Hello Yogis! As a YogaDownload teacher from nearly its conception, I am constantly and regularly blown away at your studentship, your kindness, and your support. Stepping onto the yoga mat is radical because it asks you to look for answers inside of yourself and then to be a better person to all. You won't find those answers in wrinkle creams or someone else's adoration - but only if you tune into your inner knowing. When I picture the "typical" YogaDownload student, I imagine them with young ones crawling around on the ground nearby or in a bustling hotel room on work travel - so I know that first ask is a big one already. Then, to get to connect with all of you and the ways you are showing up in the world, I trust that you took care of step one because you are onto step two. I am constantly blown away by your stories, your present moment lives, and your dreams for the future. Thank you for letting me be a part of your journey. Thank you for believing in yourself enough to do this work. And I hope we find many more opportunities to practice in the future.
What inspires your teaching?
Since I am blessed to live in the mountains with a million-dollar view, I often feel teeny-tiny and a part of something much bigger. When I prepare to teach I take a look at the world around me and consider how I am being taught yoga today, and what am I being reminded of. Sometimes the way the leaves blow in the breeze inspires me. Sometimes, the wisdom of a young member of my family inspires me. Often, my own tantrums in traffic or my recovery from perfectionism inspire me. As long as I am a student of life, I can be a teacher of yoga.
How do you think can yoga help our world?
A while back, Judith Hansen Lasater said to me, "We don't need more people doing yoga so we all have better down dogs. We need more people doing yoga so more people can live with an open heart." Whether implicitly taught (like I do) or more subtly taught, yoga is a heart-opening practice. It first taps into our alignment and helps us roll our shoulders back and down. Tiny miracle by tiny miracle, we end up able to listen better with our shoulders out of our ears, and our neck and back stop hurting so much when we aren't hunched so far forward. And while this continues happening on a physical level, soon, the practice starts to help us unfurl mentally and emotionally from a lifetime of holding in and holding back. We literally become more open and when this happens there is room for so much more in our individual lives, our families, and our world. So as a teacher, I really don't care too much about your down dog either. However, I do care deeply about your heart - and by doing so, we care about all the hearts in all the world.
TAKE ONE OF CHRISTEN'S HEARTFELT CLASSES HERE!