Monday, March 4, 2013

Winter Yoga 2012-2013

I am so grateful to my yoga students in the winter time and for their commitment to showing up to class and practicing yoga with me.  I have given students the opportunity to reflect back over the winter classes and notice what stood out for them, how practicing yoga and meditation may have been helpful to them.  Jai Bhagwhan:)

45 comments:

  1. A couple months ago when I was registering for classes for winter quarter, I randomly signed up for yoga. I needed the extra credit and I’ve always wanted to take a yoga class. Little did I know that it would be a life saver.

    Walking into my first yoga class I kind of figured I would end up dropping it, because who wants to get up early to work out? But that first class changed everything.

    Yoga is one of those activities that only makes you feel fantastic. You never feel pain or like you want to give up. It’s a way to clear your mind and to communicate with your body. Every time I leave class I feel totally refreshed and ready to face the day. I feel lighter, like my problems don’t matter so much anymore.

    Meditation is one of the most challenging parts for me because its a time to keep your thoughts in the present, and just really focus on the now. You are supposed to let all thoughts that come into your head just float away like clouds. You can label them as past or future but then you’re supposed to just let them go. This can be hard for me because my brain is usually going a million miles a minute and it’s hard for me to focus my thoughts. But, as difficult as it may be, mediation has become one of my favorite parts in the class. It feels amazing to just let everything go and really feel each breath you take.

    I take this practice with me every where I go now. I try to only worry about what I am doing right in that moment. You can’t change the past, and the future is still unknown, so why spend your energy worrying about it?

    I truly recommend taking a yoga class or two, just to experience how amazing you can really feel. Use that mediation time to really clear your mind and start your day off right. If you don’t feel like yoga is for you, I really hope you can learn to keep your thoughts in the present. It’s very tough but so worth it.

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  2. Hi Laura,
    Thanks so much for sharing your experience, strength and hope through practicing yoga. Yoga supports you in feeling fantastic. Horray! You deserve to feel fantastic:)

    So with the thoughts, you ARE letting go of thoughts:) Thoughts are like water, and although it might seem like you dwell on something, it is always passing through. It is like energy, and when you have emotion it is "energy in motion". It sounds like you are having many thoughts; the philosopher Krishnamurti said, "Thought proceeds emotion", it is okay to feel, it matters that you care. When you are having many thoughts, just remind yourself it is okay, they are like water. Just observe and label, that's it. There is sooo much to be present and alive for. So many simple and yet fantastic things happening.
    Thanks for your comments, I am such a lucky, lucky teacher to have you as a student....
    Keep on Keepin on sista!
    Kristin

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  3. I am so happy I had the opportunity to take yoga this quarter, it truly is an enlightening experience. When I come out of class I feel so relaxed and rejuvenated, I am at peace and ready to take on the day.

    As someone who tends to have a million worries going through my mind all the time, I found the different breathing techniques and meditation to be incredibly beneficial. I now do a short meditation each night before bed and it has completely improved the quality of sleep I get, it is so much easier to fall asleep and stay asleep, I find myself being more rested. On days we don't have class I try and do my favorite yoga poses like child's pose, tree, dancer, corpse just so I can stretch out and relax.

    I would recommend yoga to anyone and can't wait to continue exploring the world of yoga!

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    1. You have benefited from the breathing techniques and meditation...Horray! You have also been doing your own practice. Thanks for sharing!

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  4. Having yoga offered as a class at Central is awesome! I'm glad I got the chance to take this class with you. There are many ways I feel yoga has helped me. Physically and emotionally! I wish I was able to take yoga every quarter for the rest of my college career.

    The flexibility alone is gratifying. But after yoga I always feel relaxed and oddly enough, accomplished. It's a great hobby. Hearing about how it has developed over the years really amazes me. Professional sports teams do yoga every day before practice even. It seems so cool.

    I love learning the different yoga poses. My favorite part though, is learning about how each pose helps different parts of your body. I would never think that stretching, and holding stretches would improve organs like the liver and kidneys.

    I love talking about yoga, and I love doing yoga. I often find myself spacing off, doing different poses while watching tv and without even realizing it. If that's not benefiting from the class I don't know what is!

