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kristina’s journey with caravan

Kristina’s wellness transformation

KRISTINA CRUZ
JOIN YOGA TEACHER KRISTINA CRUZ ON HER JOURNEY WITH WELLNESS

Can you tell us about your journey and where you are today?

I was born and raised in Russia and while I’ve never been a religious person, I’ve always felt a unique connection to the universe and its energy. I was first introduced to the history and culture of ancient Asia in school and it immediately sparked an interest in me. My curiosity continued to foster and it lead me to take my first yoga class at the age of 14. I knew in that very first Shavasana, that this practice would be an important part of my life, I did not know to what extent until recent years but I was instantly struck by its power.

I moved to NY when I was 22 and seriously was considering taking yoga teacher training program back then. Unfortunately, my decision not to pursue the training was heavily influenced by someone close to me.

I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason, so I’m grateful that 8 years later, after turning 30, that I started to reflect on my life. I have had many incredible moments and lessons living in New York which I am fortunate to have experienced as well as many challenges that I have had to overcome as well. I’ve modeled, managed 4000 people events, worked in hospitality – but in 2019 I decided that it was time to take on a new challenge that would bring me joy. I looked into myself and saw that what truly makes me happy is connecting with my spiritual self. I decided to risk everything – leave my job, spend my savings – so that I could deepen my connection with spirituality, yoga and pursue a path of self-development. I believe that once you make a conscious decision to commit to something, the universe guides you to the places and people who are on the same frequency as that intention and it is our job is to act on it.

I began my Ayurvedic Health Counselor training in New York but had a deep desire to learn more. I traveled to Kauai to complete additional training as an Ayurvedic Chef. I was so inspired by my mentor that she recommended I take advanced, that I’m working on now.

When I came back from Kauai, I realized Ayurveda and Yoga cannot be separated, they’re both part of one healing system, so I went on and took Atmananda Sequence Teacher Training (which is a type of vinyasa flow influenced by B. K. S. Iyengar, Ashtanga and Hatha). However the most revolutionary discovery for me was completing Kundalini Teacher Training.

This year, I’ve completed three courses and I am currently enrolled in a fourth advanced course. It has been an exciting journey so far. There is so much wisdom, power, and healing in these teachings. It has been so satisfying to apply this to my own life and

“I hope one day to be able to impart this wisdom to others to help them on their way to healing.”

My ultimate goal to use this knowledge to come up with a way to help modern men and women, modern New Yorkers to find a way to sustain their crazy lifestyle and keep themselves balanced and healthy.

What is your experience with wellness?

My go-to for wellness is CARAVAN Wellness. When I first attended a CARAVAN event I was amazed at how well organized it was and how welcoming and inspiring the community is. I instantly decided to become an advocate! CARAVAN is an incredible source of techniques, challenges, practices, articles, videos and you get to share it with your friends, family, followers. CARAVAN makes it so easy and accessible that it is possible to incorporate it into even the busiest of schedules. You can take a 1-30 minute class on a range of topics so if you’re getting on the train or jumping into an Uber or you’re taking a lunch break or simply having a relaxing day at home, CARAVAN can be used anywhere, anytime. They also throw amazing events where the CARAVAN team promotes conscious living and wellness.

What are some of your favorite CARAVAN classes or programs and why?

Touch and Earth Mediation – As a Kundalini teacher, I’m really big on mediation. I spent a lot of time working with upper triangle energies, however it’s really important to make sure you’re not losing connection with lower triangle energy. The energy of Earth, the energy that brings grounding to your life which is essential in such a Vata (Air and Space) provoke city like New York. This short but amazingly grounding meditation can help you to keep yourself balanced and grounded.

Mantra for Prosperity – This is one of my absolute favorites. Everyone should do it once a day. It only takes 3 minutes and according to Y. Bhajan doing this meditation will mean that you will never be in the place of need.

Sun Salutations – This is simply essentials – as a yogi – I can’t stress enough how doing your sun salutations on an everyday basis can and will change your life. It doesn’t have to be advanced poses, simple sun salutations suffice and is a must for everyone.

Digestive Mudra – Personally, I find it that people are more or less exposed to asanas, some breathing techniques and mediations, but not to mudras and chanting. Which is shame, that both techniques are magical and extremely powerful and it’s incredible that CARAVAN is making it more accessible for people. There are varieties of digestion mudras, but I love this one. Ayurveda believes that your digestion is the key to your overall wellbeing, so I think this mudra helps to maintain your Agni (digestive fire).

Full Body Stretch – I have a personal goal to be able to do 3 way splits at some point in my life, so I spend my time stretching, stretching, stretching! It also simply feels great.

Rewire Your Brain – Neuroplasticity is a scientifically proven phenomena. One of the best things you can do to help your mind and to analyze/retrain our belief systems is to complete a short program to rewire your brain.

How has incorporating wellness into you daily routine improved your lifestyle?

It’s my everything. I’m human, so I have my ups and downs, but

“what I also have now is a clear vision where I have focused on incorporating wellness into the good days and the bad.”

I get my inspiration from it, my energy and I get to share it with other people and bring healing and happiness to others thanks to this experience. I have focused on bringing myself and others to the sattvic state, a state of happiness and harmony, which is believed to be our original and natural state for all humans.

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