You asked for it, you got it! More Longevity!! Join us for Part 2 of Kristina’s Workshop on Longevity, Sunday, April 14th 2-4pm, at the YogaNestVenice! (Updated date!) And if…
Kristina’s Quick & Easy Weeknight Garden Bolognese
Ingredients:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1-1/2 tsp himalayan salt + more to taste
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ribs celery, chopped
4 medium carrots, chopped
2 pkgs. assorted mushrooms
(I used Shitake & Seafood but button mushrooms would work)
2 tbsps tomato paste
1/2 cup veggie broth
(1) 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper oat pasta (gluten-free for us, but any pasta will do!) to serve
Method:
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion & 1/4 tsp salt and cook until tender and golden. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add the celery, carrots, cook for 4-5 minutes, then add the mushrooms. Stir in the tomato paste, until well combined, then add the broth to simmer for a minute. Add the tomatoes and spices, remaining salt, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes. While this is simmering, cook your pasta. Taste for additional salt.
Serve, enjoy!
Great to have as leftover lunch the next day, prep a thermos!
Throat Chakra. What it Means to Me.
Throat Chakra… it’s a funny chakra, isn’t it? What does it mean?
About 15 years ago, it was setting in that my toddler had a disability, he is nonverbal autistic. I was heartbroken for him. So my mom called a pastor. If you know our family, this is funny. My parents didn’t follow organized religion, referring to God, still, as God-Allah-Buddha. So the pastor walks into my home and sits down, and asks, “What is your relationship with God?”
I replied, “To be honest, I’m pissed! God had all these beautiful babies, and he’s passing out voices, and he skipped mine!”
Without hesitation, the pastor said, “He didn’t skip your baby. He CHOSE your baby. And He chose you to be his mother and to be his Voice!”
In an instant, my heart filled with such a passion, such purpose, it flowed up to my collar bone, into my throat, and activated my voice. Until then, if you had said, speak publicly, I would’ve had a panic attack! But from then on, my heart was so full, so purposeful, I felt it bursting up to my collar bone, like I mention in class, it had no choice but to activate my throat and my voice! I became an advocate, a teacher, a public speaker, and when I’m asked for a speech, I say, “I can’t give you one… I just get out there and let me heart overflow into my words.”
To me, THIS is the meaning of the THROAT CHAKRA.
What fills your heart so much, up to your collarbones, that it overflows and gives you voice? What is your voice?
And, Charlie, now 18-1/2, still short on words, long on personality! The love of my life. The reason for all my words! ♥️♥️♥️
Become autism-aware…
The latest research in 2023 from the CDC shows that one in 36 children is now diagnosed with autism. This is an increase from one in 44 children two years ago. And in comparison, the prevalence of diagnosed autism was about 1 in 2,500 in the early 1970s, when I was a kid.
About 25–30% of autistic individuals are nonspeaking or minimally speaking.
Be sure to come check out class with me at the Yoganest Venice! (check my schedule page for details)! Now through March 14th, I’ll be teaching this Throat Chakra. And you can hear my playlist for this class, all about the voice on my spotify page! As always, new theme, new flow, new tunes, every two weeks! 😉 See ya on the mat!
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Autism advocate, yoga ambassador & instructor & health coach based in Venice Beach. athlete. wellness-activist. Specializing in longevity & recovery from injury.
Kristina’s Quick & Easy Weeknight Vegan Chili
Kristina’s Quick & Easy Weeknight Vegan Chili
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1-1/2 tsp himalayan salt + more to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tosp sundried tomato paste
6 carrots, shredded
128-oz can diced tomatoes
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups water
115-oz can black beans
115-oz can red kidney beans
115-oz can chili beans
(all beans drained & rinsed, use organic when possible, or substitute 1-1/2 cups cooked)
2 cups frozen corn
warm tortillas & cilantro to serve
Directions:
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion & 1/4 tsp salt and cook until tender and golden. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste, until well combined. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, spices, remaining salt, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 15 minutes. Add in the carrots and corn, then simmer, partially covered for 10 minutes. Taste for additional salt.
