Christine Eisenschmidt

Yoga classes were few and far between in those days, but when I did find a “live” classroom to attend, I noticed that the same fundamentals I learned on TV were present in all the yoga classes. The serene feeling I had after a yoga class bonded me to the practice. For the next twenty years I raised a family and focused on everyone else, but was dedicated to a healthy lifestyle through diet. In the early 90’s, when my four children started to leave the nest, I rediscovered yoga, which was becoming more popular and readily available. My practice became serious and I was invited to begin teaching. It was a great boost to realize that I could still build a strong and flexible body my mid 40’s and receive the bonus of stress relief at the same time. My formal yoga teacher training was completed with Bob Smith and Ki McGraw of the Hatha Yoga Center in Seattle in 2001. I still embrace Bob and Ki’s “eclectic” style of yoga, although in the years that followed I have leaned toward Kali Ray’s TriYoga. There is no such thing as a typical yoga class with me. On some days the practice may draw from Iyengar, Svaroopa, or Ashtanga yoga, or even include a little Chi Gong or MELT Method moves. I like variety in the practice and the idea of incorporating innovation with tradition. It is my intention to make yoga as accessible as possible to all ages and all types of bodies. The use of props is standard in my classes. I believe that the only requirements to practice yoga are “a body, a breath, and a willing mind.”