Looking Back, Moving Forward

It wasn’t a straight path. It was slow steps, soul work, and starting over—again and again.

But now I see the why behind it all. 

How did I get to this sweet spot? Well, yoga. I’m getting close to a decade of having this practice in my life in a very deep way. It brought me the space to follow my gut, make the right choices, find the right people, learn how to speak and protect my boundaries. More recently, demanding my worth. It’s been a hell of a time in a spin cycle of all these things. 

When I was struggling, it felt like no one in the world could help. No one could get it. It was hard to admit I needed help; it was hard to know who to trust. Yoga helped me get my head above water, and the moment I could come up for air I wanted to help other people do the same. I had a long way to go before I was out of the troubled waters, but I just got started. As a yoga teacher I could help people access the practice, and I could share my message through my classes.

My first studio and teaching job - CorePower Yoga in Boston

Stepping away from in-studio teaching during the Pandemic allowed me to really find my own way as a yoga teacher. Looking back, it might seem like I took a big leap starting Journey Forward, but at the time it just felt like a natural step. I was a teacher with a message, I had students who wanted to learn from me. 

I started JFY from my Boston apartment with my little business partner Cookie :)

At the same time, there were areas of my life that needed desperate attention. It got to the point where I needed to really figure out my personal life before I could advance with anything at all. The wellness industry is funny like that. If you’re going to do it right, you have to meet your demons. If you don’t, it will be hard to run a truthful business.

Going home to New Jersey for a year was not just meeting my demons, it was meeting the angels of my past. It was connecting, it was shoes off in the grass breathing the fresh air. The work that I did that year was next level and paved the way for my highest self. 

I moved home with my family to New Jersey. My family home is such a place of healing for me.

Deciding to move back to Massachusetts was a difficult choice, but I was determined to do it right this time. The choices I made - where to live, where to practice, how to use my time - were all made purposefully. Still, I didn’t really know how it would all fit together. It was just one foot in front of the other, following my intuition. 

At the time, I felt really behind in life. The past six years of my life had been very tumultuous. So even though I had done great things like become a yoga teacher and continue my career as a public school teacher, I hadn’t had the space to set a clear vision for my life.

I moved back to MA. I continued teaching virtual yoga with JFY and also started teaching at Hometown Sweat in person.

In June of 2022, I started writing monthly intentions in line with the new moon. I know it sounds a little out there, but I cannot say enough how important these have been to my growth. Since then I have been able to make massive strides towards who I want to be and what I want. 2022 into 2023 was my rebuilding year. I had to take the love and strength of Jersey and put it into my solo life. It was hard. It was lonely. But there was still something pulling me forward. 

A little taste of my new moon intentions.

2023 to 2024 was more of that, plus adding in graduate classes and hosting a student teacher. At that time I decided to take a step back from hosting Journey Forward virtual classes. My personal life and school teaching career needed to be put on the front burner. 

My student teacher Madeleine! It was great to spend time focusing on my classroom teaching.

2024 to 2025 I brought my yoga career back in full force by leading a yoga teacher training at Hometown Sweat. That training was the most beautiful thing, and the ultimate test of my wellness habits. While I was quite often physically struggling with illnesses, my mental health was able to stay intact! Surviving the demanding hours of the training was a testament to the personal work I have done. 

The 12 most amazing yoga teacher trainees ever!

When the training was done in February, I had all this yoga buzzing through me. I heard from many Journey Forward yogis that they were missing their virtual classes. I decided to get back into it, slowly. One class a week for a half hour, to see how it felt for me and for them. This gave me the opportunity to think - what do I really want to do with JFY?

The answer changed everything for me. 

I want to provide a space for my friends, family, and community to experience the peace of yoga in a down-to-earth way. 

Realizing this has set so much straight in my head. I KNEW it. I KNEW it would come to me. I just didn’t know when. Now that it’s here, it brought everything into focus.

The final piece to my puzzle came in May when I studied my astrology chart. I like to study all types of things, take what feels right and leave the rest. What I found through my chart was mind-blowing to me. I’ll spare you all the information on signs and houses and stars. I’ll just tell you that it speaks to a girl who is strong, energized, and independent. Who gains strength from roots and traditions - family stories, history. She loves to nurture, build bonds, and create consistent, quality creative projects. She reaches her goals with a mixture of deep contemplation and an unwavering drive. With that, the puzzle was finally set. All the times I wanted things to be in place before, they were all just parts of the story (and thank goodness I didn’t get many of those things I thought I wanted!). Whether it was truly written in the stars, or I just made it all happen, it fits.

Finding your vision is not an easy thing. It takes time, and hard work. I look back now and know: “You have been assigned this mountain to show it can be moved”.  

Here’s what my vision means for you:

To give my friends, family, and community a space to practice their yoga asana (poses) - I’m expanding my class options for this summer. 4 classes a week, 2 Vinyasa and 2 Yoga Sculpt. The Vinyasa will help you find your breath and stretch, the Yoga Sculpt will help you build your strength and fire. You can choose the class package that works best for your availability. 

To give my friends, family, and community a space to practice their yoga “off the mat” - I have resources for creating a vision board and monthly new moon intentions. Keeping in line with the down-to-earth vision, the resources are easy to follow and will also come with personal guidance from me. 

Thank you for reading along. I hope it helps you understand how worthy the long journey of self-discovery is.

Thank you for being a part of my community.

Love, 

Christina

p.s. what parts of my journey do you want to hear more about? What other resources can I create for you?