Circle of Life with Cristina Holopainen

“You only realize the effects of grief when it resurfaces, if it resurfaces.”

Photo Credit: Emily Raftery

Summary of Episode:

Jenn speaks to Cristina Holopainen, co-founder of a modern yoga school and studio, Urban Ashram based in the Philippines and, founder of an award-winning wellness retreat center, Maruia River Retreats in New Zealand. A heartfelt conversation held in this episode where for the first time, Cristina publicly shares her experience with her late daughter, Olivia's diagnosis with edward syndrome at 21 weeks, and how her yoga practice has helped her stay grounded during the many ups and downs in her life journey thus far.

A lot of it is frightening a lot of it is confronting, but that is exactly what is liberating. The fact that you see it, the fact that it is just you seeing it, nobody else, it means it can go away and change.

About Cristina Holopainen:

Cristina has been teaching Yoga and managing a yoga school and studios for the last 10 years. She co-founded Urban Ashram Yoga in 2011 and the School of Yoga in the Philippines while managing them remotely from New Zealand since 2017. She was responsible for seamless transition to Urban Ashram’s virtual platform which now provides 40 wellness classes online for Filipinos all over the world. She is the resident yoga teacher, retreat facilitator and General Manager of Maruia River Retreat, New Zealand’s nature and wellbeing destination. She has mentored new teachers and yoga professionals and continues to teach and develop programs for older adults in retirement homes, beginner yoga courses and wellbeing retreats. She was a graduate of the 200-hour YogaWorks teacher training under Joan Hyman in 2011 and has completed her 300-hour program with Annie Carpenter under SmartFLOW in 2021.

Episode Resources:

Urban Ashram / Maruia Retreat / Cristina’s IG / Urban Ashram IG / Maruia IG