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Crystal Borup

Crystal Borup

by | Mar 13, 2023 | TEACHERS

Crystal Borup

Crystal Borup bio pic

LOCATION:

Idaho

TAGS:

Yoga
Meditation
Coaching
Retreat Leader

MEMBERSHIP:

Three memberships to choose from:

  1. The Essential Membership
  2. Soulful Living Community
  3. Align with Your Soul Program

CONTACT:

BIO:

Crystal is a teacher of spirituality, meditation, and yoga (E-RYT 500). She is a subtle energy activist, a reiki master, author of Yoga Beyond the Physical, and co-founder of the Teton Yoga Festival. She has been teaching, guiding, mentoring, and coaching students for over a decade.

Dedicated to enhancing and enriching the lives of others through soul level experiences, Crystal’s life’s work is to bring people together to experience the frequencies of love, light and truth, facilitating the expansiveness of and alignment with one’s soul. Her main focus is on her Soulful Living Retreats, online offerings, and building community.

Check out our chat with Crystal Borup, founder of Soulful Living and the Teton Yoga Festival.

FESTIVAL SPOTLIGHT: Front Range Yoga Festival 2023

FESTIVAL SPOTLIGHT: Front Range Yoga Festival 2023

by | Mar 9, 2023 | ARTICLES, Festivals, Festivals 2023, Profiles

FESTIVAL SPOTLIGHT: Front Range Yoga Festival 2023

PROFILES

FESTIVALS

Front Range Yoga Festival 2023
Looking for something to do in June? We are thrilled yoga festivals are back and can’t wait to check out all the amazing events taking place around the world. This week we had a chance to connect with Rosanne Lockhart, organizer of Front Range Yoga Festival who we are thrilled to partner with! We are thrilled for this exclusive discount for our community: use Yogalove15 (Starts: 1/1/2023)

 
What inspired you to create a yoga festival?
Ten years ago, at the Telluride Yoga Festival, I laid in savasana while a girl with purple hair played “Hallelujah” by Jeff Buckley on the harp. Before that moment I liked yoga but after that class, I knew that yoga would forever be a part of my life. Five years ago, I moved to a small town in rural Montana and shortly thereafter I got my 200 hour YTT certificate with YogaKoh and started offering classes. The town, Choteau, was so responsive and grateful to have access to yoga that I thought this would be the perfect place to host a yoga festival. It was inspired by my experience at the Telluride Yoga Festival and the apparent need for yoga in rural Montana. And plus, I just thought it would be fun to do! Choteau is also a perfect location because it sits along the inherently beautiful Rocky Mountain Front Range and it is equi-distant to Missoula, Kalispell and Bozeman.

What makes your festival unique? 
The Front Range Yoga Festival aka Yoga Fest is unique because it has a very home-grown and down-to-earth essence to it. Choteau is a town of about 2,000 people and it is surrounded by mountains, farmland and ranches. When you’re here, it somehow feels like time slows down. There’s no rush, no traffic, and nothing to worry about  other than choosing what class to go to next. The Yoga Fest team rents spaces throughout downtown Choteau, we turn them into studios, and then we run classes Friday through Sunday. There is a ton of class variety and all the studios are walking distance from each other. We don’t have big city amenities, but we have a few charming restaurants, great little shops, and a welcoming atmosphere. And most importantly, we offer high quality yoga classes by high quality instructors! We also like to encourage people to explore the nearby reservoirs and adventure into the mountains while you’re in town.

But what really makes this event special is the people—it’s the yogis who come back year after year, connect with one another, all while deepening their practice. It’s also the townspeople of Choteau who welcome the yogis with open arms by keeping special restaurant and shop hours to accommodate our guests. It really feels like a group of new and old friends having a yoga family reunion every 2nd weekend of June!  

What offering/presenter or class are you most excited about for this year’s event? 
This year I’m most excited for Jimmy Wheeler! Jimmy teaches at The Practice Power Yoga in Bozeman and I first came to know about him on Instagram back in 2019. He has a beautifully strong, graceful and creative practice. Watching him over the years has been inspirational and we are pumped to have him teach at Yoga Fest 2023! 

Learn More:
@FrontRangeYogaMT
Front Range Yoga Festival 2023

AWAKE Festival LOGO
Front Range Yoga Festival 2023
AWAKE Festival - Ananda Dancing
WEAVING INSPIRATION TO THE HEART

WEAVING INSPIRATION TO THE HEART

by | Mar 8, 2023 | ARTICLES, Yoga

WEAVING INSPIRATION TO THE HEART

By Ingrid Baquero @ingridsolbaquero

YOGA
WEAVING INSPIRATION TO THE HEART
Storytelling is a powerful tool to engage the heart. 

During the Sedona Yoga Festival this past April, I had the pleasure to sit in and learn from Rachel Scott, yoga teacher trainer and professional instructional designer, through “The Art of Theming,” workshop. 

In yoga, some teachers practice opening an emotional connection through dharma talk, centering students through a universal theme before the journey unfolds on the mat. The practice of dharma talk allows students to elevate their awareness and movement with a personal intention based on the theme provided by the teacher. 

Rachel shares that, “Theming provides a ‘why’ for the ‘what’, which then informs the ‘how’. It provides a pathway to bring heartfelt philosophy into the physical body, and provides us with a tangible way to live our yoga – both on and off the mat.” 

Weaving a theme into class might feel overwhelming, but if we take time to reflect as teachers, our everyday experiences can become relatable learnings to share with others, awakening the Shakti energy in our students beyond just the physical asana practice. 