    I just want to thank you for your time this quarter and for teaching me more advanced yoga! Have an amazing spring break, and hopefully I'll be able to figure out a way to take another yoga class next year. :)

    Shenoa

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    1. You love talking about yoga and doing yoga. You deserve to feel relaxed and accomplished. Keep up your love for learning!
      Kristin:)

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  5. Like previous Yoga Classes, I have taken, this class really added a lot to my college life. I started taking yoga my Freshman year of college and I am now a senior. The first Yoga Classes were very challenging and painful, because I was extremely inflexible, but as I participated in more classes it has become much easier. Now I occasionally practice yoga on my own, but take certain aspects of yoga into many other parts of my life. For example, anytime when I am in a situation which brings me anxiety I know that slow yogic breathing will help repress those emotions.

    Yoga has benefited me a few important and specific ways. It has centered me as an individual by giving me another outlet to relieve my stress, when I am practicing yoga I can think more clearly, and have better control over my emotions, which is beneficial for all relationships. Many people have stress that is affecting their relationships, work performance, or student productivity, which could be reversed if they practice yoga.

    For me, the first yoga class I took was absolutely miserable because I was so inflexible, thus, I did not receive many of the benefits. Hence, I can see why some people would not continue to practice yoga after that kind of an experience. I am so glad that I continued to practice yoga because once I became more flexible I found that there are endless amounts of benefits someone can receive from practicing yoga.

    I have personally noticed that I can feel the benefits of my Yoga classes during the following quarter, after I practiced yoga. During spring quarter I will probably notice that things which used to stress me out have become manageable, and instead of feeling stress from starting a new quarter, I will still feel relaxed and limber. Therefore, everyone who participated in yoga this quarter will have a better spring quarter because of it.

    I recommend yoga to everyone because it has made a big impact on my college life and likely will be something I continue to do for the rest of my life.

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    1. Sometimes life is uncomfortable and challenging, just like your yoga practice in the beginning. You were able to move through the discomfort like a true warrior!
      Jai Bhagwan my friend!
      Kristin:)

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  6. Yoga is something I have always enjoyed. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Kristin. I learned some new things (like I can meditate to Pink!) and genuinely appreciated the kindness shown in classes.

    I love yoga because it helps me exercise in a low-impact way. Unfortunately, I had trouble participating this quarter due to back issues. Fortunately, I have been able to discern the problem and seek assistance.

    This class provided me with tools I can use in the future once I have better control of my pain. The meditation was especially helpful with all the stress I have. I have tried to continue using those tools daily.

    I definitely intend to take classes alongside my partner. I recommend yoga to most folks as it can be amazing. For college folks, definitely take it.

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    1. Hi Red,
      I am so glad you honored your body this quarter and paid attention to how your were feeling. It was great to be part of your journey:)
      Kristin

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  7. I have always been a person who is very welcoming to stress and making thing in life more complicated than they need to be.I am not much for exercising except for the 3 weeks before summer or to quickly get in shape. I was looking for something that could take me away from the negative energy in my life and help me work out my problems stress free.

    After joining Kristin's class, as a complete beginner, I strongly feel like I can say that I have a new outlet to let go of the stress and everything in it that makes not my most happy self.

    For this quarter I did have some unfortunate incidents that kept me from class, however I am so grateful for everything that I learned. I am able to wake up and do the stretched that we worked on daily. Or when I am feeling stressed I do one of the Back Bends that I loved so much that actually make stress go away!

    This class is one that I will recommend to all of my friends and one that I will be taking again.

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    1. I think a lot of people get addicted to stress and negativity. That is why people watch the news, read the news,etc. It is pretty energizing to get fired up about negative stuff and welcome it. If it didn't feel bad, I don't think most of us would have a problem with it.
      I think bringing your awareness to it, i.e. negativity, and getting very clear about what you want is a huge part of practicing yoga.
      You are perfect just they way you are with negativity, chaos, and all. The universe will provide you with more opportunities to get clear about what you want...less stress,etc. Just pause every once in awhile, take a deep breath, and say to yourself I am going to be ok, everything I have and need is here with me right now. It's all part of the journey. The only thing constant is change...so just let go.
      Rock on!
      Kristin:)

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  8. Taking Yoga as a collective class for the first time has been quite a different experience than doing it by myself. It was a great way to learn new moves, and work on existing postures so balance can become an afterthought. It also has shown me what effect having a regular scheduled time for yoga can do for me. I am experiencing a very noticeable drop in my overall anxiety and stress throughout my week, my circulation feels much better, and my congestion has improved (I have regular allergies :/ ).

    I think yoga needs to be in common practice by every individual. The benefits are too great for such a lax and calm routine.

