Last week long time friend Kristy and I went on a frigid morning adventure to take photos to promote, "Courage," the theme of her yoga classes for the month of February. For the next month, all of her classes focus on developing “courage to find balance and take flight, as well as to challenge ourselves to do things we don’t think we’re capable of.”
Yesterday, STALVIG visited Kristy at Yess Yoga in South Minneapolis to film her dynamic teaching style as she led a morning class. She emphasizes strength and mobility in her teaching practice while leading with ebullient grace. A signature yoga movement in her class called "Jelly Fish," a modification on boat pose, playfully engages both while making the whole class laugh--a rare sound in yoga practice.
“I like to think of my personal yoga practice as playtime. It doesn’t follow the dominant Sun Salutation vinyasas - there’s so much more to a practice than moving forwards and backwards. My practice is about exploring what my body is capable of and the infinite ways it can move, in recognizing what my body needs, what I’m scared of. When I teach, I encourage students to think about more than their own bodies on their mats. I encourage them to connect their bodies to their minds to their breath - but more so, to connect to the humanity around them. The community we’re creating in our classes.”
Keep a look out for our interview with Kristy Hanson coming in early March. In the meantime, follow her yoga practice on Instagram, try a class of hers at Yoga Sol, or a private class with your closest friends through Yoga-lu.