Great to have as leftover lunch the next day, prep a thermos!
Serve and Enjoy! 🙂
Let’s talk Mindset
If you’ve been in my class, you know I talk about this a lot, usually around the 5th minute in chair-pose (*joke) as we burn the tapas and get into some Svadhyaya (self-study). It’s one of the many aspects of yoga that I love, diving deep into our selves, finding out what our inner dialogue is. Mindset is everything!! In every part of our lives! How we face life! How we face relationships? How we face our goals! How we face challenge and adversity! And what I’m focusing on now… how we face aging! Do you know your mindset towards aging can mean as much as adding or detracting 8 years from your lifespan?! And as I always say, it’s not how long we live, but HOW we live, so let’s face it feeling and knowing, WE ARE AT OUR BEST!
Heart Chakra
New week, new theme, new flow, and new tunes. This week and next, it’s the Heart Chakra, or Love. Valentine’s Day may have been last week, but it’s never too late, in my opinion, for… LOVE.
Through this energy center, we feel deserving of love just as we are. How we live our lives, leading with love and compassion, or through the opposite. This week I explore what that opposite energy may be. We are born to this life through love, into loving arms, looking into loving eyes. Then this funny thing called life happens. We experience pain, loss, heartbreak, scorn, and we learn… fear. And as always, our yoga practice is a metaphor for our lives. For me, I learned fear quite a few times, on and off the mat. I’ve had so many injuries, coming back from spinal surgeries almost three years ago. While I’ve been building back and maybe taking a pose for the first time since spinal rebuild, I am terrified! “What if?!” “I’m going to fall!” What if we face that fear in the face, explore where it originated, and go back to the first innocence of love? What happens if we face that learned automated reaction? What happens if we live through love and compassion, for others but also for ourselves, and live not through the fear we’ve learned?
We explore what this means to us, and how we feel if it’s blocked or if it’s flowing freely, and it always starts here in yoga!
Be sure to come check out class with me at the Yoganest Venice! (check my schedule page for details)! Now through February 20th through 29th, I’ll be teaching this Love themed Heart Chakra. And you can hear my playlist for this class, all about the voice on my spotify page! As always, new theme, new flow, new tunes, every two weeks! 😉
See ya on the mat!
Yoga ambassador & instructor & health coach based in Venice Beach. athlete. wellness-activist. Specializing in longevity & recovery from injury.
It’s Official… an Evening Class!!
I’m so honored and so grateful!! You all requested me to teach an evening, and here it is!! What will now be called (at least to me, haha!) POWER TUESDAYS!!! I’m still keeping my regular 10 am and Tuesday, and don’t forget noon on Thursday, but it’s now 6 pm on Tuesday night for that evening Power class you wall wanted!! Can’t wait to see you on the mat!!
Announcing… Ascent Nutrition
Sunday morning comforts for me usually involve some quiet reflection, meditation, a little reading, and my coffee. I’m known for my lattes!
I met Lance Schuttler, the founder of Ascent Nutrition, a couple months ago on my retreat and I was so impressed with his products and his commitment to purity. We quickly formed a friendship and a partnership over shared beliefs and values! So now, my coffee, and a new addition, Agarikon mushroom, is a must for me! Once you taste real pure coffee, there’s just no other way to have it! Check out these amazing benefits of Agarikon, including lung, respiratory, and immune support!
Go to my Products I Love page for some quick easy links to the products I use personally, and go to Ascent and use code “Kristina” for an extra discount!
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Solar Plexus
New week, new theme, new flow, and new tunes. This week and next, it’s the Solar Plexus, or our Selves.
The Solar Plexus is the chakra of our Self. “I am.” How we feel competent and capable, our self-worth, and how we pursue our purpose and passion, all flows from this energy center. And we explore it here in yoga! It’s been raining non-stop here in southern California, and we are going to shine our Solar centers so bright we call the sun in!
