Friday, May 25, 2012

Yoga Ends for Spring quarter

My yoga classes end for Spring quarter and I am giving students the opportunity to post about their experience, strength, and hope in yoga class this quarter:)  So grateful to have the opportunity to meet and practice yoga with you all.
Love and light,
Kristin

35 comments:

  1. After taking yoga spring quarter I have found that I was not as flexible as I once was and by taking the class I have gained some of that flexibility back with positions like, forward bend. As well as improving my flexibility this quarter I have also learned to control my breathing. This technique has allowed me to relax more in class, as well as when I am trying to fall asleep. Without thinking I find myself counting to three and exhaling which allows me to relax and has taught to how to feel my body. Overall I have enjoyed the class and my only complaint would be that it was not on campus.
    Thanks for sharing your knowledge,
    Robyn Garing

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  2. I was in a car accident a year ago and my massage therapist recommended taking a yoga class or two to try and relax my neck and back muscles. I have to say that through the classes, I have been able to stretch and strengthen some muscles that I never would have been discovered on my own. Te later evening classes also allowed me to relax and get a better night sleep every week. Yoga is something I will definitely continue to utilize.

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  3. I recently had a baby in January and yoga has been a great outlet for me. It gives me a chance to spend time focusing on me and my body. It also helps me stretch and re-strengthen my muscles. I feel so much better after I attend class. I appreciate how each class is different and offers something new. I also enjoy how you give options to deepen the stretch if you choose to. It allows each student to do what feels what is best to them and that is what yoga is about. Last thing...I really liked the 45 minute meditation. I didn't think I would, but was pleasantly surprised. Thank you for a great quarter. I hope to get to take another class soon.

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  4. I did a lot of yoga before i had a child and i came into this class expecting my body to move the same way it had previously. For me this class was a lesson in re-learning my new, much older body. It taught me to have patience with myself and to work through the poses in a different way.
    I love yoga! I have such a competitive nature and there is no place for that in yoga. The true challenge for me is to be one with my body and forget about everyone else in the room.
    Thanks!! -Heidi Hirt

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  5. At first I was skeptical about joining this yoga class because I have never done yoga or been to a class, but beginning yoga was perfect for me. I have had injuries that has limited my flexibility, but having the opportunity to come to yoga and spend as much time on stretching during certain poses (downward dog, forward bend) has really helped. I also found it very relaxing to have the class before one of my classes, especially when I had a test. Kristin has a great knowledge for yoga and has taught me many things that I plan to take with me whether I decide to take more yoga classes or just do them at home. Thank you so much for helping me be me.
    Liz Jusko

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  6. I took yoga I during winter quarter and enjoyed it so much that I knew I was going to take yoga II in the spring. During the course of this quarter I have found myself to be less stressed and have enjoyed my time on my yoga mat. I have taken alot away from it by using the breathing techniques while studying or before taking a big exam. I know that I have been able to cope and deal with my stress in a more effective way that allows me to feel in control of many situations. I know I will continue to do yoga for the rest of my life and hopfully inspire my friends and family to gain the benefits also. Thanks for the best quarter of yoga yet!

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  7. I really enjoyed this spring quarter of yoga. It has given me a new outlook on relaxing and maintaing my stress levels. I was pleasantly surprised by how much my flexibility improved over the quarter. I run a lot which leaves me with very tight hamstrings and calf muscles, and I loved doing downward dog to help stretch out those tight muscles. Kristin has great knowledge in yoga and I loved the flow of the class. I definitely recommend taking this class to anyone who is looking for new ways to relax and relieve stress.
    -Maria Gau

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  8. I joined the yoga class for two reasons; 1) I wanted to become more flexible, and 2) I wanted something to help me de-stress my hectic life. I work out a lot and my muscles tend to tense up so it was nice to have yoga 2 times a week for stretching and I have noticed my flexibility increase over the quarter. Unfortunately I had to get to work right after the class so I wasnt able to stay for the relaxation part of class that often, but I was still much more relaxed after yoga and I looked forward to the class every week. I wish the class was longer than an hour because it never seems like enough to just have an hour. I thought Kristin was an excellent teacher and I would love to take this class again. I hope I will be able to go on to take some advanced yoga classes next year.
    -Jessica Matheson

