Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:11] Speaker B: Hello, and welcome to Deep in your yoga practice. I'm Lauren Leduc, the owner and founder of True Love Yoga in Kansas City, Missouri. And today I'm so excited to have on one of our wonderful teachers from True Love, Katie Kreifel. Katie is somebody who kind of popped up out of nowhere for me, but. But she has tons of experience.
She has traveled the world. She is always positive and energetic, and she has been so much fun to have in our studio family. So I'm excited for you to be able to get to know her better today and find out about some of her upcoming offerings. So, Katie, welcome to the podcast. I'm so glad you're here.
[00:00:45] Speaker A: Thank you for having me. I'm glad to be here too.
[00:00:48] Speaker B: Katie, I always start with the same question, which is, how did you fall in love with yoga?
[00:00:52] Speaker A: Oh, I fell in love with yoga through a Club 7 Fitness. When I was 18 years old, I joined a gym and I randomly took a yoga class and I was intrigued right away. And I remember going to Marshalls and buying my first yoga mat. That was like $12. It was wrapped up in plastic. And I remember I was standing in line to check out with my yoga mat and the woman in front of me actually happened go to the yoga class with me. And her name's Debbie, and she was a lot older than me, and it was so sweet. We just started talking in the line and she was like, oh, you're buying a yoga mat. And yeah, and then I was just hooked.
[00:01:29] Speaker B: That is so cute. I think there's like a level up when you buy your first yoga mat from Marshalls and then you're scouring Marshalls for like, jades and mandukas.
[00:01:37] Speaker A: Yes, yes.
And it's funny, like, looking back, I just, you have, you know, no idea. I was like, I just need a yoga mat. Cause all the ones at the gym felt really gross. And so, yeah, and then it was crazy. The the teacher of that class was going to be leaving in a year, and then she approached me and asked if I would take over the yoga class and go get trained. So, so I just kind of got like shoved into one year of being a student and then exploring it and then kind of being like, hey, why don't you go get trained and take this class? And it was like, ah, I'm going to be a yoga teacher and I'm not even 21. So it was crazy.
[00:02:11] Speaker B: Well, that's incredible. And you've been teaching for quite a long time.
17 years.
[00:02:17] Speaker A: Yeah. So I was trying to Think back. So I started, like, in 2006, and then at my first training, 2007.
[00:02:23] Speaker B: And I know you also came with some chronic pain. Can you tell me more about that?
[00:02:29] Speaker A: Yeah. You know, in middle school, they make you do that test where you, like, bend down and they check your spine, like, in the PE room. I don't know. Our school did that. And so then I learned pretty bad. Yeah, the awkward. Like, you're at that age when you don't want to, like, show anything. So I learned through that test, though, that I had pretty severe scoliosis. And I had to go get tests done, like, twice a year so that the doctors can monitor it to see if I was going to have to have one of those surgeries with the metal rod in my back and everything. And. And then I think, you know, just as I have gotten older, well, fast forward a little bit. I had to move overseas. I had to have a chest X ray done to make sure I didn't have TB, tuberculosis. And through that X ray at 24, I learned that I had a pretty severe chest deformity as well, where my chest actually grows inward rather than coming out. So it was kind of crazy. It put it together to me, though, because even though I was young and in my early 20s, I'd get out of bed, and I kind of always feel like I have stuff, cement blocks, like, stuck in my back and kind of up around my chest in a way is how it feels every morning. So even now, to this day. And so, like, I have to move pretty quickly. Like, when I get up, I just. I physically, mentally, I have to move. And so I realized yoga for me is, like, it's just a necessity.
[00:03:44] Speaker B: So it's interesting you found this out, not the scoliosis, but the chest deformity while you were already teaching yoga. Yeah. How did that help inform, like, your teaching or maybe the education that you've chosen?
