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Meet Donna Van Wyk of Desert Breeze Yoga in Ahwatukee

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Donna Van Wyk.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Donna. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Being an outdoor enthusiast who grew up in South Africa, I have been interested in a colorful array of sports and activities throughout my life. From a young age, I ran the gamut from martial arts, swimming and dance to later in life taking up rock climbing, kayak polo and backpacking. It was in 2006 when I discovered yoga. Yoga was a much-needed complement to all my other sports. It helped bring balance and restoration to my body and adventurous life. Little did I know, I would eventually become a private yoga teacher!

After my yoga teacher training at The Southwest Institute of Healing Arts (SWIHA) in Phoenix AZ, I continued onto my advanced yoga teacher training while beginning to teach group yoga classes. One of the most educational and influential courses in my advanced teacher training was Sadie Nardini’s Core Strength Vinyasa. This style of yoga focused my attention on alignment and moving in a way that is less compressive on joints and the spine. This developed my skills as a beginner’s yoga instructor and also made me aware of yoga pose modifications for injuries and weaknesses.

As I began taking on students for private yoga classes, I found a more therapeutic approach to yoga was often required. I learned that many students that were drawn to yoga needed stress and pain relief, patience and care for their unique level of fitness and body type.

Although some students just wanted to get good at yoga, others had health issues that needed to be dealt with. These included weight issues, fibromyalgia, tech-induced body ailments like prolonged desk related stiffness and pain – as well as stress! Through my private yoga instruction, I help people refine and grow their yoga capabilities, I make them aware of posture and I help manage their pain and stress.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Challenges as a yoga teacher I encountered were teaching studio classes. There are many yoga teachers looking for jobs, so finding a place to teach can be challenging. Then once I did get hired at studios, there always seemed to be pressure to get more students to attend my classes – perhaps not so much by the studio owners, but the pressure I put on myself. Your confidence takes a knock when numbers drop in your classes. I also experienced a bit of burnout in my second year of teaching. I was teaching multiple classes a day, at a strenuous level. I found myself getting physically and mentally drained. I have since then learned to only teach as much as I now know I can handle. And private classes have actually been a lot easier for me to teach than studio classes!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Desert Breeze Yoga – what should we know?
I offer private yoga classes to people of all ages, from all walks of life and in all types of physical conditions.
My private clients range from people who feel intimidated by yoga studios, beginners to yoga and those who want to get in better shape or manage pain and stress. I also have athletes wanting to do yoga to balance their flexibility and strength and thus, reduce the risk of injury. Some advanced yoga practitioners seek out private classes to improve their practice and learn advanced poses, like arm balances.

I’ve learned through my students that it’s never too late to start learning yoga. In fact, the older they are, the more their bodies need the benefits yoga to keep their bodies from stiffening up and losing all their strength. I have many clients who only started yoga at a mature age and are so grateful they did.

I would have to say one of my specialties is helping people manage pain through yoga. By modifying yoga poses and exercises, I work around their existing stiffness, pain and injuries. I have helped my students feel relief from discomfort. With 80% of Americans having jobs where they sit behind a desk, I am dealing with more people seeking yoga out for tech related pain too – as well as work related stress!

Common ailments, I deal with in my clients include: back, neck and shoulder pain, and general sitting-related discomfort, like stiffness in the legs. I call these desk injuries! A common example is “mouse shoulder”. This is the pain in the shoulder of the arm you use to repetitively move your computer mouse. This can also cause pain in the elbow and wrist (carpal tunnel syndrome).

Then there is “text neck” – the latest tech-induced body ailment – occurs from staring down at a screen for too long with bad posture (the head hangs forward and down). In text neck the neck protrudes forward, stretching the muscles at the back of the neck and upper back/shoulders. This can result in pain in the neck and shoulders, chronic headaches and increased curvature of the spine. As the legs stiffen up from prolonged sitting, people also seek yoga out for lower back, buttock and leg pain. Usually, after a few sessions with a new student, the first thing they purchase is an ergonomic office desk on my advice and also because of posture awareness yoga gives them.

I have recently started going out to companies teaching yoga to employees precisely for the before-mentioned ailments!

I incorporate a number of props and tools in my classes to deal with all types of bodies. I use yoga blocks, foam rollers, tune-up balls, straps and – for one of my students in a wheelchair – we use resistance bands and hand weights.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I would have to say my husband has been my biggest partner and supporter through my yoga training and career building. From his sound and solid advice to take my classes, supporting me through the lean times and being my rock. Without him, I don’t know if I would have come this far.

While taking my invaluable teacher training and advanced courses at The Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, I discovered Sadie Nardini’s style of Core Strength Vinyasa. This was one of the most educational and influential courses in my advanced teacher training. This style of yoga focused my attention on alignment and moving in a way that is less compressive on joints and the spine. This developed my skills as a beginner’s yoga instructor and also made me very aware of yoga pose modifications for injuries and weaknesses. I took her online courses, had some training under 2 of her master teachers, and eventually had the pleasure of meeting her when I attended her yoga retreat in Sedona, Arizona in 2016.

Then, of course, there are the wonderful studio owners who saw enough talent in me to take me on as one of their teachers: Evelyn Steeb at Body in Balance Yoga, Chandler AZ, Spirit of Yoga in Tempe, AZ and Charla Lewis and Anita Sykes at Joyful Yoga, Tempe, AZ.

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Image Credit:
Kurt Korpong, Dave Loper, Crystal Toltec

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