Meet Christine. The All Star for September. Christine and Alex met through Instagram, and Christine found what she was looking for off of her online practice. A community that is supportive, accepting and motivating.
The special education teacher finds yoga to be very calming and centering. With her busy schedule, Christine would unfold her yoga mat (aka her personal yoga studio) and start practice whenever she can. Relaying mostly on the archives before the introduction of evening North America classes. Whenever she made it to the live classes, she’s almost always accompanied by her lovely dog.
Christine enjoys classes like Vin & Yin and Gentle Flow. Maintaining her yoga practice helped her avoid having to go through surgery. Now that she’s a Hall of Famer for the MLPC, we are more than happy to have asked her the All-Stars blog questions and thankfully she’s agreed to answer...
Hi Christine! Tell us a little bit about yourself! Who is Christine?
Christine: I live in Connecticut with my husband, our two sons, and our dog, Benny Jones. I’m a third grade co-teacher/special education teacher. I enjoy spending time with my family, going to dinner with friends, and sitting by the water. I just started paddle boarding this summer and buying a paddle board was the best thing we ever did!
Five years ago I decided to remove alcohol from my life and it was seriously one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Removing alcohol has created so much space and time in my life that I hadn’t even realized was being filled by the ripple effects of drinking.
What inspired you to start practicing yoga?
Christine: Honestly, the chaos I was experiencing in my early twenties brought me to start my yoga practice.
Have you ever had any experience with yoga before joining the MLPC?
Christine: I have. I’ve been practicing on and off for about 20 years.
What’s your connection to the MLPC?
Christine: I believe my connection to MLPC began the day I commented on one of Alex’s posts on Instagram. She reached out to me right away! I did the free week trial and felt a connection immediately. This community was everything I was looking for. For starters, it was so unique to be able to practice yoga with people all over the world. And having a variety of classes at different times of the day which are archived allows me to take class whenever I want! Prior to taking classes with MLPC, I always had difficulty getting into a steady home practice. With everything this community has to offer, I’m more motivated to get on my mat and sync my energy up with people I may not physically be in the same room with, but I know, energetically, we’re all vibing on the same frequency during that class.
How did you end up being so committed to yoga?
Christine: Recently something called “frozen shoulder” brought me back to my mat in early March of 2020. Basically, the doctor said I’d have to have surgery if I didn’t start breaking up the calcium that was building up. I had no idea just how important yoga was going to be to me as it literally saved me from having surgery. Plus, the practice has given me a place to plant roots through all this uncertainty as life changes every day now.
Did you face any challenges during the month of October?
Christine: One of my biggest challenges this month is trying to listen to my body. My mind likes to “think” it can do everything and get everything done and I don’t give my body the platform to say much. Through my yoga and meditation I’m working to change this pattern.
What are the biggest benefits you’ve reaped from your yoga practice?
Christine: There have been so many! I think the biggest one would be my practice gives me time to be me and have my own space for an hour. With the way this year has been going, I require this time to take care of myself so I can be available for others.
“This community was everything I was looking for. For starters, it was so unique to be able to practice yoga with people all over the world. And having a variety of classes at different times of the day which are archived allows me to take class whenever I want!”
Christine
What’s your favorite posture?
Christine: Right now I’d say my favorite position is extended child pose…. just a few months ago I couldn’t even reach my arms out straight as I folded forward to touch my forehead to the ground and now it feels wonderful!
What’s your most difficult posture?
Christine: Crow is my most difficult posture… I don’t have much arm and upper body strength and I often allow the fear of falling on my face to invade my thoughts which prevents my feet from leaving the ground.
What is your favorite type(s) of yoga? And why?
Christine: Right now my favorite type of yoga is Gentle Yoga. I really feel being gentle with myself is what I need right now. Through this practice I’m reaping the benefits of some days taking things slow and easy and other days maybe going a little deeper or applying a little more strength.
“There have been so many! I think the biggest one would be my practice gives me time to be me and have my own space for an hour. With the way this year has been going, I require this time to take care of myself so I can be available for others.”
Christine
Any words of wisdom to those just starting out?
Christine: You really have to do what’s right for you, even in a class … your teacher is a guide, but you make your practice your own. It’s okay to go rogue in class and go your own way.
Thank you Christine for answering our questions! We love and appreciate your energy. See you soon in class. Have a question or comment for us? Leave them in the comments section below.
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See you soon and may you all be safe, happy, healthy, and free.
Yasir