“I feel as though I have been bestowed a gift, one that I share full hearted-edly,” says Kristine, which is why, just three months ago, she quit her full time job to follow her dream of teaching yoga.
Kristine, 42, began her yoga practice 15 years ago through reading books and watching videos on VHS. She practiced in her sister’s basement to relieve the stress she felt at her job.
Years later, she fell in love with hot yoga and met Jacqui Bonwell, a teacher who inspired her to take her practice further. “At that time in life, I felt lost,” says Kristine. “Everything seemed so hard. Teacher training broke me open and made me realize the relationship with myself was the true issue. It allowed me to find my heart, my passion, my voice.”
In addition to being trained as a vinyasa teacher, Kristine is certified to teach Yin and Restorative Yoga. She has also studied Kundalini Reiki intensively, completing levels I, II, and master. Focusing on the internal relationship, she enjoys teaching gentle and slow flow classes. This method of yoga allows practitioners to feel their way through the poses, which helps find strength and benefits of each pose from the inside out.
Yoga is a daily practice for Kristine, from time spent on the mat to time behind the wheel of her car breathing patiently at a red light. Kristine loves the graceful surrender of poses like pigeon or camel, though she admits her favorite pose frequently changes. When she is not practicing, Kristine is spending time with her family — her life partner Aaron and their daughter Jordyn — or enjoying the beauty of coastal Maine.