How I Found The Joy of Yoga


When I practiced yoga for the first time, nearly 20 years ago in my late 30's, it honestly felt like it was too late. After years of struggling with unexplained chronic pain I just felt broken.
The simplest practices, even the ones that were supposedly for beginners and inflexible people, left me feeling like yoga just wasn't for me.
And yet some part of me knew that it was.
I can't really remember where or how but I tried a VHS Chair Yoga video titled, "Back Care Yoga" by Rodney Yee. I practiced that same 25-minute sequence regularly for at least 3 years before I ever stepped foot in an in-person class. 
It wasn't like everything magically changed but there was this subtle shift within me that was undeniable. The more I practiced, the more I became in tune with my body and the more I became aware of the conditioning of my mind. Ten years into my practice I enrolled in a 200-hour teacher training at Shine Yoga in Winchester, VA. It felt like coming home and sparked a calling to share what I was experiencing with others. 
During this time I was also attuned to Reiki Energy which brought about the deepest sense of peace I had ever known.
I realized I didn't want to just teach yoga, I wanted to create a space where people could come and experience a deep sense of peace and joy within themselves. Where you didn't have to force your body into shapes that felt wrong. Where you could recognize and release the limiting beliefs that try and hold us hostage. That all you have to do is just show up for yourself. 
This is what Yoga and Reiki have given me and I wanted to share it.

It seems only fitting that the very first yoga class I ever taught was to a group of foster kids and their foster parents. It is among my most precious memories. I knew I had found my place in this world.

Through opening my heart and embracing my Authentic Self, my life's work was realized;  meeting people where they are while offering a light-hearted and accessible approach to life through these profound and transformative practices.

 Join me for a whole new wellness experience where you’re invited to appreciate all the teachable moments that life gives us, on and off the mat, with a loving, compassionate heart steeped in gratitude and grace.
 
 

Christina Anne Willingham, Holy Fire III World Peace Karuna Reiki Master Teacher, 
E-RYT 500, YACEP Yoga Teacher
 Formally trained in Vinyasa Yoga, Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Chair Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Subtle Body Studies,Fascia Remodeling, and the continuous experiential practice of Reiki.
CW has studied with, and gained knowledge and inspiration from many incredible teachers including Caroline Felix, Joy Nagle, Marie Josee Drouin, Jill Miller, J Brown, Rod Stryker, Christopher Rodousakis, Caroline Wybar, Tom Myers, Machelle Lee, Susi Hately, Alexandria Crow, Colleen and Robyn Benelli, and Mineca Wilson.
She is a Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP)  and a Karuna Reiki Master (meaning Reiki masters her not the other way around).
CW is committed to offering classes that are thoughtful, intelligent, and safe.
The continuing education trainings she offers are a welcoming space for teachers and caregivers to honor their authenticity while bringing the greatest level of integrity to their work.

She considers it an honor to hold space for you.
 
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