Rachel’s workshop provided a helpful process with questions to guide teachers on theming and inspiring the heart. Here’s what we learned to create a positive ripple effect through sharing our own experiences. 

The Story: What’s your story? What is life teaching you right now? Reflect on a recent experience that taught you something. Share your short story, and make sure it has a relatable context for others. It must be a resolved experience. Very important! Our story is to be of service for others for positive learning. 

The “AHA,” moment from an “I,” standpoint:  What did I learn from this experience? Be specific on your theme. Some examples: Be Present. Listen to the Heart. Accept Surrender. 

The “Find the Light,” from a “We,” perspective: How is my reflection a universal truth learning that can apply to all? We all go through similar experiences that make this theme relatable. What should we keep in mind?

The Application & Tools: How can this theme be expressed through language, mudras, poses throughout the physical or philosophical practice? Create a theme toolbox.  

The Close: Reiterate your theme with a closing statement. Could be a quote, a gesture, or a closing mediation that channels your theme. 

Overall, theming is a creative and meaningful way to connect with your students. 

Rachel is launching several “Summer School” opportunities. Check out her 4-month long Sequencing Mentorship, the 60-Hour Program, Integral Anatomy for Yogis, or her full 300 hour YTT.  To find out more, check her website and follow her on IG @rachelscottyoga.

Happy weaving! 

LOVE PROFILE: NICOLE BYARS

LOVE PROFILE: NICOLE BYARS

by | Mar 6, 2023 | ARTICLES, Profiles

LOVE PROFILE: NICOLE BYARS

Founder Honest Yoga

PROFILES

Mimis-Yoga-Kids-profile

As we prepare for our June release of our print issue themed LOVE, we reached out to our amazing community to share with us a few thoughts on love. Our feature celebrates Nicole, owner of Honest Yoga in Plymouth, MN. Nicole describes herself as a struggling overachiever turned yoga educator and studio owner and shares: “Not to be dramatic or anything – but yoga saved my life. If we rewind a decade you would find me struggling with an eating disorder while balancing first-time motherhood and an unhappy marriage. Yoga was ultimately what got me through that challenging time. I ended up getting my teaching certification, started training other teachers, and built Honest Yoga to be a space for all of us to heal, evolve, grow, and thrive together.”

Share with us what you love about what you do:
There is so much variety in what I do, which is why I love it! I am a yoga and barre teacher, a studio owner, a trainer, a studio cleaner, a community builder…you get the picture! Every day looks different and each day keeps me on my toes. I love being able to guide a more serious and intentional yoga class, and then crank up the music and dance in high energy barre class. Some of my days are spent working in the studio which allows me the opportunity to tap into my creativity by creating blog and social media posts. Honesty, I love the energy of the community we have created at Honest Yoga. There is a vibe that I bottle up every time I leave. It’s a vibe of light, fun, and love. It’s my home away from home.

Share with us what you have learned about LOVE:
LOVE is a big word with a lot of depth, yet it is so simple. My journey with love has been through many ups and downs. In my 20’s I was at war with myself and was seeking love outside of myself. I was looking for love anywhere but myself. My yoga practice is what opened my eyes to loving me again, which was an ever-so-slow practice and a practice that ebbs and flows. I believe that we must love ourselves wholly and unconditionally before we can truly love those around us. Every morning I wake up I say, ‘I love. I am love. I choose love.’

What inspired you to support Yoga Love Magazine?
I love Yoga Love Magazine and the editor Iana and fully support their mission to celebrate diversity, to inspire, and create community. Who wouldn’t want to support that mission! And, I love their social media page. It always makes me smile. 🙂

Learn more: thehonestyoga.com

LOVE PROFILE: KIMBERLY ALEXANDRESCU

LOVE PROFILE: KIMBERLY ALEXANDRESCU

by | Mar 6, 2023 | ARTICLES, Profiles

LOVE PROFILE: KIMBERLY ALEXANDRESCU

Founder Sacred Space Astoria

PROFILES

Mimis-Yoga-Kids-profile
As we prepare for our June release of our print issue themed LOVE, we reached out to our amazing community to share with us a few thoughts on love. Our feature celebrates 

Kim is the owner of Sacred Space Astoria. A chakra-based yoga teacher since 2012, Kim is also a reiki master, Urban Zen Integrative Therapist, intuitive reader and end-of-life companion. Her scientific background and clinical research experience gives her a uniquely grounded approach to yoga and energy work. Born in Michigan, she’s made Astoria her home since 2006, raising her three children in the neighborhood she so dearly loves.

Share with us what you love about what you do:
I love the connections that Sacred Space Astoria, the yoga studio and healing space I own, provides for both the community and myself.  Being in a safe space where we can show up authentically as ourselves and feeling held is so crucial for growth and healing.  The feeling I get from meaningful connections and conversations while I’m fully in my body and open-hearted after a yoga practice, reiki session or providing death support is unparalleled!

Share with us what you have learned about LOVE:
When we can show up fully as who we are without risk of judgment, magic can unfold.  In my end-of-life work, it quickly became clear that my only job was to show up and unconditionally love the person who was dying; seeing, hearing and supporting their process was all that was needed.  Simply put, my presence is enough; I am enough.  That understanding facilitated more healing than I can put to words.

What inspired you to support Yoga Love Magazine?
I love to read, and I love the practice of yoga!  I’m also a big proponent of supporting small businesses/operations, especially when they are female-run.  I think it’s important to be active in AND support our community, so becoming a sponsor of the magazine was an easy choice!

 
Learn more: www.sacredspaceastoria.com