Kristen Karls

Kristen discovered yoga more than 17 years ago when she came across her mom’s copy of the book 28 Day Guide to Yoga by Richard Hittleman. Her desire was to gain more flexibility in her body; what she received was so much more. The book Kristen found sparked a deep desire within to learn more.
One of Kristen’s foundational teachers, B Alford, further fueled her passion of yoga through the teachings of yoga philosophy. B also demonstrated that yoga isn’t just postures you do, it is a practice that forges connection, connection between body, mind and spirit, connection to the surroundings, connection to all that is . B taught Kristen the importance of being authentic in your teaching. Kristen saw how B didn’t simply teach yoga, she lived her yoga. It is Kristen’s desire to infuse yoga into all that she does, and in doing so inspire others to find ways to practice yoga in all that they do.
Kristen received her 200 hour yoga teacher certification through Yoga North in Duluth, MN. She studied the Himalayan tradition of yoga under the guidance of Ann Maxwell and Deborah Adele. It was under the tutelage of Ann and Deborah that Kristen deepened her understanding of the importance of balance in yoga, the balance of strength and flexibility, balance of breath and movement, balance of energy in the body, balance of energy in life.
Throughout Kristen’s years of practicing, studying, and teaching yoga she I has come to realize the many profound changes that yoga has brought to her life. ”Yoga is not just the movements my body goes through during a practice; it is in my every breath; it is a way of life for me. It has brought mindfulness to all that I do. It has helped me to move out of a place of fear and unknowing to a place of love and deeper understanding of the Universe. It has given me light in the darkest moments of my life. Yoga has taught me to live my truth, to be present, and to feel and move with the flow of the Universe.”
Over the last few years Kristen has taught at various studios in Michigan, Wisconsin and California. You can find her playing out in her element, the great outdoors, hiking, skiing, camping, kayaking, climbing or practicing yoga with her children Atlas and Indira and their dog Sage.
Kristen’s classes are an infusion of the many styles that she has studied. All levels are welcome.
“All sessions are taught with the intention of function over form. Knowing that every body is different, a pose will look different in each body. My goal is to help each student feel the lines of energy in the body and to find their optimum range of motion in order to perform the asanas safely and to get the most out of each posture.”