Meet Kristen.

It all started while I was pursuing an graphic art career in New Zealand, fate introduced me to Ray McDonald, an art model and yoga teacher. This encounter sparked my curiosity and led me to explore yoga as a means to overcome emotional blockages, igniting a deep passion for the practice. This marked the beginning of my transformative journey.

As my love for yoga grew, destiny led me to cross paths with Shandor Remete (Natanaga Zhander), the visionary founder years later of Shadow Yoga. Under his guidance, I began a profound journey that transported me to Australia, immersed in a traditional yogic apprenticeship. Rooted in the principles of Chikitsa Krama, my yoga training drew from the lineage of the esteemed T.K.V. Krishnamacharya, B.K.S. Iyengar, K.P.J. Pattabhi Jois and T.K.V. Desikichar. During those formative years of intense practice, I was fortunate to cross paths with Annette Marshall, a vibrant and deeply attuned colonics practitioner. Annette embodied compassion, clarity, and candour, yet she enveloped everyone around her with immense care, support, and love. Her presence was instrumental in helping me weave together the various teachings I had encountered, helping me to stay the course and begin to integrate them harmoniously.

As my journey continued, enriched by the profound wisdom shared through encounters and studies with exceptional mentors such as the Dalai Lama and Geshe Sonam Rinchen from the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, and my introduction to Tibetan Medicine guided by Tulku Lama Lobsang Dhamchou Nyima, my horizons expanded in remarkable ways. Delving into Ngon-Dro practice and Truk-khor Buddhist yoga of the Arti lineage, guided by Dhongri Lama, I was propelled into the realms of Tantra and Dharma, a profound journey of self-discovery, empathy, and deep meditation. 

These immersive experiences formed an authentic foundation for shaping my approach, yet my journey was just beginning.

The intimate sphere of healing the feminine beckoned, inspiring me to explore beyond the safety of where I had ventured in the traditional (so far predominantly masculine-led) lineages. Embracing my own evolutionary process through practice and the reflections of teaching and sharing what I'd unearthed, I ventured into uncharted territory. Two major pathways of embodying the feminine shaped this phase – embracing relationship and step-mothering three children along with my own child and nurturing a not-for-profit Yoga and Healing Centre with all its complex levels of relationships. These paths offered many intense challenges, struggles, and in turn, invaluable insights, leading me to strip away self-identifications that no longer served my deeper knowing and connection to the Self. This process often left me feeling raw, empty, facing my own shadows and surrendered yet it allowed me to open to new perspectives while sharing my gifts on a deeper level, ultimately healing and opening me to new dimensions of facilitating meaning and yoga practice for myself and others.

After successfully completing the Graduate Certificate in Yoga Therapy with the Yoga Therapy Institute, I've honed my teaching further with a comprehensive framework, depth and precision. This continued training has elevated my confidence and accreditation, enabling me to facilitate a genuine impact in the lives of my clients, guiding them toward holistic wellness through the recognised tools of yoga therapy.