This article was written for BYU-I’s news organization, Scroll.
BYU-Idaho’s John W. Hart Physical Education Building is a hub of construction chaos while being remodeled. However, students have found moments of peace with instructor Adeline Blomfield, a senior studying exercise physiology.
After working as a yoga instructor for over a year, Blomfield is spending her final weeks on campus teaching classes twice a week at the Hart building in room 210 at 8 p.m.
“This is my last semester,” Blomfield said. “I will still be in Rexburg until next winter when my husband graduates, and we will walk together … I will probably be teaching yoga off-campus just because this is a student job, but I’ll still be around.”
The exercise physiology major is a catalyst for Blomfield’s success in teaching.
“I had first taken the aerobics fitness technique class by Sister Robison where you are pretty much taught how to teach,” Blomfield said. “The exercise physiology major was a really good fit for me. That background really helped me understand the body more, which helps me understand the students more.”
Growing up in a health-focused family, Blomfield is passionate about the practice of yoga. Through her fitness experiences, Blomfield teaches others how to find balance in their busy lives.
“As I’ve been teaching and doing more (with yoga), I’ve noticed the big benefits with your mental health … and all these things that aren’t just physical,” Blomfield said. “I get a lot of nice feedback from the students about how I’ve been able to help different aspects of their lives just by going to a simple yoga class.”
One way Blomfield has been able to help students improve their well-being is by bringing A Cherokee Feast of Days: Daily Meditations by Joyce Sequichie Hifler to class.
Blomfield often shares the book, letting students flip through worn and beloved pages.
“They actually don’t print this anymore, so my mom bought these for every girl in the family from someone who was reselling them,” Blomfield said. “They have a different thought for every day of the year.”
At the closing of Blomfield’s classes, she opens the book to the current day of the year and reads a passage.
“I started doing it three semesters ago,” Blomfield said. “I’ve gotten a lot of comments from people saying how much they liked it. I even had one girl come to me and say that every class, she would write down what she gained.”
Blomfield encourages students to practice yoga, despite their experience level.
“You don’t have to go into yoga already knowing everything,” Blomfield explained. “Yoga is not perfection; it’s a practice. People can fall out of postures as much as they want, people can laugh and have fun with it … It can be whatever you want, and that’s what I really like about it.”
Through self-acceptance and becoming the best version of yourself, Blomfield believes that yoga practice and gospel living go hand-in-hand.
“Yoga is about connecting all aspects of your life,” Blomfield said. “I feel like the gospel is also about that. They’re both about balance and creating a happier and more loving version of yourself.“
View Adeline Blomfield’s fitness account here.
Isabelle Justice 