The Voice of Students!
'This is a person who is fully steeped in the Yoga Tradition. She not only practices the teachings and principles of Yoga on her mat, but in all aspects of her life. Krisna lives and breathes Yoga. I have endless gratitude for her passion, knowledge, and ultimate guidance and support. Her light shines so bright, she inspires and brings awareness to lead you into the core of your body, the threshold of your mind and the deepest parts of your soul. Thank you Krisna, for being you!' Kate M
You and I have,together, been on an eight year journey with Iyengar Yoga in an effort to strengthen and heal my body. From the beginning I feel like we have climbed this long, steep hill with me sliding back down frequently and you always there to help, push, offer compassion, patience, instruction and firmness of direction. Everyone in your well organized classes receives clear instruction and individual help where/when needed. Over this period of eight years I have observed your own personal development and awareness and think it has been phenomenal. Iyengar Yoga is a huge part of your life, you love it, you glow with it and constantly impart this to all of us attending your classes. I cannot conceive going elsewhere for instruction. You are my teacher, my mentor, my guide, my personal guru. In other words, where you go I will follow for as long as this body allows. Thank you for being there and being you. CD
I love going to Krisna’s yoga class not only for her indepth knowledge and expertise of Iyengar yoga, but also for her ability to instill confidence in trying a new pose, or advancing a pose. I feel like I am being led by a Master teacher and always leave class feeling like my body, mind and spirit have been nourished….SB
Krisna,
I have been journalling and I thought you might enjoy reading this. I've edited this entry a bit, I think it's kinda funny...
After every yoga class my partner asks how I'm getting on and for the last two years I reply 'she makes me go upsidefreakingdown, standing on my shoulders and I'm just not made for it, my boobs are giant, my belly flops, my arms won't go underneath my shoulders, i get heartburn when I least expect it... thats how I'm getting on!' I'm not sure why he keeps asking but he does.
Perhaps you can sense that my soul is not quiet when I answer him. So why such a fuss? In 5th grade I didn't have boobs, or a belly or heartburn. I was a pretty average sized kid, and pretty average at sports. Until we had to learn gymnastics. Before you could go onto the fun stuff you had to do a headstand. Some of my class were part 'monkey' and delighted in headstands (one and two handed), kartwheels, somersaults, climbing, dismounting and other tumbling.
I never did learn how to do a headstand. I was stuck in the corner trying to figure it out. Now, as an adult I appreciate why Mr Davis spent all of his time watching the 'monkeys' and hollering 'no, don't climb that, don't jump off that and would you Please, get down from there!' That doesn't change the fact that I was bored and frustrated. I didn't know what to do but since I wasn't going to hurt myself I didn't get any attention. Except from the monkeys and lets just say, their attention was not kind, not sympathetic and definitely not supportive.
So, this last month, for me to be making progress at something I fully expected I would never be good at, well, you have no idea what this means to me. And I'm surprised at how much it seems to be affecting me. To have support and praise from you and the rest of the class feels like I've been allowed out of the corner and I've been accepted even though I'm not built like a monkey. I don't really feel like i deserve it.
He still asks and I still say 'I went upsidefreakingdown again' but I add 'I think I'm getting the hang of it and I can't wait to go back next week'.
You're not just inspirational Krisna, you have changed the way I think about myself. ~ Leah
I have been journalling and I thought you might enjoy reading this. I've edited this entry a bit, I think it's kinda funny...
After every yoga class my partner asks how I'm getting on and for the last two years I reply 'she makes me go upsidefreakingdown, standing on my shoulders and I'm just not made for it, my boobs are giant, my belly flops, my arms won't go underneath my shoulders, i get heartburn when I least expect it... thats how I'm getting on!' I'm not sure why he keeps asking but he does.
Perhaps you can sense that my soul is not quiet when I answer him. So why such a fuss? In 5th grade I didn't have boobs, or a belly or heartburn. I was a pretty average sized kid, and pretty average at sports. Until we had to learn gymnastics. Before you could go onto the fun stuff you had to do a headstand. Some of my class were part 'monkey' and delighted in headstands (one and two handed), kartwheels, somersaults, climbing, dismounting and other tumbling.
I never did learn how to do a headstand. I was stuck in the corner trying to figure it out. Now, as an adult I appreciate why Mr Davis spent all of his time watching the 'monkeys' and hollering 'no, don't climb that, don't jump off that and would you Please, get down from there!' That doesn't change the fact that I was bored and frustrated. I didn't know what to do but since I wasn't going to hurt myself I didn't get any attention. Except from the monkeys and lets just say, their attention was not kind, not sympathetic and definitely not supportive.
