Oh, hi! I’m Crystal, and I’m so happy to introduce myself as a regular teacher at Sellwood Yoga. I’ve lived in the neighborhood since 2010, and took my first class at the studio in 2011, so if you’re a regular it’s fair odds we’ve crossed paths on the mat. And if you live in the neighborhood, maybe we’ve smiled at each other in a “do I know you?” sort of way at Gino’s or Llewellyn pick up/drop off. My friends joke that I don’t leave Sellwood Island, and they’re not wrong. Since finishing grad school and moving here in 2009, I’ve been a bit of a Sellwood evangelist – it really is the best neighborhood – which makes me extra excited to join the roster of fabulous teachers at the studio.
I started seriously practicing yoga in 2011. I thought I was starting a yoga practice to get fit for my wedding in July of that year; I ended up falling in love with the mental and spiritual practice just as much as the traditional asana. This eventually led me to go through yoga teacher training in 2014 at Yoga Bhoga (now called The Practice Space).
In the years since then, my husband Micah and I opened a gym (also in the neighborhood!) called Essential Strength Studio, bought a house on Lexington Street, enrolled our son Dylan at Llewellyn, and, most recently, added a mini bernedoodle puppy named Mac to our family. When I’m not teaching yoga or coaching clients at our gym, I’m working as an executive recruiter in the social impact sector, reading books (tell me what you’re reading!), taking walks in the neighborhood, hanging with friends and family, and, currently, doing a lot of puppy training!
If there’s a common theme to all of this, it’s that I hope to make a positive impact at both the individual and community levels, especially in the yoga studio and the gym. I read a book about awe a couple of years ago, which dives into what the research tells us about the various pathways to awe, and my favorite is “collective effervescence,” that sense of emotional resonance and unison that emerges when humans do something together. It’s what makes going to a music festival, or a protest, or a yoga class with other humans so special – being in community together, having a shared experience that connects us to each other – and it’s what I hope to create in my classes.
As a yoga teacher, I like to lead classes that are a bit on the challenging side (without veering into being outright difficult!), with an emphasis on stability and alignment, and plenty of options to make the practice your own. I care a lot about core strength, so we’ll probably do some planks, boats, or other fun (!) abdominal work – but don’t worry! I also care a lot about a nice, rewarding savasana, often with extra props and supports, so you can let go of that extended warrior pose we just did and just melt into the mat. Hope to see you there soon!