Meet Teresa
Teresa (Teddy) E. Araas, PhD, CHES, CYT-300, RYT-200
Dr. Teresa (Teddy) E. Araas is a Certified Health Education Specialist, enthusiastic wellness consultant and yoga/meditation practitioner and instructor dedicated to furthering the practice and integration of mindfulness in the lives of individuals. Through her business, Balanced Living Health & Wellbeing Consultants, LLC, Teresa offers individualized consultations, and creates presentations, workshops, and classes tailored to specific requests for organizations and businesses.
As a seasoned health and wellbeing advocate, Teresa focuses on lifelong wellness, empowerment and stress management as key factors in creating greater balance and healthier lifestyles, thus, enriching quality of life. In her expanded focus in stress management, she uses attention awareness and relaxation programs to provide clients with increased understanding of how to use inherent abilities and resources to respond to challenges of daily life experiences ~ ~“Healing from the Inside Out”.
Teresa has completed Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) trainings taught by senior staff from the Center For Mindfulness (i.e., 7-Day Residential Training in Mind-Body Medicine; Intensive 9-Day Practicum). Admission to specific MBSR programs is limited to those with extensive professional experience, with a solid meditation practice. Also, she has participated in two eight-week MBSR courses at Arizona State University and numerous yoga/meditation retreats. These experiences enrich Teresa’s “toolbox” when working with clients in personal development. With over 20 years experience as a Yoga practitioner and instructor, Teresa teaches mindful “body-friendly”, sustainable Yoga and facilitates schedules and instructors at Santosha Yoga in Sheridan.
Teresa received an “Outstanding Graduate Student” Award at Arizona State University in 2008 upon completion of her doctoral degree in Nutrition, Physical Activity and Wellness. She has broadened her personal life experiences, living and working in both large and small communities, and even in Japan for ten extended tours as a professional performer. Teresa has worked as a faculty member and administrator at the University of Nevada at Reno, taught at Arizona State University, both at Tempe and Mesa, AZ, and worked in various Los Angeles-based schools and studios. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at Truckee Community College, Sparks, NV and at Sheridan Community College, Sheridan, Wyoming.
Teresa works with various local, state and national organizations that are devoted to enhancing health and wellbeing of individuals, businesses and organizations, and society, including the Sheridan Chamber of Commerce, Council of Social Agencies, National Wellness Institute, Health Promotion Advocates, Wellness Council of America, and the Wyoming Worksite Wellness Planning Committee. She enjoys working with community-action and fundraising committees that promote health and wellbeing.
“Family is priority in my life — I cherish family and close friends … AND my ‘best friend’ is my six-pound, 9 year old Maltese, Buddy!”
