Our Story
We created this space for you.
Over the years, the wellness and mental health space has flourished, bringing more resources to people than ever before. While there are plenty of teachings and practices, most of these are taught in isolation and don’t involve other disciplines.
We created Mindful + Pratique to bring key teachings from three separate worlds together. Taking aspects of positive psychology, fusing them with mindfulness practices, and blending in various techniques of artistic expression, we’ve developed unique models that help individuals create lasting, positive change in their lives.
Our goal is to help you create long-lasting well-being to live a life you love. We aim to empower you, to give you tools that foster resilience and practices that bring you joy.
We invite you to explore. We invite you to express. We invite you to enjoy.
Alena Ahrens, Founder
The founder of Mindful + Pratique, Alena is a Contemporary American-Asian artist and educator. Her years of study and exploration into the worlds of arts, mindfulness, and educational psychology culminated in the birth of the M+P. Alena has developed numerous methodologies that promote well-being, all of which are packaged into various workshops. Explore healing and wellness work from Mindful + Pratique, or visit her contemporary art site.
- Founder of Mindful + Pratique
- Holds an MFA in studio practices from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- Holds a PhD in Education with a focus on Teaching and Learning Processes from the University of Missouri – St. Louis
Kate O’Brien
Kate brings to Mindful + Pratique perspectives of individual growth from education and engagement in music, theater, psychotherapy, and higher education. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in music and theater at Indiana University and holds graduate certificates in Gender Studies and in Social Justice Education.
- Contributor to Mindful + Pratique
- MAEd in counselor education at St. Louis University
- PhD in Education in the area of Teaching and Learning Processes from the University of Missouri – St. Louis
Ana Morales
Ana is a mixed media artist and graphic designer that facilitates M + P’s various art workshops. She’s particularly interested in art-making as an opportunity to play and experiment. Ana brings a wealth of expertise in artistic practices to M + P, including bookmaking, experimental journal and painting, mixed media methods, realist painting, and paper-making.
- Holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
- Holds a BFA from James Madison University, where she studied studio art and art education
- Has over five years of experience in teaching visual arts methods in museum and gallery settings
Lindsay Luterman
Lindsay is a published author, yoga instructor, blogger, and wellness coach.
She earned her 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Certification through the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine and her 1,000 Hour Yoga Teacher Certification through Naropa University. She is mastered in two forms of Reiki energy healing.
- Children’s Yoga Certification from Kidding Around Yoga
- Associates of Arts in Early Childhood Education from Liberty University
- Bachelor’s of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with a focus on Education and Health Science from Liberty University
Isabel Theobald
A visual artist and yoga instructor, Isabel leads the Mindful + Pratique workshops with grace and flow. She combines these two worlds to create entirely new art forms, her most recent body of work explores meditation in performance, and creates images to help people find connection and inner peace. Isabel’s work presents avant-garde ways of healing the mind and body.
- Holds a BFA from the California Institute of the Arts in Dance and Choreography, with a minor in Digital Arts
- Earned her 200-hour yoga teacher certification from Green Lotus Yoga & Healing Centre
- Furthered her training in trauma-informed work, becoming a Y12SR (Yoga for 12 Step Recovery) leader
How We Serve You
Through our work, we equip individuals with the knowledge and tools to create lasting positive change in their lives. We offer a series of workshops, each infused with various mindfulness, somatic healing and artist practices. Workshops can be purchased on an as-required basis, available to you wherever you need to drop in and go deep.
For a more tailored approach, the Pathways present a series of curated programs each designed to foster a particular character strength. There are six pathways to choose from, or, you can take the Pathways quiz to find your best fit.
Are you ready to begin your journey to well-being? The first step is seconds away.