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  9. What a fantastic experience! I took the class looking for increased flexibility, and relaxation. By the end, I was going deep into positions I never thought I'd be capable of. In addition to this class, I also took a weight training class on opposite days, and I applied much of what I learned in yoga to my stretching routine at the beginning and end of my work outs. The meditation portion at the end of each class left me feeling the most relaxed and I can remember. I had never before meditated, and was open to the idea, but now I am a believer of it's benefits. Living more in the moment is something I have been striving to do, and meditation allows me to be more in the moment. Thanks for an amazing quarter!

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  10. I took beginning yoga this spring quarter. I had taken a few classes of at the gym at the SURC on campus and didn’t really learn much at all just some poses. When I took this class I actually learned a lot. Such as what the poses do for your body and all the benefits it gives us. Also, that there are different types of yoga, I always thought there was just one. That one that really stuck out to me was the last past weeks lesson on the yoga were you lay down in corpse pose and take in all the sensations of the body of each part/section of the body. But I feel the one thing I will remember the most and that has helped me even at school the breath of joy where it gave me a lot of energy when I didn’t have any. Kristin is fantastic instructor if you get the chance to take a class with her I suggest you do it.
    -Jessica Pia

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  11. I took Kristin's class because I have taken yoga classes before and loved the benefits of becoming more flexible, less stressed, and the ability to stay calm. I took this class to fit into my schedule in order for me to focus on the now and not the crazy hectic life as a college student. I was able to focus on me an not the past or the future. There was times at the beginning of a yoga session I felt as though I could not continue in the day without being over whelmed in stress but, with the help of the relaxation periods I was feeling rejuvenized to continue the day! Kristin is a fabulous instructor, she helped encourage the students to stay confident with themselves and not to judge themselves by the others around them. She told us, the students to modify the moves to our liking and our level of flexiblity or tension we may have. I would highly recommend Kristin as an instructor for any student interested in joining a yoga class for CWU!

    -Andrea Gonzalez

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  12. I was a bit skeptical to take yoga during the spring quarter because I has never practiced it before. Now, with one class left, I find myself very happy with my choice to attend. I have been an athlete all my life so I've never really had long lean muscles which in turn has made me very inflexible. I started out the quarter very tight, with the smallest movements giving me the biggest stretch but today I am able to go very deep into a stretch before reaching my limit. I love cobra because it gives me geat relief in my back. I always look forward to Tuesday and Thursday because I get to enjoy 50 minutes of pure bliss.

    --Megan Foster

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  13. Before taking your yoga class this quarter, I was not fully capable of reaching a state of relaxation that I found beneficial. Now that the quarter is coming to an end, I find it much easier to do so! The idea of bringing your thoughts into the present and letting all others go really helped me to reach that next level. Along with learning to relax on a deeper level, your class has helped me to maintain my flexibility since leaving my dance studio last year. For that, I am thankful! I was never reluctant to come to this class because I knew that it would benefit the rest of my day. All in all, I found this past quarter to be much less stressful and would like to give credit to you for helping me out with that! Thanks so much for a fantastic quarter! :)

    -Rhianna Anderson

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  14. I took this class to develop a foundational yoga practice. I had done yoga before--my mother teaches yoga, I've attended actor trainings that incorporated yoga, I've also studied the chakras extensively; but I had yet to learn the basic yoga poses everything else I had experienced was based on. I did well enough following along, but I was missing so much along the way. This class was a way to start from scratch, a way to build my practice from the ground up, from Child's pose to Warrior. I am so grateful to have such a gentle and kind spirited teacher for this moment in my life. It was needed. The greatest discovery I made this quarter was a newfound awareness of my spine. Doing the spinal twists was a pleasurable, and sometimes excruciating, experience. I realized how much tension I kept in my lower back, how my back curved to compensate. Doing Corpse pose also helped; I could feel my spine lengthen. Amazing experience. I'm going to continue Fall quarter with the intermediate class. I can't wait to begin work again. Thank you for your kind heart, and for sharing yoga with us.

