2. Add milk (or soy milk)
3. Add tea leaves and marsala
4. Bring to boil while stirring frequently, then simmer for 5-10 minutes

Rainbow Shine 🌈

We went out for a walk today and found some unexpected delights along the way. 🍃🍂🍁

✨Tuesday Level 1 Yoga Resumes Today.✨

Class time is 4:00-5:15pm at The Yoga Studio on Water St. The cost is $15 for a single class, or $12 per class if you pay in advance for the entire month.

For a more detailed description of our classes and the Iyengar method visit www.yogadecorah.com

Spread the word: New students may attend their first class for free!

I hope to see you there! 🙏

"Yoga is an interior pe*******on leading to integration of being, senses, breath, mind, intelligence, consciousness, and Self. It is definitely an inward journey, evolution through involution, toward the Soul, which in its turn desires to emerge and embrace you in its glory."

- BKS Iyengar, Light on Life
Chapter 5 - WISDOM The Intellectual Body (Vijnana)⁠⁠⁠

Abdominal massage can help relieve digestive disorders such as IBS, constipation, nausea, and acid reflux. It supports normal mobility, tone, and motion of the internal organs and their connective tissues.

The ancient Taoist massaged their abdomens and organs to stay healthy, and I would invite you to do the same!

The Taoist sages of ancient China observed that humans often develop energy blockages in their internal organs that result in knots and tangles in their abdomens. These obstructions occur in the center of the body’s vital functions and constrict the flow of chi or life force energy. The negative emotions of fear, anger, anxiety, depression and worry cause the most damage. Problems can also be caused by overwork, stress, accidents, surgery, drugs, toxins, poor food, and bad posture.

When obstructed, the internal organs store unhealthy energies that can overflow into other bodily systems and surface as negative emotions and sickness. Always in search for an outlet, these negative emotions and toxic energies create a perpetual cycle of negativity and stress. If the negative emotions can’t find an outlet, they fester in the organs or move into the abdomen, the body’s “garbage dump”. The abdomen can process some emotional garbage, but more often it can’t keep up with the flow. The energetic center of the body located at the navel becomes congested and cut off from the rest of the body.

Chi, life force energy moves through the body’s internal channels, nervous system, blood vessels and lymph glands. These systems concentrate and cross paths in the abdomen which acts as their CONTROL CENTER. Tensions, worries, stresses of the day, month, and year accumulate there and are seldom dispersed. These disturbances can cause physical tangling and knotting of the nerves, blood vessels, and lymph nodes.

Schedule a massage and learn this ancient healing massage for yourself - what a gift!

Caring for your gut promotes good immune health. Fall is a great time to receive lymphatic massage to boost your immune system during the change of seasons. 🍂

Are you ready to schedule a lymphatic massage especially for you? Please visit: theasatrom.simplybook.me to do so. 🌹

Intensive 2-3 Hour Sessions are also available.

First day of kindergarten! 💕

✨We have class this Tuesday 8/15 and next Tuesday 8/22 from 4-5:15pm, and then I will be on break until mid September.

Join us if you've been wanting to give Iyengar yoga a try or are wanting to practice yoga in a beautiful yoga space together! This is a great class for beginners. Balance - Strength - Flexibility. ✨

Red Oak Forest School end of the year celebration. ♥️🌿🎉🌺We had such a fun time yesterday wrapping up the season with songs, games and a picnic. They have grown together and they’ve grown individually so much this past year - I witness our daughter feel more confident in nature as she listens to the sounds, jump s barefoot over the rocks upon the creek, and connects with the flowers, birds and plant life. It is so beautiful to witness. I feel incredibly blessed to have Ida Rotto teach our little ones with her vast array of knowledge, joy and her big open heart and deep connection with nature. 🌿💛🌿 We are grateful for her parents and their sacred land to steward our children. ✨🩵✨

👣 👀

Here are some photos of Egyptian statues. Check out their feet!

