The story behind the mat
Kristen Here,
I want to thank you for your interest in Mind Over Mat and how it came to be.
A few years ago I began a journey of healing and self discovery after closing out a 15-year ice hockey career and being met with a diagnosis of severe anxiety and depression. I felt deeply disconnected from both my mind and body. In 2017 I came across the practice of yoga and and soon realized it was so much more than just physical movement. I sought out others that could help me better understand what I felt when I practiced yoga, and began to grow through shared experiences.
In 2021, I completed my 200-hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training at the Lakshmi Rising School of Wellness in Costa Rica and felt right at home learning more about Yogic Philosophy, Asana, Meditation, Pranayama, and overall Mindfulness.
The recognition of my own past traumatic experiences became a big part of my life thereafter as I dug deeper in community and discovered that my mind and body held onto times of fear and helplessness. I completed my 40-hour Trauma Informed Yoga Teacher Training at United Yoga Studio in 2022 and learned what it truly means to step into my autonomy and listen to my body. These teachings have inspired me to now hold space for others to discover what they might be holding onto and needing to move through.
Mind Over Mat is built on the trust that each individual knows their own body best - we are our own healers. It is my deepest encouragement that you listen to your body and really get to know this container that carries you through life each day. My own experience is proof that the more empowered you feel on the mat, the more it will carry over off of the mat.
While I will forever be a student of this practice first, it is my mission to share the valuable tools I have learned thus far with anyone seeking to learn. Everything I offer is truly an invitation, a suggestion, a guideline. You are ultimately the one to choose what path will lead you to self reconnection.