    -Payden Ackerman

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  15. This was my first yoga class, and coming into it I did not know what to expect. I am a dancer, so I guess I thought yoga class would simply be the stretching part of dance. What I learned though, was how to relax. This was my last quarter of college, and I took the most credits I had ever taken, so this was very beneficial. Taking an hour out of my day to breath was wonderful, and I would definitely like to continue taking yoga.

    --Rachel Heikkila

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  16. For the past couple of years I have been really interested in taking a yoga class because it is very popular among the community I grew up in, however I never got around to it until now. I am the type of person who carries stress in their body so I appreciated the many different breathing techniques as well as poses that help me release my stressful tension from my body. Another thing I noticed after just a few classes was how my flexibility level increased and the level of soreness after a tough workout decreases. I have enjoyed learning the world of yoga through Kristin's ways and look forward to continuing taking classes.
    Thanks again for everything!

    -Natalie Martinovic

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  17. Wow everyone, I am so glad you have all found some ways to help you feel better in your bodies. You deserve it, it is your birth right!!! Thanks for posting:)

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  18. I've always been interested in yoga, but until this quarter I had never taken it myself. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect besides stretching and relaxing; while both of those were involved, the experience was so much more. Kristin made the environment welcoming and comfortable for every class and I was able to relax far more than I thought I would. This is my first year at college, and this last quarter the stress of that has hit me especially hard, and yet every Tuesday and Thursday I would leave the yoga class feeling revived and ready to take everything in. I never thought I would be able to focus so completely on just the moment, but both the meditations and the poses helped me do just that. I have used all of the breathing techniques we have gone over in the class to relax me when I'm trying to sleep or energize me before a stressful event. With the yoga techniques themselves (as someone mentioned already above), I never really knew there was more than one "kind" of yoga, and learning about the different kinds and experiencing both more active and more restorative versions was interesting and intriguing. I definitely plan to pursue other yoga classes in the future to keep all of the wonderful benefits going, and I thank Kristin for being a wonderful and encouraging instructor this quarter!

    -Wendy Lane

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  19. I had wanted to take Yoga since the beginning of the school year but never got to it till this Spring quarter (which was the most difficult and most stressful quarter out of the year for me). I do not regret taking Yoga a single bit. I learned a lot from Kristin. She is such a kind and welcoming instructor and she makes one feel so comfortable in each Yoga session, which really helps out a lot. Yoga was such a wonderful experience to my body. After each Yoga session, I would feel energized and full of light. My body felt revived and calm with no tension whatsoever. Meditation at the beginning of each Yoga session is what I loved the most. Meditation helped me keep my body calm and relaxed by bringing in positive thoughts for the present and leaving the past thoughts behind, which I noticed helped keep my breathing at a steady pace. I have actually used a couple breathing techniques when I am feeling very stressed out at moments or just when I am angry and need to take a breather, and I can say they really do help keep me calm and relieve some tension. I also got benefits out of the poses we would do in class. I noticed at the end of each class session I could feel myself more pumped and energized to do anything and I also noticed I felt I became more flexible. The pose I loved the most was the pigeon posture. Besides keeping me flexible, the pigeon posture helped me to relax and be calm while my forehead was to the floor. It was also one of my fun postures in Yoga class due to the stretching that felt good at the end. At the end of each class session I would leave Yoga feeling more energized, more flexible, and, of course, stress-free from whatever I had been thinking of before. I recommend taking Yoga with Kristin!

    -Marisol Cruz

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  20. This was my first time taking a yoga class and I enjoyed it a lot. I initially decided to take yoga to help me relieve some of the stresses of school and everyday life. I found that the deep breathing techniques really helped with the stress and the stretching helped me feel more limber and relaxed during the day. I hope to take more yoga classes in the future. Thanks making this a great first yoga experience.