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    1. Scheduling yoga is the key. You have what it takes to keep practicing with or without a class. You get relief from your anxiety and stress and your circulation is better, as well as your breathing.
      Sounds like you are a bit of a yogi my friend:)

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  9. I took yoga as a way to get an extra credit. It turned out to be by far the best exercise class I have ever had. The meditation before starting and the slow start up allows you to ease into exercising. I wish I could have made it to the longer classes because I felt like I was just getting started when I had to stop.
    The class made me sore in places that running and plain stretching do not touch. My flexibility has increased considerably and I am relatively sure I sleep better.
    Overall, the class was amazing. I will be joining more yoga classes in the future.

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    1. Feel free to try one of my longer classes at anytime at no charge. I am so glad you received more than a credit despite the time crunch.
      You deserve to sleep better and feel better.
      Have a good break,
      Kristin:)

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  10. I was very nervous about taking yoga, but I needed one more credit and I decided to just go for it. I'm very glad that I did. I was surprised how much the meditation was able to help me relax. Breaking thoughts up into past, present, and future has become a great tool to help me let go of worry and to manage my anxiety.

    I had a significant hip and back injury a few years ago that has prevented me from doing a lot of things, even after it "healed". The breathing and meditation helped me become more aware of my body and the how the injury and the way it healed were restricting my movements and causing me a lot of stress and pain that I had formerly been "dealing with" only by ignoring and pretending to carry on as though I was back to normal. The calm and relaxing stretching of the poses we did in class didn't cause any pain and helped me regain a lot of flexibility and range of motion. I feel so much more confident and accepting of myself as a result. I am so grateful for the experience of this class and I hope to continue in the future.

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    1. You feel more confident and accepting of yourself. Good for you! The meditation helps you relax, and labeling your thoughts is working for you. You have regained flexibility and range of motion:) I know that you have some challenges with your hip and back injury, but you are getting through it. And you will continue to heal and get through it.
      Take care:)

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  11. I took beginning yoga at community college a few years ago, and I've taken various yoga classes in my time, but I was excited to take one through CWU finally. I was glad that the beginning and intermediate class were together, because though I've taken a lot of yoga, I've been out of practice for about a year now.
    I really enjoyed this winter quarter with you, Kristen. I think you're very down to earth and you taught us a lot of things that I didn't know, like about shockras and describing what a lot of the different poses are doing specifically for our bodies. I think that knowledge is important because it helps me to get deeper into the meditation and/or practice of yoga, and I feel I'm getting more out of it. At the beginning of this quarter I buckled down and began a journey to become healthier inside and out, and this class has helped me do so. I'm really happy to say that, through diet and exercise, I've lost 15 lbs already, and I'm hoping to continue at a good pace. Yoga has specifically helped me become more flexible and stronger in all parts of my body, and it has helped me to find a sence of balance in my practice as well as in life in general. I am really glad I took this class and I'm highly considering taking it again. Thank you so much Kristen!

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    1. You are on a path of taking care of yourself from the inside out! So glad I was able to spend time with you on your journey:)
      Hope to see you in class again in the future,
      Kristin

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  12. This class was just a filler for full time credit, but it was one that initially I figured I would just not go to often. In reality I made almost every session because it is a new experience and I like the challenge of the new moves learned. I'd say the best part of the quarter was when we started doing more challenging poses like balancing and the three push up thing! Prior to the class I had taken a few classes with friends at the SURC. Therefore, I had some knowledge of what to do but Kristen you made it a calming experience. Feeling yoga in the body was particularly hard because of all the outside distractions, but the stress factor for me is fairly low all the time which made each session relaxing. In the future I will definitely take another yoga class because I want to see what the other forms of yoga are like.

    Ryan Gaylord (Tue and Thur @ 12:00 class)

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    1. You like to be challenged! YOU made it a calming experience for yourself, I just got to be part of the process.. Thanks for participating and practicing yoga with me this winter:)

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  13. I love this class!! Every week I look forward to this class. It helps me with my chronic back and shoulder pain. This class is making it a requirement to relax and de-stress every week. This class has really improved my time here at central.

    Alexandria Hansen (Thur @ 7)

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    1. You look forward to yoga class and you love it:) You are taking care of your chronic back and shoulder pain by practicing yoga!
      I am so glad you are enjoying being at Central more now that you are practicing yoga.
      Jai!