Be sure to come check out class with me at the Yoganest Venice! (check my schedule page for details)! Now through February 6th through 15th, I’ll be teaching this Solar Plexus Chakra. And you can hear my playlist for this class, all about the voice on my spotify page! As always, new theme, new flow, new tunes, every two weeks! 😉
AND… the Longevity Workshop is this Saturday at The Yoganest at 1pm! Come join!
See ya on the mat!
Yoga ambassador & instructor & health coach based in Venice Beach. athlete. wellness-activist. Specializing in longevity & recovery from injury.
This week’s theme in class… Creation
New week, new theme, new flow, and new tunes. This week and next, it’s the Sacral Chakra, or Creation.
The Sacral Chakra is the chakra of creation, think about it, this area of our body is home to our reproductive organs. And so it’s the chakra of our sexuality and our passion. Through this energy center, we create our reality and can feel alive. We explore what this means to us, and how we feel if it’s blocked or if it’s flowing freely, and it always starts here in yoga!
Be sure to come check out class with me at the Yoganest Venice! (check my schedule page for details)! Now through January 23rd through February 1st, I’ll be teaching this Sacral Chakra. And you can hear my playlist for this class, all about the voice on my spotify page! As always, new theme, new flow, new tunes, every two weeks! 😉
See ya on the mat!
Yoga ambassador & instructor & health coach based in Venice Beach. athlete. wellness-activist. Specializing in longevity & recovery from injury.
Happy Friday, Yogi’s ✨ Last theme was our roots, our home, our grounding. And amazingly, my good friend shared some words with me that became my mantra instantly: “be the seed!” Be the seed of what you want to see! Be the seed, of Kindness, of Compassion, of Friendship, of Love… and what a wonderful thought as we lean into love-season. But I strongly felt those as we go through so much right now. “Be the Seed,” is repeating in my mind ♥️☺️✨ And one of my students/friends shared that she likes it when I video the flow for the week, she can break it down in her own time. I’m so happy! So here it is. Much love to @angelyn42 & @elainedochard. You both touched me this week! 🙏🏼
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Don’t forget to share this with your yogi squad & tag me in your flows!
🪷🕉️🧘🏼♀️ Namaste, Kris
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yoga ambassador, instructor & wellness coach based in Venice Beach. athlete. wellness-activist. nutritionist. biohacker. Specializing in longevity & recovery from
injury .
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#yogastrength #modelsover50 #nutritionist #longevity #wellnescoach #yogaforathletes #rebuiltspine #yogaforstrength #recoveryfrominjury #yogaforflexibility #yogagoals #yogainspiration #yogainstructor
I promise, I’m not a flexible person, not without a ton of work! You’ve heard about my titanium spine and dislocated hips, right?! So when I tell you these poses are possible, I can say from personal experience. Let’s give this variation on a split a try! My #1 tip in almost all cases: work the ribcage forward and down the front leg, elongate the hamstrings. And always always, breathe! Tell me if you want to give it a try!
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Don’t forget to share this with your yogi squad & tag me in your poses!
🪷🕉️🧘🏼♀️ Namaste, Kris
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yoga ambassador, instructor & wellness coach based in Venice Beach. athlete. wellness-activist. nutritionist. biohacker. Specializing in longevity & recovery from
injury .
.
#yogastrength #modelsover50 #nutritionist #longevity #wellnescoach #yogaforathletes #rebuiltspine #yogaforstrength #recoveryfrominjury #yogaforflexibility #yogagoals #yogainspiration #yogainstructor
Well, we just finished our week of grounding into our “home” and roots (more outtakes & part of our flow on Bosu-ball in stories). How do you all feel after the hip work?