[00:03:57] Speaker A: Yeah, it made it realize for me, like, heart openers feel so good. Like, basically doing the opposite, you know, so my body can open and expand. And then I've learned over the years why paschimottanasana, a seated forward fold is so hard for me. Like, I can never come all the way down, and my body just physically, I get stuck with bones getting in the way. And so I just, like, as I've gotten older, the ego gets out of the way of my practice, and I realize, like, does it feel good? Does it feel right for my body? And I kind of preach that in my own classes when I'm Teaching people you know your body best, like, you are your best teacher when it comes to yoga. And like, try never to, like, push yourself to do something just so it can look a certain way. Like, always tune into how it feels.
[00:04:42] Speaker B: Yeah, it's such a blessing not to have chronic pain in any way, but to have those types of experiences that enlighten your teaching. And we've both been practicing and teaching for a while and it really was more of like a one size fits all practice for a long time. And if you weren't able to get into a shape, it was just because you hadn't worked hard enough. But we know that that's not true. Like, biomechanically, it's not true. Everybody's joints fit together differently. Everyone's skeletons are a little bit different.
You know, there might be injuries, et cetera. So being able to kind of trust your own body and lead from there is such a huge thing. And it's so liberating for our students as well to know, like, hey, yep, maybe this pose that it seems like everyone else can do just fine just isn't really for my body. Or maybe I can figure out how it is, but it's just going to look or appear a little bit differently than, than what I see other people doing. And there's nothing wrong with.
[00:05:43] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah, definitely.
[00:05:46] Speaker B: Well, thanks for sharing that. You've taught and trained all over the world. Where all of you been and how has that influenced your teaching?
[00:05:53] Speaker A: Yeah, it's been a journey, so I'm going to try to make this not super long. So I did my first training, right. Like just a basic.
I think it was from a company called Yoga Fit and just to get something down to be able to start teaching. And then I got really into Ashtanga yoga at Maya Yoga and that was around 2011. I was hardcore Ashtangi for two years, you know, loved it. And I did their training and then I moved overseas. And then when I moved overseas, we moved to Muscat, Oman, because my day job is. I was a teacher for a long time and then I went back to school and I became a school counselor. So I went to live in Muscat, Oman and be a teacher at an American international school. And there is a huge Indian population in Oman. And so I quickly got immersed into Indian culture, really probably more than Omani culture, living there. And I was going and doing yoga every weekend, you know, with 60 Indian people. And I was the white girl in the room there. My teacher there, Prima, encouraged me. She's like, you need to go to an ashram and NASA in India and do yoga therapy and prenatal, postnatal and I'm going to tell you where to go. And I was kind of like, it's a sign from the universe, I'm going to go.
So I resigned my contract after two years which was super scary because it was a well paying job and I didn't have children at the time. So my husband stayed in Oman and and then I went to India for almost three and a half months and I did yoga therapy, prenatal, postnatal and kids yoga when I was there. And then long story short, I actually got my job back when I moved back to Oman because the teacher had to leave. So I stayed there for a lot longer. And then just from that yoga therapy snowballed into yin yoga training with Bernie Clark, getting to go to Vancouver one summer when we were coming home to visit family and. And then you know, I got pregnant. So it was amazing because then I got to start using everything I learned for my prenatal and postnatal training with my own body and feeling more comfortable to teach other people with that. Yeah. And then from there lately it's been I got really into qigong and Tai chi and how Strala yoga came into my life. Cause those principles kind of mesh together.
And so I'll be going to a training in London in October so I get to stay with 4friend and do a yoga training. And yeah, I mean people spend money on big TVs and smart watches and go out to eat and like all my money that's extra, I feel like I'm saving for a plane ticket or like a yoga training.
[00:08:26] Speaker B: So yeah, I get exactly what you mean by that. Travel teaches us so much and being able to, being able to combine travel and yoga is really a very transformative experience. And it's amazing that you've gotten to see so much and to learned so much over the years. You're obviously a voracious learner and you always strike me as somebody who has just like endless energy. You have a full time job and you're a mom and you teach several yoga classes a week and you sub a lot for us too, which is awesome. Where does all this energy come from?
