ABOUT CHRISTINA
Christina has maintained a regular yoga practice since 2009. She has over 1000 hours of training with Michelle Rubin of Victoria Yoga School. Her training also included such disciplines as Anatomy Training with Cheryl Grey and Prenatal Yoga Training with Lori Lucas. In November of 2014 she achieved certification as a Prenatal Yoga Teacher while training with Janice Clarfield.
Christina operates her boutique yoga studio in Fairfield teaching weekly group classes, monthly workshops and private sessions. In addition to attending weekly classes with her teacher, Christina maintains a daily home practice. Christina also volunteers at the Victoria MS Society teaching classes once a week.
WHAT IS YOGA?
If you would have asked me five years ago, I would have defined yoga as asana (the poses). I didn’t know any different and to be honest at that time for me, asana was purely enough to draw my attraction to yoga. Just over three years ago, my eyes were opened; I was at a point in my life and my practice where I was looking for more. The universe opened one of it’s biggest doors and lucky for me I was ready for it. In the past three years, I have come to realize and understand that there is way more to yoga than just asana; however, it is through asana that we are able to progress amongst the other eight limbs (more detail below). Yoga is a way of life. It is the union of the breath, the mind, and the body through, not only a physical practice, but through the way in which we choose to live our lives. Yoga is different for each person depending where they are in their life and it changes as we change.
WHAT KIND OF YOGA IS THE BEST KIND?
There is no "best kind of yoga"; yoga is yoga and it's all good! There are many different types of yoga and all have their benefits depending on what your body needs - that can change from day to day too. Somedays you may want more of a workout and the next you might need some relaxation. It is important to remember that the benefits of yoga are not always just physical, but also mental and emotional as well. It is good for overall health and well-being!
I'M NOT FLEXIBLE, CAN I STILL DO YOGA?
Simply put, "Yoga isn't about touching your toes, it's about what you learn on the way down." Yoga is for everybody and every body! Yoga is called a practice for a reason; it takes time, patience and dedication to see the results, whether they are in your life or your poses. You can’t focus on comparing your body to someone else’s because your body and your experience is different. For example, the body of a dancer may appear flexible however it still has it’s “stuff” that will need to be worked through. Yoga is a practice of listening to your body and it’s limits; it is about challenging the body and the mind; knowing when to push and when to back off. It's worth noting that we carry a lot of emotion in our body, so by releasing certain muscles we in turn might be releasing some held emotions. For example, women tend to hold a lot of emotions in their hips so during stressful times those hips can tighten up. It is important to be mindful that when we release those hips it often stirs up some held emotions; therefore, it teaches us to be able to be aware of them and then let them go.
WHAT KIND OF YOGA DO YOU TEACH?
That's easily one of the most common questions I get asked and the answer is Raja Yoga, also known as the 8 limbs of yoga. It may sound intimidating to hear a bunch of new terms and phrases but simply put the 8 limbs are all about finding balance in our life. I have over a 1000 hours of training yet I know I will be continuing to learn and better myself for the rest of my life.
Great yoga teacher Victoria BC. Excellent yoga class. Good yoga teacher. Fairfield. Fernwood.
In our lineage, we practice more than just asana, the physical poses; instead we build on several of the different limbs. The eight limbs are a progression; we slowly work our way from the Yammas/Niyamas and eventually we make our way to Samadhi, which is the ultimate goal. For example, through the physical poses, the breath and the withdrawal of distractions we can obtain concentration; through concentration we can gain the ability to meditate, and through the combination of all of that we reach enlightenment. Most of us won’t necessarily make it to enlightenment in this lifetime as it is quite hard to attain perfect mastery of all 8 limbs in our culture and our lifestyles. It is important to look at ourselves and really evaluate what our priorities are and then use that as our guide. Not compromising our priorities but still doing our best to live the eight limbs.