So, this last month, for me to be making progress at something I fully expected I would never be good at, well, you have no idea what this means to me. And I'm surprised at how much it seems to be affecting me. To have support and praise from you and the rest of the class feels like I've been allowed out of the corner and I've been accepted even though I'm not built like a monkey. I don't really feel like i deserve it.
He still asks and I still say 'I went upsidefreakingdown again' but I add 'I think I'm getting the hang of it and I can't wait to go back next week'.
You're not just inspirational Krisna, you have changed the way I think about myself. ~ Leah
I’ve been attending yoga classes with Krisna on a weekly basis since 2006, after my physiotherapist suggested yoga to help rehab my back (injured in a 2003 car accident). Krisna seems to intuitively know my body and my limitations. She provides individualized attention and suggestions for me to modify poses to maximize my abilities. I am now doing poses I never dreamed of when I started classes with Krisna! Along with the physical benefits, I enjoy Krisna’s yoga philosophy teachings each week and am amazed at how they seem to speak directly to me and my life experiences. I can’t say enough about Krisna – she is an extremely knowledgeable and generous teacher…and a kind and fun person to boot! EC
I have been attending yoga classes with Krisna for about four years and have come to greatly appreciate the depth of knowledge she has for the practice, as well as how she is able to conduct classes in a way that meets and challenges the varying needs of students of all ages and abilities. Her outstanding mentorship has helped me overcome and manage significant physical challenges that were impeding many aspects of my life. Krisna not only gives her students the tools they need to make yoga a practice, she gives them the tools they need to make yoga a way of life.
Sandra W
It's a pleasure and an honor to be given the opportunity to share my thoughts on a gift to the yoga world...Krisna Zawaduk. I've been dabbling in yoga for 10+ years, 5 years ago I became ill and was directed by my then yoga instructor to attend one of Krisna's classes as she felt the only qualified person in Kelowna to give me what I needed. It's 5 years later and I'm still going to her classes. Krisna is a dedicated yogi living and teaching the yoga lifestyle, she continues to learn and share. She never lets you feel that you are limited or can't do a pose, she finds ways to safely bring you into a pose through the use of props or if she feels you can do more she will gently encourage you to push yourself. I'm looking forward to continuing my yoga path with Krisna.~Ruth Benedict
Sandra W
It's a pleasure and an honor to be given the opportunity to share my thoughts on a gift to the yoga world...Krisna Zawaduk. I've been dabbling in yoga for 10+ years, 5 years ago I became ill and was directed by my then yoga instructor to attend one of Krisna's classes as she felt the only qualified person in Kelowna to give me what I needed. It's 5 years later and I'm still going to her classes. Krisna is a dedicated yogi living and teaching the yoga lifestyle, she continues to learn and share. She never lets you feel that you are limited or can't do a pose, she finds ways to safely bring you into a pose through the use of props or if she feels you can do more she will gently encourage you to push yourself. I'm looking forward to continuing my yoga path with Krisna.~Ruth Benedict
My yoga journey began in 1998 in an effort to ‘de-stress’ my life. Little did I know at the time that my journey in yoga would unfold as a regular weekly Iyengar practice with various Iyengar yoga teachers! I have been practicing yoga with Krisna since the early 2000s when The Kelowna Yoga House was in its infancy and she taught Iyengar yoga classes between The Kelowna Yoga House and The Kelowna Family Y. Krisna ‘walks the talk’ of yoga practice. Each session I leave inspired with yoga teachings that support my body-mind-spirit realms. Yoga is no longer a ‘de-stress option’ for me…it is part of my body-mind-spirit self care. Krisna is a confident, patient, respectful, inspiring, passionate, knowledgeable, & experienced yoga teacher.
Sheryl Sargent
Sheryl Sargent
I started my journey with Iyengar yoga 14 years ago. For the past 4 years I have been taking classes with Krisna. Last year I had major surgery that left me with a handicap. Following the surgery Krisna took the time to research my condition, consult other yoga masters, and instruct me so that I could continue on with my yoga practice. Krisna's support has strengthened me, not only physically but spiritually. I never feel that I can't do a posture because Krisna finds modifications and supports to guide me into the posture. I look forward to continuing my yoga journey with Krisna.- SN