Connection is our Mantra
Meet the team
Mindful Movement: Yoga, Pilates, aerial
Dr. Kristi Shaw
Ph.D., MHS, C-IAYT, RYT500, E-RYT200, NCPT;
Owner, Founder, Yoga, Aerial & Pilates
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, five dogs, a small parrot and a husband of 20 years.
The studio is her HAPPY PLACE and she hopes you'll find it to be YOUR happy place too!
Kristin Todd
Yoga, Pilates, Aerial & All-Things Studio!
Meet Kristin!:
Personal & Teaching Journey
What inspired you to become a yoga/Pilates instructor?
I had been a student at Coastal Retreat for years and knew how much I had benefited, physically and mentally, from the practice and community there. When we had to close the studio for the Covid pandemic it really highlighted how important my yoga practice and the relationships I had formed at Coastal truly were to me. As we began to reopen I took the opportunity to become an instructor in order to help others reap the same benefits that I have enjoyed!
How long have you been teaching, and what keeps you passionate about it?
I've been teaching aerial yoga for 4 years. This year I've added aerial and reformer pilates to my repertoire! My students are one of my main sources of inspiration. Whether they come to me with an injury or show me something they've seen on Instagram that they'd like to try, I'm constantly learning from them just as they are learning from me. Watching them achieve a victory or seeing their practice grow and evolve keeps me passionate about teaching!
How would you describe your teaching style?
My teaching philosophy is all about meeting people where they are. I want to offer everyone the opportunity to push themselves in their practice but in a way that feels like a manageable challenge, not a punishment. "Pick your spice level.", is one of my often used phrases. I like to approach each class with enthusiasm, curiosity, flexibility and a sense of humor.
Fun & Personal Interests
What’s a fun fact about you that students might not know?
I have taught preschoolers for 21 years and they've taught me to stay curious, practice patience, and seek joy in the everyday.
Do you have a favorite book, mantra, or quote that inspires your practice?
As someone with an anxious "busy brain" I frequently return to the Shanti Mantra for Peace: May there be well-being for all,
May there be peace for all.
May there be wholeness for all,
May there be happiness for all.
—Translation by Zoë Slatoff-Ponté
What are your favorite self-care rituals outside of yoga/Pilates?
In addition to yoga and pilates I also do functional weight training. My other self care rituals include a love of cooking/meal prep and walking/hiking at local parks.
Studio & Teaching Experience
What do you love most about teaching at our studio?
I love that we are a small boutique studio not a massive gym. This means I can connect more fully with students and address their individual needs more readily. We also promote an all inclusive, light atmosphere. While we take our practice seriously, we also enjoy a lot of laughter.
What’s your favorite pose or exercise to teach, and why?
One of my favorite poses to teach is aerial inversion. I love making inversions accessible to people that may have struggled with them in a traditional yoga class.
Can you share a memorable moment with a student or class that impacted you?
love seeing student's eyes light up when they make a breakthrough in their practice. Recently one of my students commented that she remembered when she was nervous about aerial inversion and could only maintain the position for a couple moments. Now she confidently enters into them with a smile and has progressed to more complex variations!
Advice & Inspiration
What advice would you give to students looking to deepen their practice?
What’s one common misconception about yoga/Pilates that you’d like to debunk?
Karen Knauss
Yoga & Pilates
Karen Knauss, RYT 200, Physical Therapy Assistant, Certified Ashaya Yoga Instructor and Radiant Child Yoga Teacher, Karen blends her physical therapy background with alignment-based yoga instruction. Trained at Willow Street Yoga Center by Maria Hamburger, Joe Miller and Natalie Miller, Karen continues studies in children's yoga through Radiant Child. Karen is a Pilates mat and equipment teacher, a certified stand-up paddle board instructor, and a certified Yoga of 12-Step Recovery (Y12SR) leader.
Elizabeth Riordan
Pilates
Emily Teale
Yoga
Donna Real
Pilates & Massage Therapist