Name: Kristen Townsend
Location: Frederick, MD
Level: RYT 200
Studio(s): Ananda Shala

Kristen began asana practice and movement exploration at 18 months of age through dance, gymnastics, and figure skating in which she spent 16 years training competitively.  She later was introduced to Yoga as a freshman in college as part of a "stress management" unit in a health class. As an injured figure skater at the time, yoga was the most refreshing experience she had had in conditioning her body in many months. After inchworming her way through many yoga classes, Kristen began to know the full-spectrum healing that yoga offered, which inspired her to want to share this amazing practice with everyone. While her own transformational experience with yoga fueled her eagerness to learn, Kristen was also blessed with the opportunity to learn from some amazing teachers who are strong, powerful women and positive role models within their communities, and who still continue to inspire her to continue her own journey as a yoga teacher, fire-tender and wave-rider.  

Kristen's training in teaching yoga has come through Shiva Rea's Samudra Global School for Living Yoga and through the mentorship of Prana Flow senior teacher Maria Garre.  In her classes, Kristen shares her experience in cultivating a sense of inner balance, clarity, strength and compassion, as well as practical physical strength and flexibility to serve the flow of life.  A few of the greatest lessons she has learned from her teachers are full-spectrum living, the power of presence, and the transformation that happens by living love.

Time off the mat is dedicated to serving the shakti and raising the collective vibration by her "behind the scenes" assistance to global yogini and sacred activist Shiva Rea; collaborating with researchers at the USDA Beltsville Bee Research Lab to study the amazing lives of honey bees and develop her Master's thesis for a degree in Environmental Biology; and teaching figure skating.  She currently teaches with several Prana Flow teachers at Ananda Shala in Frederick, MD, home of the Samudra + Yogadventures office.

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