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  14. Doing yoga for winter quarter has helped my legs very much as well as my health. I am still recovering from a surgery I had 9 months ago. Yoga has allowed for my legs to be more flexible as well as my body. During spring break I will be doing some yoga when I go to the gym to make sure I remain flexible as well as doing stretches that benefit my legs and lower back. Meditation helps greatly with my stress I have due to the classes I take in the day. Taking Macroeconomics and Business Stats has put a lot of stress on me this quarter. It is a great way to not think of class for short period of time. Yoga has impacted in my life in a positive way. I am excited for spring quarter, as I will be taking yoga again. It is a great class to have if a person is filled with stress.

    Kevin Moran (Thurs @ 7)

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    1. Macroeconomics and Business stats sounds stressful! You are also recovering for a surgery you had, so you are stressed on a couple of levels, physical and mental. You are continuing to practice yoga during the break at the hymn, because you know it has a positive impact on your life. It was nice to have you as a student again this quarter!
      Kristin

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  15. Thank you so much for teaching this class! It was a great break to have this class in the middle of the day. If I was having a stressful day, it was very nice to be able to relax and have some time to focus on my breathing and not whatever is going on. It was so nice to be able to do some working out, breathing, and meditating. When I first started this class, I was not very flexible, but now I can almost touch my toes! I could also tell that I was getting physically stronger. Working with the bolster was so relaxing, I really want to get one now and do some stretches at home! Now that this class is over, I still home to do some yoga when I am having a stressful day, and maybe even do the breath of joy. I would recommend this class to everyone!

    Mindy Bothwell (Monday Wednesday at 12)

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    1. You are welcome! I enjoy teaching and I am glad you received what you needed from my class to help you feel stronger and more relaxed.

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  16. This quarter yoga has helped my back pain in a huge way. When i had spine surgery i was not allowed to do physical activity for 4 months and yoga was the first thing i tried. By the end of the class i am much more flexible and learned how to control my breathing to be able to relax. Thank you for a wonderful quarter and i plan on taking this class again.

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    1. I am so glad your back is feeling better. I hope to see you again in the future!

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  17. Yoga has been a huge part of my life for quite some time. When I was 16 I was diagnosed with a chronic pain disorder (R.N.D). The pain is unbearable at times. By practicing yoga on a regular basis I am able to somewhat manage my pain. Certain postures give immediate relief, especially in my lower back where most of the pain is. I have noticed over the quarter that my pain is substantially lower. This is HUGE for me! I have taken beginning yoga here at CWU before but never experienced the benefits like i do after taking yoga 2 this quarter.
    The breathing techniques have helped a lot as well. Especially when I am under a great deal of stress. This to me, is worth it even if i did not get any other relief because stress is a trigger for a pain flare up. I am always in pain but the flare ups are when my pain sky rockets and i literally cannot move or be touched. The breathing techniques have reduced my number of flare ups incredibly. I have had a few over the quarter, but i have noticed that by practicing the breathing techniques, the flare ups don't last as long as normal and i am able to cope with them a lot more.
    All around I am so glad i took this class. I am signed up for either yoga 2 again or yoga 3, for next quarter, but i cant remember which. Hopefully its a class that you're teaching! You are by far my favorite yoga instructor thus far!
    Thank you for a great quarter and i hope to take a class from you in the future.
    Shelby Newman (Thusdays 7-9pm)

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    1. Most pain is in resistance to pain. So, the more you resist, the more it persists. When you use the breath it helps you be present with your pain, and then it dissipates. Your flare ups don't last as long for you and you are able to regulate them with your breathing. You are the brave one that chose to show up to yoga class and witness the mystery of pain in your body. It has been an honor to have such an achieved yoga student in my class.

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  18. Hello,

    My name is Mika Mulliken and this is my second class I have taken with you. I love your yoga classes because they are just right for me. I have scoliosis kyphosis, one hip higher then the other, and my ligaments are too flexible for my muscles all over my body making it super easy to pull a muscle aside from all the other reasons I am in pain all the time. Doing yoga and stretching help me SO much. I have days where I literally can't move or even roll over while in bed because I am in so much pain, but I try to get up and do yoga. Since I've started I pull a lot less muscles I try to focus really hard on stretching and strengthening my back. Your class was a perfect of balance of what I can do and pushing me farther. I usual do yoga twice a day at home, but it was nice that a couple days a week I was in your class. I hope to take another one next quarter from you.