✅ Toes splayed with natural space between them.
✅ Toes straight, aligned with foot bones.
✅ Ends of the toes is the widest part of the foot.

Although we love the shape and posture of these natural and healthy-looking feet, they do seem to be a little rigid... 🤔😉😆

✨In Person Introductory Class at The Yoga Studio with Thea✨

Tuesdays 4-5:15pm.
May 2, 8, 15, 22, & 29.
Props provided. All are welcome.

Opening This Week! ✨

I am happy to offer craniosacral therapy treatments for clients. This is a complimentary method of hands-on bodywork and works with the unique rhythms of the body systems.

I have an opening this week! Thursday, April 27 at 10am. DM me if you’d like to schedule a time especially for you to receive and unwind or you can click the link below to get scheduled yourself.✨

"You're not fat, you're toxic."

We get small exposure to toxins ALL the time. With auto-immune diseases, toxins play a big part. All the sensitivity to gluten is really an issue with round up or glyphosate which destroys the lining of the gut so you can end up with leaky gut.

There is no public policy around environmental chemicals protecting us. In 1976 the Toxic Substances Control Act was formed and at that time, 62,000 chemicals were grandfathered in that are used in the marketplace and considered "safe". There was no change with the policy until 2016 because the chemical industry is so big and has so much power and money to influence politicians. Now, there are 80-82,000 chemicals in use but we don't know exactly how many are in use because the EPA doesn't keep good track. Only 200 of them have adequate safety testing data. The European Union has far more regulation.

Here in the US we have an innocent until proven guilty approach and will use the chemicals until someone files a law suit. The European Union works on precautionary principle meaning if there is any indication that the chemical can be harmful to human health, even if the science isn't definitive, we will regulate and restrict if necessary. Why? They have government funded healthcare. Their government bears the burden of the cost of exposure to chemicals. Not here.

232 is average number of chemicals found in umbilical cord blood which means we are passing the toxins onto children who are just born. The problem is larger than the individual, it's a global problem. They have found polar bears in the arctic with flame retardants in their blood because they have a lot of fat which is like a repository for toxins. The chemicals don't break down in water and air.

Buying organic food isn't for extra nutrients but to avoid exposure to organophosphate and organochlorine pesticide residues that are in foods. CDC recognizes that our exposures happens mostly through food. The good thing is our bodies can metabolize them quickly, often within a day or two. But not if we're constantly putting the same chemicals back in.

What happens when people switch from conventional to mostly organic? There were studies done on adults and children and what happened when they look at the levels of metabolites in their urine is an 80-90% REDUCTION in pesticides in the system within 2-3 days!

What can we do to minimize our exposure to toxins?
1) get rid of all the fragrances in your home- Febreze, scented candles, scented hair products, make up, laundry detergent, etc. All endocrine disruptors.
2) get rid of plastics in the kitchen so they don't have contact with food. replace with glass or stainless steel.
3) open the windows- all of the carpeting, furniture, paint, and walls release chemicals into the air. VOCs.
4) Take off your shoes inside the house so you don't track in car exhaust and pesticides.
5) Filter your water.
It's a process so it doesn't need to all be done overnight but the gradual changes will make a difference.

SCP Podcast 158: Environmental Toxins and Your Health | Stop Chasing Pain STOP CHASING PAIN by Perry Nickelston A Vital Guide for healing your body, moving well, and regaining control of your life

Hi Friends, I just had a cancellation this Wednesday, March 22 at 9:30am. Currently available! Message me if you're looking for time especially for You to RECEIVE🥰!

Lymphatic System: The body has a sewer system to handle the waste from your trillions of cells. It’s called your lymphatic system. Backed up lymph becomes acidic causing pain and inflammation. Your lymphatic system is your body’s gigantic sewer system, lipid carrier system, immune system, and lubricating system. It’s almost 3 times larger than the blood.