AM ALUMNI
Kristi Hiller | @wildginger_movement
AM V200- APR 2022
Fayetteville, TN, USA 🌎
Hi AM fam! I began my journey into yoga in 2013 as a search for connection with self. I have always enjoyed an active lifestyle but never cared for traditional workouts. Yoga was both welcoming and exciting to me from a physical asana standpoint, and it also called to me to help fill my spiritual void. I completed my 200 hour teacher training in April 2022 and hope to start teaching public classes by mid to late summer. Currently, I am teaching friends and family as I build confidence in my new role. I consider myself an outdoor enthusiast, avid hiker, and backpacker/camper. I also like to dabble in rock climbing, canoeing, slalom water skiing, and snowboarding. Basically, I love movement in the outdoors. Before my 200 hour, I was feeling lost in the world. I truly believe now that teaching yoga is my calling. I feel so inspired to share this practice with anyone who is interested. I hope to guide seekers on an exploration of self (physical, mental, & emotional) that leads them on a path of continual growth, fulfillment, and authenticity.
Reflecting on the AM YTT Experience
| Why did you choose Authentic Movements for your YTT? | |
| I had been following Stevi and Erin on IG for a few years and was immediately drawn to their creative movement practices. Their flows always looked so creative, fluid, strong, and fun, which was very appealing to me. I happened to be scrolling IG and saw one of their posts about the V200 hours after having yet another conversation with a friend about how I’ve wanted to attend a YTT for years. It was meant to be! I had never actually taken any of their classes. I never realized virtual classes were an option, nor did I know virtual trainings were an option until that post. | |
| How did the online training platform work for you? | |
| It was perfect for me, aside from the missing component of in-person connection. Throughout the program, I was a stay-at-home mom to a toddler while also working full time+ from home. It was a struggle to fit anything else in, but I worked every night after my daughter went to bed, and weekends when my husband was in town to keep her. I wouldn’t have been able to find that motivation had I not truly LOVED the course. I said above that I had wanted to attend a YTT for years. An immersive retreat sounded incredible. Unfortunately, I never seemed to find the time to take a month off work. And then after becoming a mom, I wasn’t yet ready to leave my family for a month. There also weren’t any local options in the years I was looking. So when I realized virtual was a thing, I jumped at the opportunity. | |
| How has your teaching changed since completing the AM YTT? | |
| I still have only taught friends and family, but my teaching has changed leaps and bounds. One of the biggest things for me is probably finding ways to cue modifications or offer options for different bodies. Before, it was very difficult for me to understand how anyone could experience something different than the way I do (sounds silly to say now). | |
| How have you engaged with the AM community of alums and students during and after the training? | |
| Not as much as I would have liked honestly. I’m not a big Facebook user. I used the FB group some, but not often. I was able to find one friend through the group. We helped each other with our practicums and have stayed in touch. I have discovered a couple other alums on IG, but we haven’t really connected much. | |
| What was your favorite part of the course content? | |
| Hard to decide…. I loved being able to practice all the creative vinyasa + restorative classes. I also really loved the lectures on class creation. I have found so much joy in writing my own flows – something that I thought would be a huge struggle for me. I also really enjoyed the anatomy lectures & the different philosophy lectures. So much more to dive into in both of those realms. | |
OTHER AM ALUMNI
Lex Miller
Miami Beach, FL, USA 🌎 I'm Lex! I was born and raised in Southern California, but have lived all over in my short 27 years. From Austin Texas where my daughter was born, to a little tiny seaside town outside of Seattle. I now in live in Miami Beach, Florida with my...
Jacqueline Evans
Famagusta, Cyprus 🌎 Hi, I'm Jackie. I found Yoga at a really difficult time in my life, and have used the practice to learn about body awareness, mental check ins, breathing techniques, and confidence, among many other things. I enjoy creating unique sequences which I...
John Foster
Laredo, Texas USA 🌎 I grew up, work, and live in the bordertown Laredo, Texas. I took my first yoga class in 2011 but my practice was not very consistent. Around 2015 after suffering various injuries in other movement modalities I decided to incorporate more yoga and...
Carly Vertz
Escanaba, Michigan, USA 🌎 I wish to share yoga as a landing space to move the body and open the mind. Though my career/lifestyle at the Skerbeck Family Carnival takes me throughout Michigan half the year, I consider the U.P. my home. Boy mom of two with husband Jeff....
Kaila Shore
Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA 🌎 I have been interested in movement since a very young age. I loved ballet and point as a kid, I dabbled in gymnastics, I was a cheerleader for 4 years in high school and then took some modern dance classes afterwards. Movement with music is...
Jill Foster
Boulder, CO, USA 🌎 I love to create dynamic and challenging sequences that are as fun to practice as they are to teach. I am passionate about incorporating logical creativity into flows to strike a balance between anatomical correctness and intuitive movement. Yoga...
Martee Snyder
Deer Park, WA 🌎 Born and raised in the PNW, I am motivated to share my knowledge of health and wellness with my community. I have a wide range of teaching experience from a decade in gymnastics to school-age through college-age instruction. I possess certificates in...
Liana (aka Lilo) Ventura
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 🌎 Hi, I’m Lilo, she/her/hers. I’m an avid practitioner and I consider myself to be an enthusiastic and high-spirited yoga and creative movement teacher from and based in Rio, Brazil. Owner of a curious mind I have a great interest in both...
Susie Wright
Burley, Idaho, USA 🌎 I have been practicing yoga off and on since 2007. After retiring as an RN, I finally had time to focus on not only my yoga practice, but my overall health as well. I love learning new things and so when I started this journey, I wasn’t sure I...
Danielle Vaeth
Waynesville, NC, USA 🌎 I love connecting with others and expanding those connections to help lift sus all up! I also have so much fun and hope to collaborate with as many of you as possible! I enjoy teaching beginner and intermediate level vinyasa inspired flows that...