Kristi began her yoga teaching career in 2006 at the local YMCA, community centers, art centers, in people's homes, the local hospital,  lunch rooms of coworkers...you name it, she's taught there! Following the path of yoga therapy as an integrated approach in her teaching style, Kristi completed her RYT 500 and C-IAYT hours with University of Maryland Medical School, Center for Integrative Medicine, and decided to open her own studio to fully embrace her love of integrative medicine, therapeutic movement and complementary practices under one roof. Kristi became certified as a comprehensively trained Pilates teacher following the opening of Coastal Retreat, with a focus on finding new ways to manage her Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) - a connective tissue disorder that causes the body to have loose ligaments, leading to easy joint dislocations and a myriad of other symptoms and conditions.  The ability to challenge the smaller stabilizing muscles of the body, while training the larger muscles, is a key feature of Pilates and one that Kristi swears-by as part of her EDS "maintenance" plan.   Today, you might find Kristi teaching an early morning Pilates class, a Sunday afternoon Restorative Yoga session,  hosting an EDS support group, or working with a client in a personalized session.  You might also NOT find her -  because she still works a full-time career outside of the studio, has two children (middle and high school), a horse, seven dogs, a cockatiel and a husband of almost 20 years.   The studio is her HAPPY PLACE and she hopes you'll find it to be YOUR happy place too!