Today we’d like to introduce you to Karina Johnson.
Hi Karina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Karina, and I am a Certified Yoga Therapist and an IT consultant. First time I arrived to San Diego around 8 years ago. I had a long business trip to work on a financial project here. I’ve already practiced yoga daily and found a local yoga studio to go to like I always did.
Back then, my life looked like a long trip moving from a country to a country, doing IT consulting. I found that Yoga helps me to stay focused and healthy in such a dynamic environment.
I loved San Diego for its beautiful weather, amazing coast, and relaxing vibe. I really enjoyed surfing here and trying out local yoga. I left few months later to return to Toronto.
Yoga was supporting me so much that I couldn’t help my desire to share the gift of Yoga with others. So, I first became a yoga teacher and then got my yoga therapist certification in parallel with my IT career.
In the last 8 years, I’ve been teaching and helping my students heal through Yoga, and I feel very grateful to be doing that.
Over a year ago, I moved to San Diego with my husband and our dog. I’m happy to share that I teach at a local studio and accept students for individual yoga therapy as well.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Yoga teachers are one of the most hardworking people. There’s so much effort in studying to become a yoga teacher while working other jobs, then finding yoga work opportunities, traveling to the studio, caring your equipment, preparing a well-rounded yoga practice, teaching it with respect to all students’ abilities, connecting to the students, etc. Most teachers have multiple classes a day too!
That’s why most yoga teachers really chose this career with their heart.
For me, it was hard to work full time and study for 8 hours on weekend days for my teachers’ training. But I couldn’t stop there; I wanted to become a therapist. So, I took on a 2.5-year Yoga Therapist program with even longer hours.
Then, as any other career shift requires, I had to get tons of experience. I’ve volunteered at local schools, taught yoga in offices, diabetes society, hospitals, etc.
All of the certifications and volunteer work I did on top of my day job in IT. My love for Yoga and confidence that tools of Yoga can help people to heal kept me going. My students were feeling so much better through our personal & group practices. It made me feel very happy. But to be honest – there wasn’t much financial compensation at first, which can be demotivating.
The struggle is real. So much effort of getting certified, volunteering and teaching, working hard, studying, educating people on benefits of Yoga. And then figuring out how to monetize your biggest passion.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My business has two directions. One is – providing personal Yoga Therapy sessions, and another – IT consulting for health & wellness initiatives.
During personal Yoga Therapy sessions, I work one on one with students who face certain physical and mental conditions and want to approach it in a holistic and natural ways. Based on student’s request, I develop and teach my student a personal practice consisting of movement, breathing technique, and meditation that immediately improves their condition and enables them to know self-deeper and help oneself with tools of Yoga. Every one of us is very unique, and yoga has many tools. My job is to see the individual and apply the tools in the best way for them.
I am proud to be a teacher in direct lineage of T.Krishnamacharya and to have my therapist certification with International Association of Yoga Therapists.
I have a lot of experience healing such conditions as back pain, poor posture, insomnia, headaches, urinary incontinence, anxiety, and painful periods.
The beauty of Yoga Therapy is that as long as the tools I’ve taught are suitable and the student practices daily, the energy and the nervous system begin to work in harmony, removing all blocks and issues from the body and the mind.
I practice what I preach. Many health conditions I see in my students, I’ve regulated for myself with Yoga. So, I know how beautifully a suitable Yoga practice works.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success for me is sharing my energy and experience with people and feeling happy, realizing that there’s nothing more important that being wholesome and healthy.
I help people heal in the most natural way, making them self-reliant by knowing their own body and mind and working daily towards health and wholesomeness.
Pricing:
- One on One 75min Yoga Therapy session 70$
- IT Health & Wellness consulting 60min 50$
Contact Info:
- Website: caliyogatherapy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karina.a.johnson/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karina-johnson-4015b040
Image Credits
Ayyyna Budaeva
Liza Litvinovich
