Congratulations to Kristan Marden who recently graduated 300-Hour Advanced Yoga Teacher Training and has now Completed over 500 Hours of Yoga Teacher Training!
Learn more about Kristan:
What brought you to yoga?
I had studied and worked in the fitness and wellness industry for many years, and I have always been fascinated by the mind-body connection. Yoga enriched my understanding of the power of being present and the role mindfulness plays in our daily lives. Yoga helped me stay fit and find "bliss," and my yoga mat became my sanctuary. For 90 minutes each day, I knew that no matter how crazy life was, I could find balance. Eventually my practice expanded into a lifestyle, a mindful and balanced way of living, one breath at a time.
Why did you want to become a yoga teacher?
My passion for yoga became my calling, my dharma: "that thing that you do, after your day job, in your free time, too early in the morning, too late at night. That thing you read about, write about, think about all the time. That thing you do when you're all alone and there's no one to impress, nothing to prove, no money to be made, simply a passion to pursue. That's it! That's your thing. That's your heart, your guide. That's the thing you must, must do." ~ upliftedvibrations.com.
Yoga is my "thing," and I want nothing more than to pass that passion on to the community at Solstice/Empower and beyond. I hope to teach skills on the mat that make a measurable difference off the mat. I believe we are all sharing in this life together, and the tradition of yoga offers us tools to stress less, smile more, untangle physical and emotional knots, and witness ourselves and each other without judgment.
When do you teach at Solstice/Empower?
I teach at Solstice:
Mondays 12:00 -1:00 p.m. Power Hour
Tuesdays 9:15-10:30 a.m. Power Yoga
Fridays 9:15-10:30 a.m. Power Yoga
I teach at Empower:
Mondays 9:00-10:30 a.m. Power Yoga
Thursdays 6:00-7:00 pm Power Hour
Thursdays 7:15-8:15pm Candlelight Slow Flow
I will also be teaching a special "Strength & Serenity" class at Solstice on Saturday, April 6th
For more information Click Here
As a teacher, I favor a vigorous yet peaceful practice, integrating the best elements of power yoga, teaching stability to foster mobility, and allowing space to explore anatomical precision and philosophical inspiration. My classes consist of a dynamic and powerful flow that emphasize creativity, strength, flexibility, and balance.
I have been inspired by so many teachers and styles over the years, but I still find my greatest inspiration from the students that step onto their mats each day and commit to themselves.
Share a quotation and/or message that inspires you?
My yoga journey has been guided by Patanjali's quote, "When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bounds.Your mind transcends limitations, your conscious expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great, and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be."
BIO: Kristan Marden 500 ERYT, YACEP
Kristan is a natural, intuitive teacher who is passionate about yoga. Her classes integrate the best elements of power yoga, using an approach that allows space to explore both anatomical precision and philosophical inspiration.
Kristan's teaching style is vigorous and playful, with a strong emphasis on both breath and mindful movement. Her classes consist of a dynamic and powerful flow that emphasize creativity, strength, flexibility, and balance. With her unique, calm style, Kristan imparts a peaceful atmosphere in the studio, thus allowing each student to cultivate physical strength alongside emotional balance and clarity. She hopes to teach skills on the mat that make a measurable difference off the mat:
"We are all in this together, and the tradition of yoga offers us tools to stress less, smile more, untangle physical and emotional knots, and witness ourselves and each other without judgment."
Kristan grew up in Marblehead, MA and lives there now with her husband and three children. After graduating college with a degree in exercise science and then working in the fitness industry as a Wellness Specialist, she was naturally drawn to yoga. Kristan is a Yoga Alliance 500 ERYT, YACEP. In 2018, she completed her 300 hour teacher certification at Down Under School of Yoga in Brookline, MA with Natasha Rizopoulos. In 2012, she completed her 200 hour teacher certification at Empower Yoga in Beverly, MA. Kristan also completed Jason Crandall's Essentials of Yoga Anatomy and The Art of Yoga Sequencing courses. In 2015, Kristan participated in Judith Laster's Experiential Yoga Anatomy course.
"I have always been fascinated by the mind body connection. Yoga has enriched my understanding of the power of being present and the role mindfulness plays in our daily lives."