    -Kevin Hill

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  21. For years now I have been meaning and meaning to take a yoga class. With soccer and school I just could not find the time to be able to pursue taking a class. When I arrived at Central I had stopped playing soccer which let me be more flexible with working out. I finally was able to take my yoga class! The breathing techniques were very helpful to me and made me relax at the beginning of the session. I also could hold my poses better by the end of the quarter as compared to when we first started. The corpse pose at the end of every session was also always so soothing and made my whole body and mind relax. It made me forget about everything around me and what was waiting for me at the end of the session. Kristin was such a great instructor and made me feel very welcome and I could easily talk to her if I needed to! Because I had such a great experience with this yoga class I will definitely try and take more in my future! Thank Kristin!!!
    - Alex Carlson

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  22. this was my freshman year and yoga has helped me a lot! I have extremely bad panic anxiety and once i started yoga i have learned a ton of great techniques to control the anxiety and a lot of great breathing exercises! I thought yoga was just going to be a ton of stretching and relaxing but the exercises you do are actually strenuous and you get a mild workout! The two hours was a little to long for me and i actually attended a one hour session and i liked that a lot better! the two hours was to much yoga in one time! I think for now on at least one quarter a year just to keep my anxiety to a minimum and to learn more and more ways to relax!!!! thanks kristin! you were a really good instructor and ill definitely be requesting you next year!

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  23. At first I was a little nervous to take a yoga class, even though I was dying to try it forever! After the first session though, I think I fell in love! I was so relaxed and at ease. My mind wasn't racing like it normally does and I got a mini workout in the process!! I will continue taking classes and I will recommend yoga to anyone who needs a little relaxation in their life!
    -Kelsey Pollock

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  24. I enjoyed Kristin's yoga class this quarter. I had difficulties at first because of a knee injury I received which made it hard to do most of the poses. I realized that as the class went on I found it easier to do most of the poses and found that my leg was increasing in strength. I enjoyed the time I spent in the class and encourage others to see how they like it as well!

    -Kristina Sherriff

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  25. Like many of the others, this was my first experience with yoga. I am not very flexible and I was hesitant to try yoga for that reason; I wasn't sure I'd be able to get into many of the poses. With the help of many of the "beginner" versions of the poses, I was able to successfully complete everything. Yoga has certainly helped me with relieving stress and I think as improved my flexibility. I will likely continue to practice because of the effect I feel like it had on me. Thank you!

    ~Brian Carroll

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  26. I have taken a variety of yoga classes before but Kristin's class has a good balance between challenging postures and relaxation techniques. She does well at challenging you without pushing you out of your comfort zone. It is a very comfortable space and a good place for beginners and experienced yoga goers. This was a good way for me to relieve stress. Thank you Kristin.

    -James Clark

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  27. Joel Buffum:

    This was my second yoga class with kristin, and just as valuable of the first. Originally i had gotten into yoga to return some of flexibility after injury, however the benefits worked into many parts of my life. Taking the second class i have noticed a considerable improvement in my hip flexibility as well as an improved respect for yoga as a healthy practice. I have found that i truly enjoy taking time out of my day to work through poses and dedicate time to my mental health as well and my flexibility. i appreciate everything kristin has done these last two quarters and look forward to doing more yoga in the future.

    thanks,
    -joel

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  28. This was my first time taking a yoga class and I really enjoyed it. I decided to register for the class because I had been experiencing some trunk and hip inflexibility during strength training sessions and while hiking.
    My only goal for attending the class was to improve my performance in the weight room and on the hiking trails around Ellensburg. However, as the quarter progressed and I began to feel comfortable with the postures, I really began to enjoy the feeling of relaxation and tranquility experienced during class sessions.
    The class was helped to improve my overall body awareness and flexibility and I will hopefully have the opportunity to attend the class in the future.
    Thank you Kristin!
    -Jason Younker

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  29. I've taken Kristin's yoga class before, and this time was no different. I am not a very physically flexible person, but after taking Kristin's class I have noticed an increased flexibility overall and a better mood after each class. Additionally, she never tries to push her students out of their comfort zone, but also provides challenging poses for both beginners and experienced yoga students.
    Thank you Kristin!
    -Rachael M. Babb

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  30. This is my second quarter taking yoga with Kristin, and the benefits have been amazing. I have been taking yoga on and off for the last 7 years or so, in all different styles and contexts and with many different teachers. I can honestly say that she has been the perfect balance for me as a teacher that i have ever had. I have always practiced organized sports which have encouraged my super competitive habits, but have also encouraged some other unhealthy habits like stress and "overworking" to dominate my life. This class has taught me to simply observe the benefits that I am receiving "in the moment", and as i have relaxed into this yoga routine and cut out all other aerobic exercise, I am in the best shape of my life. I am truly grateful that i have had the opportunity to study in this welcoming and relaxing environment, i only wish i wasn't graduating so I could continue to study under the same teacher! Thank you Kristin for all you've done!