[00:09:00] Speaker A: I don't know. I think I have undiagnosed adhd. Like as I became a counselor and I started learning more, I'm like pretty sure I have that. So yeah, journaling meditation practices, like other forms, reading, I love to read. Like I need balance. Right. And I think that's why lately I'm so drawn to more Yin yoga and even Strala. It's like Vinyasa, but it's softer because I think my personality, like Ashtanga just isn't for me full on because I already go, go, go. So it's like I need that balance to help me be more mindful in my movements and my practice.
[00:09:34] Speaker B: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense to me and I totally get that. I think I have a lot of pitts in my constitution and if I.
Yeah, practices like Ashtanga probably aren't for me because I'll just take it too far.
I've gotta always find that balance. So we'll get more into like what these modalities are and what you're into teaching by introducing these workshops that you're going to be leading this season with us. First, I want to talk about your Light within workshop. So it's October 25th, it's light within High Katha, Pranayama and Trataka. What inspired you to offer this with us?
[00:10:13] Speaker A: Yeah, I think most yoga teachers probably feel like an hour is never enough to like to share everything you want to share. And so when I was kind of brainstorming, I was like, oh, I really just want like a 90 minute space where it can feel like a full yoga practice where we get to do some pranayama, some breathing, a little bit of meditation with some asanas. And so, yeah, with the changing of the season, I felt like anything with candles feels cozy in the fall. And so I personally, I love doing trataka meditation with other people like to teach it. I feel like it's such a great way to introduce meditation for people who might be new to it because it has such a point of focus that's physically right there for people to see. And so, yeah, it really just stemmed from wanting to be able to have more time, you know, and teach something that feels really complete and whole.
[00:11:01] Speaker B: Could you explain what trataka is? It is a pretty like, ancient practice and some of our students or listeners might not be familiar with it.
[00:11:10] Speaker A: Yeah, for sure. So the way I was taught was you use a candle to gaze upon, like, and what you do is you stare at the base of the candle, like where it's kind of that bluish part, you know, at the very bottom where there meets the yellow. And you kind of stare at that point and you don't blink. And when your eyes start to water and you want to blink, you close your eyes and then you visualize that candle flame in Your mind's eye.
And then whenever that starts to go away and you lose your focus, you open your eyes and you start over. So it's fun to do with kids as well, you know, because they. Anything with fire is exciting. And so. So yeah, that's. That's basically like it in a nutshell.
[00:11:48] Speaker B: Well, that sounds really nourishing. Especially in a season where it's all about transition and the weather is changing. There's something a little Halloweeny about the candle too.
Can we put it in some Jack O lanterns or something?
[00:12:01] Speaker A: Totally.
[00:12:02] Speaker B: Maybe for the kids. So that's coming up October 25th from 12 to 1:30. And it's 25, $5 off for our members and we'll link to it in the show notes. And I wanted to talk about your other workshop that's coming up too, that's Move With Ease for Astrala Yoga. And I'd love. There's not like a Strala yoga community in Kansas City. I know it's probably more of what like a New York thing. If you could tell us more about what that is like what makes it different and you know, what will be happening in this workshop, I'd love to hear it.
[00:12:34] Speaker A: Yeah, for sure. I mean I kind of stumbled upon it. So I lived in Madagascar for four years and I was kind of stuck as far as like going places for yoga trainings. So I discovered this online and I did a 500 hour online training with them initially and I was just like interested in qigong and tai chi and I hadn't really learned so I think I was just probably googling randomly. And then this popped up and it mentioned yoga and I was like, cool, you know, let's see what this is about. And so Tara Stiles and Mike Taylor, their husband and wife and she was a dancer on Broadway and he was like a Tai chi martial artist. And so they realized there was so much in common between the two and they both are really into Chinese medicine and so essentially kind of married the practices. So you're doing yoga asanas, but sometimes in a different way.