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    1. You are helping yourself so much through yoga! The pain you are having with your scoliosis kyphosis is turning into a powerful teacher for you. I noticed you were present at class and very honoring of yourself! Way to go:) Hope to see you in class again next quarter:)

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  19. Hello
    This is Mika again, my Internet hasn't been working the last two days and I'm trying to do this on my phone but its not working very well...
    So all I had le to say was thank you so much for everything

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    1. That is so nice of you to say! It is you that you should really be thanking, you are the one who is showing up to class and practicing yoga. You are the one who is being present with your pain. Kudos to you:)

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  20. Hello,
    This is Laura Offe. I am in the Yoga II class on Thursday nights. I try to take a workout class every quarter because being in the field that I am going into it is easy to gain a lot of weight. So this quarter I decided to do Yoga again, I have had Yoga I with you Kristin and it was a very calming experience. I never realized how little I let myself relax and to just be in the moment till I took this class. I am constantly thinking about the future and all the things I need to do. Which makes me very stressed out. This class has really allowed me to calm down and to put some time in my week to just relax and breathe. I learned a lot this quarter with all the different stretches we did, to relieve a lot of stress. Also I pay attention more on my breathing because I know now how much it really makes a difference in how relaxed it makes you. I really enjoyed the class thank you!
    ~Laura Offe

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    1. I am curious what field you are going into. Is it the new wine making program at Central? lol! Or, is it a sedentary lifestyle?
      What is most important is that you understand that you are able to let yourself relax and be in the moment. All of this stress in planning for a future, you can let it make you uncomfortable, or you can relax and let go. I am always impressed when folks like you make positive choices for yourselves. You are choosing healthy ways to relax. That's awesome:)

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  21. Yoga with Kristin is a transformative experience. For whatever reason doing the simplest of movements becomes a spiritual experience by being in a peaceful environment where the energy of everyone is focused on healing and strength. This is what I love about yoga and the effect seems to seep into every aspect of my life. When I don't do yoga I tend to start feeling uptight, uncomfortable and ill at ease. I would like to try more meditation, but this proves to be more difficult than any posture. Controlling my mind is challenging.

    Thank you Kristin for a great quarter, it was refreshing in a busy and hectic last quarter at CWU.
    -Nichole Davis
    M/W noon

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    1. What an intention you had for yourself this quarter! You have changed, you have made the simplest of movements meaningful for yourself in a quiet room with a group of people who all want to feel better.

      With meditation you are able to observe your thoughts. Most thoughts fall under the category of past or future. You just bring your awareness into the present moment as much as you can. it is like training a puppy, you just come back to the present with the breath.
      Thoughts are like a waterfall, they will just keep going, no matter how much you try to control them.
      So...whatever is difficult just be curious and notice, without judging.
      Keep on keepin' on:)

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  22. As a baseball player for Central Washington University and this being the first yoga class i have ever attended it was a very unique fun experience.

    I had a great time in your class it was very soothing to come from my team's lifting session right into yoga because it gave me a chance to let my mind slow down. The breathing techniques that you had taught us i still use to this day to control my anger when i am on the field. It was a different outlook that i never had thought would be beneficial. Also the pace and atmosphere of your class was very soothing on a daily basis which made me want to come to class more often.

    I never realized how much yoga could effect my life in such a good way. After your class i am more aware of my body existing with my mind and am looking at taking more yoga classes in the future. It has also helped me with the soreness of playing baseball releasing all of that through my morning yoga session. Thank you for a great quarter of yoga and hopefully will see you soon!

    Davis Engel

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    1. You had a unique and fun experience! Horray!

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  23. I've always wanted to take a formal yoga class, the extent of my yoga knowledge had come from countless YouTube videos and living room yoga. I finally decided to take the plunge and sign up for a yoga class through Central (and I even dragged my boyfriend with me!) Needless to say, I loved the class and I loved our instructor, Kristin!

    The classes always started out with meditation, which was perfect because it allowed an mini mental escape before we started anything physical. It was definitely the highlight of my Monday and Wednesday mornings.

    I loved the flow yoga the best, although our restorative yoga sessions were also great. I learned a lot about noticing your breathing and learning how to keep our minds in the present. These techniques have carried over into my every day life and it has helped make my days less stressful.

    I hope to take an intermediate class with Kristin very soon and I can't wait to see what she has planned for it!

    Thanks for an amazing quarter!

    -Julia Martinez

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  24. Thank you for an amazing quarter! I hope to see you in the intermediate class:)

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  25. I love your yoga classes. I enjoy yoga that is physically challenging and that also resonates with my soul, gets me thinking, feeling… and your classes are the perfect blend! I’ve referred you to many friends who are looking forward to doing your classes.
    I was feeling sluggish as I had not worked out in a while. Your classes are exactly what I needed to kick start my practice again.
    Thank you so much!

    All the best to you!
    Heather Caceres

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