With all of that balance in our flow, I started to think about the Bosu ball? Do you all know it? It’s a dome-shaped fitness ball thing with a flat side, to master your balance!! I’ve seen the posts and thought “no way!” So what do I do when I hear “no way?”… of course I have to shatter that “no!”🤣 Give it a try and let me know how you do! 💪🏼 And always, have some fun with it! Should I bring this into class? Or maybe a Longevity: balance workshop soon?! 🤔✨
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#PowerVInyasa classes
Tues 10 & 6 & Thurs noon @yoganestvenice
Next week: New theme, New flow, New tunes!
Outfit: @taviactive
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Don’t forget to share this with your yogi squad & tag me in your posts!
🪷🕉️🧘🏼♀️ Namaste, Kris
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yoga ambassador, instructor & wellness coach based in Venice Beach. athlete. wellness-activist. nutritionist. biohacker. Specializing in longevity & recovery from injury.
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#yogastrength #modelsover50 #healthcoach #nutritionist #longevity #yogaforathletes #rebuiltspine #yogaforstrength #recoveryfrominjury #yogaforflexibility #yogagoals #yogainspiration #yogainstructor #yogainlosangeles
Thank you, my yoga fam, for joining me this week! This was part of what we flowed, exploring into our roots, our home, our safety. We did a little compass and Visvamitrasana at the end, what do you feel like next week? ✨🤗
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Tues 10 & 6 & Thurs noon @yoganestvenice
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🪷Namaste, Kris
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yoga ambassador, instructor & wellness coach based in Venice Beach. athlete. wellness-activist. nutritionist. biohacker. Specializing in longevity & recovery from injury.
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#modelsover50 #nutritionist #longevitycoach #wellness #yogaforathletes #rebuiltspine #yogaforstrength #recoveryfrominjury #yogagoals #yogainstructor #yogainlosangeles
“I left my soul… on the Pacific Coast.”
It’s been such a week! There are no words. The absolute devastation, and the beauty of the soul of Los Angeles, shining through the ash, as strong and as beautiful as our LA sun.
Life can feel unbearable at times, but just like a balance asana, strength comes trom within. In these moments, we are forced to grow stronger, find balance, and be resilient. Never give up, even when it feels impossible, be brave and keep going —we have to.
Yoga reminds us that strength isn’t just physical; it’s the courage to keep going, to find that something deep within, to put one foot in front of the other when we don’t feel we can take one more step. Remember, we are not born with strength. It’s something that we develop and find deep inside.
With exhaustion after a week of emotion, I played around trying to find that balance today. Lots of wobbles, like everyone here these days. Just feeling our way through these next steps.
Stay strong, stay balanced, and have faith.
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Tues 10 & 6 & Thurs noon @yoganestvenice
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🪷Namaste, Kris
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yoga ambassador, instructor & wellness coach based in Venice Beach. athlete. wellness-activist. nutritionist. biohacker. Specializing in longevity & recovery from injury.
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#modelsover50 #nutritionist #longevitycoach #wellness #yogaforathletes #rebuiltspine #yogaforstrength #recoveryfrominjury #yogagoals #yogainstructor #yogainlosangeles
A little sneak-peak at me teaching last night @yoganestvenice 😅 (filmed without me knowing my a$$ was on camera!) I never stop talking, even upside down! note-to-self… shut up 😂 We do have some fun in #PowerVinyasa tho! Come check it out!
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Be sure to check the schedule @yoganestvenice over the holidays for additional #Vinyasa classes with me! 🎄And always, #PowerVInyasa classes this week for “✨Noticing✨”
Tues 10 & 6 & Thurs noon @yoganestvenice
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Don’t forget to share this with your yogi squad & tag me in your Noticing Moments.
🪷Namaste, Kris
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yoga ambassador, instructor & wellness coach based in Venice Beach. athlete. wellness-activist. nutritionist. biohacker. Specializing in longevity & recovery from injury
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Outfit @athleta
📸 @marylousyoga
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#modelsover50 #nutritionist #longevitycoach #wellness #yogaforathletes #rebuiltspine #yogaforstrength #recoveryfrominjury #yogagoals #yogainstructor #yogainlosangeles