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  31. For a couple of years I have pondered the idea of taking yoga classes. This spring quarter I finally decided to try it, and am glad I did! From taking Kristin's yoga classes I have learned how to truly relax and how to simply let go. For a large portion of my life I have had mild anxiety, but this past school year it had gotten much harder to have control of. At the beginning of the quarter I had a rough time truly relaxing and letting my worries go, even while in class. However, as the classes went on I was able to let go, relax, and live more in the moment. I think this was mostly due to the relaxing poses and stretches we have learned, such as child's pose. Throughout the quarter I also noticed that my overall flexibility has greatly increased. I would recommend Kristin's yoga classes to everyone. Even though I may not continue with yoga classes, I can definitely see myself practicing the yoga poses and stretches that I have learned on my own.

    Kristin, thank you for such a great quarter of yoga classes! :)

    Amanda Hopkins

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  32. This quarter at CWU I took intro to Yoga on thursday nights. I've never enjoyed a late night class as much as this one!
    All through my childhood, I've never really been capable of any sport. I tried swimming, dancing, tennis, badmitton, soccer, track, you name it. I was awful at every single one of them. With yoga, I don't feel the need to compare myself to others and actually feel confident aswell as relaxed and happier with myself. This class was a great adition to my heavy schedule at school. I already signed up for Yoga 2 in the fall with you and am looking forward to it. Hopefully I will continue yoga, continue stretching, and continue exercising throughout the summer so I can do more challenging poses like the balancing postures. Thanks so much Kristin for having me in your class and I'll see you in the fall!

    Galya Schuster

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  33. I took yoga this quarter and i really enjoyed it. I have practiced yoga before and continued to outside of this class. i really liked the format of class and how open Kristin is about class, yoga, and the practice as a whole. it is my experience that many people who teach yoga at institutions loose the essence of yoga and make it about grades and the school instead of what the different practices are really about. It was great to learn the names and different levels of the posses and seeing myself be able to progress through these posses and flows with greater ease as the quarter progressed. It was a great break out of the middle of my day and week to take time for me and refocus what it is i want and am striving to achieve. It really made me remember to take a step back and not sweat the small stuff.

    I think this is a great class and i recommend people to take it and stick with it. I know that its made an impact on me and i will continue my yoga practice outside of this class and CWU. Thanks Kristin!

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  34. I have taken Yoga in the past and in the other classes from beginning to end it was exhausting, but in this class more than anything it was a bit more of a relaxation. This spring quarter I have learned that breathing is a big part of yoga, like learning the three part breath and actually utilizing it outside of class. The one move I utilize on a daily basis is the breath of joy. I struggle with tiredness on the daily and this has actually helped me quite a bit, and it re-energizes me to continue with my day. I have also gained back some of the flexibility that I had lost in the last year. I injured my knee fall quarter so at the beginning my knee was bothering me a bit, but it feels better now with some of the stretching we do in class. I am glad I got into this class even though it was a bit late, it was definitely a great choice for a busy and hectic quarter. Thank you Kristin.

    Sincerely,

    Edson J. Amezcua Gutierrez

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  35. I decided to take yoga after finding out I would be facing upcoming hip surgery. To me, it was important to learn what my body's limits were. Yoga helped me explore these limits in a safe environment with a teacher who could help me guide my body to its limits. Now I know more about my body and it's abilities and how that plays a role in my day to day life. I am thankful to know what my body is capable without surgery, and look forward to the changes I should see afterward! I'm so excited in fact that I signed up for intermediate yoga this upcoming fall quarter. It will be exciting to see how my limits have changed after the surgery and the following therapy. I'm glad I took yoga because it taught me to appreciate what my body can offer me, even if it's not at it's best yet. Thanks Kristin and looking forward to seeing you this fall!
    -Sarah Ruiz

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