Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristalena Lamore.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Sports, fitness, and movement have always been apart of my family household. We all played sports growing up. I was fortunate enough to receive a Track and Field Scholarship that brought me to a D1 University. To the outside person looking in, I was a successful competitive athlete. I trained hard, beat school records and won some races. But what others did not see was the internal battle I was fighting. I didn’t truly love myself and would self-sabotage with drugs and alcohol, partying and getting into bar fights. Soon, the partying caught up with me and I lost my scholarship after getting my Associates degree. I was in a really dark place in my life. At the time, I didn’t realize it, but this was one of those “forks in the road” parts of the story; go left and choose the path of self-pity, poor me and negativity or go right and learn from this experience. This is when I found the practice of yoga, a new and restorative way to look at not only fitness but also a lifestyle change for me. Yoga is where I learned that your external world is a direct reflection of your internal one.
I started my journey of self-love and acceptance and changed my habits. I became aware of my internal dialogue and how it was influencing me and made an effort to choose kind words to say to myself instead. I was more mindful about what I chose to put into my body and educated myself about our food system, researching what ingredients to look out for on food labels and the medicinal benefits of foods. I came to the harsh realization that a lot of our food is overly processed and filled with harmful ingredients. I found that the only way I can control what I eat is to grow it myself. That’s when I decided to join the organization World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF), to farm in Hawaii. Farming was physically demanding, constantly digging, planting and harvesting in the strong Hawaiian heat, so my yoga practice was a necessary way to rejuvenate my body.
I dove deeper into the practice through a 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher Training (RYT) and I began to teach this practice that always seemed to bring me home to my True Self, no matter what was going on. After receiving my yoga certification I returned to the farm I was WWOOFing on and lead me to one of proudest moments of starting a donation based yoga program in Hawaii. Lots of the farmers were in constant body pain from the strenuous activities of daily farm life, so I would lead private yoga sessions for them in trade of things like chocolate, wine or anything! This soon blossomed into the donation based yoga program that people of the Westside community, farmers, and tourist would join. These classes took off so well with the community that I decided to offer them to the Hale Lana Program located on the farm. Hala Lana is a day program for adults with intellectual disabilities. After 5 years you can still go to Kahumana Organic Farm and Café in Waianae, HI and practice yoga for donation. Watching my passion to help others grow into a program that has flourished into touching the daily lives of others makes my heart so full and proud.
This was the first step in my fitness and wellness career. I am now also certified in energy work, kids yoga, Shakti Flow and Personal Training. I will never stop learning.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The only type of advice I can give is from my direct experiences and believe me I’m still learning from those every day! Something I will continue to work on is loving my true self. I find that when I really love me for me that love spreads throughout my life and touches others as well. Sometimes that love is hard to find and I have noticed it leads me to some of the most shitty situations. (I don’t know if we are allowed to swear in this interview.) But the darkest times in my life have created the most change. This change has always lead me to a new part of myself that I didn’t know existed. It’s like the more hardships you face the stronger you realize you really are!
“She has been through hell so believe me when I say fear her when she looks into the fire and smiles.” E. Corona
Please tell us about Shakti Flow.
I had the honor of introducing mindful movement to young girls at The Core Connection in Northborough through the Strong Body Strong Mind Program. Each week, we talk about ways girls can support one another instead of tearing each other down. We discuss the daily stresses these young girls are faced with (college pressure, social media ‘norms’, arguments with friends and parents) and what meditation techniques, pranayama (breath work) and yoga postures they can use to clear their mind and decrease anxiety in the body. We have dance parties to let loose and have fun!
I teach Shakti Flow. As well as hold Shakti Flow Teacher Trainings. This is a fairly new type of fitness on the East Coast. It consists of meditation, dance, yoga, and fitness. On the surface the practice is loud music, body weight resistance training, yoga poses and lots of booties shaking, but Shakti Flow is so much more than that. It’s a safe space to explore all movements of the body and to test the limitations of the mind. Through practicing Shakti Flow we create love and full acceptance of ourselves. This practice brings a ‘you go girl’ vibe into the class that creates a beautiful support system between the students.
I also teach a more traditional, slow flow yoga class. This clientele is usually older or for someone looking to enjoy relaxation through deep stretches and guided meditations after a hard workout. I started teaching this class because it was the only way my Dad would try yoga haha. He now practices once per week and loves it!
I recently completed a course to become a Certified Personal Trainer (CPT), so my next venture will be to combine the mindfulness of yoga and meditation into personal training sessions for my clients. Creating a whole body-mind-spirit experience.
Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
Yes! My mother has been the biggest influence. She was into fitness, health, and wellness before I was born. She would do aerobics while pregnant with me and when I was old enough to stand she brought me to classes with her. She said when I was 2 ½, I would stand in the back of the class trying to copy the moves. As a child, I remember waking up early and there she was doing her Denise Austin and Margaret Richards exercises that she recorded on VCR right in the living room. My Mom was always busy but made sure to make time for herself, having “Mommy time” each morning to rejuvenate, allowing her to give her best self to her family. This taught me the importance of taking time out for myself in order to give my best to others, whether that’s my family, friends or students in yoga.
Contact Info:
- Email: Kristalena.Lamore@gmail.com
- Instagram: Krissa_Lamore
- Facebook: Krissa Lamore
Image Credit:
Shakti Flow Teacher Training
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