And it's really about again going back to just ease and comfort with your body and not pushing yourself to make something look a certain way. Things can feel very flowy and kind of open the way qigong can feel.
And it's kind of using your breath to guide your movements similar to Vinyasa, but it's very much, I think softer.
[00:13:44] Speaker B: Yeah, it sounds lovely and like something probably a lot of us need. Is it just a full like Strala practice in the workshop or are there other elements included?
[00:13:53] Speaker A: I'm going to totally go over just the guiding principles of Strala Yoga. Some of them are going to overlap with all our other practices, you know, but we'll talk about it in a Stralaway. And then my plan is to teach a yoga class, but we're going to pause throughout the class and I'm going to have people do something, maybe a Vinyasa or Hathaway, and then do it a Stralaway so they can feel the difference in their body and kind of play with some poses. If people come to my classes, one that I always change now is triangle B, Trikonasana B. So the Strala A is to spin your back foot onto the ball of your foot is how we do it so that you're not really cranking into that knee joint in the back. So that's just one brief example of how a pose could be changed.
[00:14:37] Speaker B: Okay, yeah, that sounds really fun. And I like the idea of kind of practicing the more stable Hatha style and the movement based Vinyasa. And then like, hey, this is something a little different and maybe a little in between. And yeah, we need that softness. We need that softness in our lives, I think more now than ever. So I really appreciate you bringing your own flavor and styles and education to True Love. You're such a light here and all of our students love you so much and you're such an important part of our team. So I'm really happy that we've had this time to chat today. And I do want to ask you, I'd like to close with this question is how can our listeners and our students deepen their yoga practices?
[00:15:21] Speaker A: I would say this might sound kind of corny, but when you get into a pose, like, see if you can close your eyes and just ask yourself the question, like, where am I feeling this and how does it feel? I think coming back to those two questions and kind of moving inward in your body is going to deepen the practice so much for people.
[00:15:41] Speaker B: Yeah, I love that so much. It really.
Those are the types of things that create transformative experiences for people and that make yoga such an important practice in people's lives because they're healing tools. Being able to, to feel and be with and sit with and process what's going on inside of us. And then the empowerment to change our outer environment to accommodate that or to challenge ourselves or whatever we're needing that day is such a beautiful thing. And how amazing that we have our yoga mats and we have our wonderful guides to help bring us into that space of more integration and, you know, things that we can actually carry into our everyday lives and improve them.
So again, Katie is leading light within Ata Pranayama and trataka on Saturday, October 25th, and then her strala yoga workshop on November 15th, both at True Love Yoga. We have $5 off for members for both of those. And they're both great for all levels, right?
[00:16:44] Speaker A: Yeah, definitely.
[00:16:46] Speaker B: So anyone can join. Bring a friend. Katie, how can our listeners stay in touch with you?
[00:16:52] Speaker A: Yeah, so I live super close to the studio, so that's why I' always there. So I feel I am a midtown, like through and through. I work right by the studio at my full time job. I live right by the studio. I am on Instagram, but it's just under Katie Krefal. It's a mix of posting about my kids, sometimes yoga related, sometimes a picture of something from the garden. So I don't have a website or anything like that. I do for soap if you're ever interested in soap, but not for yoga.
[00:17:18] Speaker B: Yet we do have a couple of your soaps at the studio. They smell so good. Katie, thank you so much for sharing yourself with me and with our listeners today. And I'm so excited for your upcoming workshops and just for everything that you bring to our community. Thanks for everything.
[00:17:33] Speaker A: Well, thank you, Lauren, for having the space in Midtown. And it feels like such a sacred little space and so homey and so I'm grateful to be a part of it.
[00:17:41] Speaker B: Thank you. All right, everyone, thank you so much for joining today. Until next time, Om Shanti Om. Peace.
