Yoga Changed My Life. Now Let Me Help It Change Yours.

I want to tell you something personal...not the polished version, not the Instagram caption version, but the real, heart-wide-open truth:

I didn’t join Yoga Teacher Training because I had some grand plan or spiritual awakening.

I joined because… it was calling me.

Yoga didn’t just strengthen my body... it rerouted my entire life.

It cracked me open, handed me a microphone I didn’t know I had, and showed me that the things I once thought were random chapters - merchandising, marketing, event planning, movement, creativity - were actually being woven into my purpose all along.

Back when my husband had been recruited to Atlanta to host the afternoon drive show on Rock 100.5 (\m/), I wandered into a CorePower Yoga studio just looking for a class and the teachers there were VERY convincing 😉

But the truth is… I didn’t need the pitch. I already felt the pull. Something inside whispered, “This is your next step.”And I listened.

Come back to your “why.”

The reason you felt the pull toward yoga… the reason you said yes to something that asked you to grow, stretch, soften, and rise. Hold that close. Stay true to it.

Stepping outside your comfort zone and allowing yourself to be vulnerable isn’t easy. It asks something of you. It shakes things loose. It stirs emotions you didn’t even know were hiding under the surface.

So be compassionate with yourself. Be patient as you step into new territory. And remember, the journey matters far more than the destination.

When I signed up for YTT in 2019, I was terrified and excited in the same breath. I didn’t know what was waiting for me on the other side but I knew I had to go.

Maybe you know that feeling too.

Since graduating I’ve spent years finding my own way, my voice, my style… and building a life I imagined was possible.

I’ve met incredible humans friends, collaborators, chosen family. I’ve built partnerships that blossomed into lifelong relationships. And this practice and path allowed me to build an actual living after my 20-year career at HSN/QVC.

I get to make a difference in people’s lives. I get to move with you. Laugh with you. Hold space for you. Create moments where people feel safe enough to play… or cry… or surrender completely during a full moon fire ceremony… or melt into savasana when the right song hits the soul just right.

And now, somehow, I’m mentoring other teachers which feels pretty fucking cool!

I’ve done a lot. I’ve learned a lot. I’m still learning. I’m still figuring it out and that’s the beauty of this path.

There have been bumps, doubts, breakdowns, reinventions, full-on “wtf-am-I-doing” moments.... and yet, here I am… because I’m surrounded by a community I helped cultivate. A community that lifts each other up, cheers each other on, and reminds me every day why this work matters.

And then… fast forward a few years…

As I was teaching local events and building what is now The Velvet Mat (my magic project) a super cute fun-sized real-life Barbie doll slipped into my DMs, wanted to get to know the local yoga community and be friends.

Her name was Claire . And that message changed a lot. She came to one of my classes, we met for coffee, she was deciding on a name, and then she invited me into Beach Town Yoga. And the community we’ve built here together? It’s special. It’s real. It’s the kind of community you don’t stumble into, you grow it with intention, heart, and a whole lot of trust.

I’m so grateful to Claire and Noah for their vision, their heart, and the space they’ve created for all of us. I’m honored to be part of this ride with them and to help it keep evolving.

Now… along side my sister Courtney, together again (after Costa Rica... PS if you haven't read that blog yet, go back and read it, it's a good one!) we are co-leading the January Yoga Teacher Training, and I cannot wait to guide the next group of brave, curious, heart-led humans who are ready to stretch, soften, expand, and rise.

That’s the part they don’t tell you about teacher training…

The magic of community. The transformations that happen between poses. The friendships that become lifelong. The way you start to see yourself differently... maybe even for the first time.

If you’ve been feeling any kind of tug… even the faintest whisper…This is your sign. This is your moment.

Don’t let fear talk you out of the thing that could change your life.

And this next chapter? Oh, just wait. I’m only getting started.

Stay tuned... what’s coming will be big. 🖤✨

With so much love and gratitude,

Crystal

The Velvet Mat

Co-lead YTT at Beach Town Yoga

“Come for the movement. Stay for the magic.”