Yogi Spotlight – Kristin Pevoto

Have you ever noticed the mother-daughter duo at the studio attending every Power Off class, every workshop they can and most Sunday evenings together. The tall brunette would be Kristin. Kristin Pevoto. Our yogi in the spotlight this month. She’s been part of our community for a little over a year now.
Though she’s only been with us for a short time, yoga has been a part of her life for a long time.

“I took my first yoga class around 14 or 15 years old. As a serious student of dance, I had been aware of yoga as a practice for many of the professional dancers at the major companies in New York, Chicago, and the west coast, but living in Mandeville, I had not yet had the opportunity—until a physical therapist who had recently been certified started to offer classes at the local gym. She was allowed to teach in a small, unused conference room on the second floor that could host maybe 6-8 students at a time. She taught twice a week, and it was like a private nirvana for those of us who came to practice there. The dark room was lit with mostly candles, sometimes she would teach us to chant, and we slowly learned the poses and could string them together into vinyasas. It was pure heaven. She continued to teach for another year or so, but ultimately left to move onto the next stage in her own life, and my practice became a little less soulful and a little more fitness-focused as I had to embrace the new crop of classes the gym had built to fill the budding interest. While I secretly longed for the spiritual and emotional  fulfillment I found at my introduction to yoga, I continued my practice, in whatever form I could get it, as a supplement to my dance training as a company member at LSU, and throughout the last decade of my life as I’ve studied, worked, and lived across the country.” And then, she found us. With over 185 classes/hours/visits/smiles at the studio, we couldn’t be more grateful to have her.

“Last year in March of 2018, I moved back home after choosing to leave a love and a life I had tried to salvage and resuscitate in Seattle, WA. For the first few weeks I was home, I loved to wake up early and hit the lakefront for a three-mile run, burning off all the excess energy and emotions I had surging through my system. Then the day came when I couldn’t “run off” my  feelings—they hit me hard, and the real work began. The more intimate I became with my feelings, the more clearly I understood what I really yearned for—authentic connection. Within days of having this realization, I saw an advertisement for Bayou Yoga’s 21 Day Challenge. Even though I heard the call in my heart, I wasn’t yet ready to answer. After a few more months of work and growth, I saw the advertisement again, and this time I knew I was ready. In August, I said yes to the challenge, and took the plunge. It has been the single BEST decision I have made all year—no joke.”

The universe always has away of guiding us towards what’s best for us doesn’t it? “The universe will whisper. If we still don’t listen, then it will shout.”

“Bayou Yoga has brought me back to my roots, the real me. The studio, from day one, has been my safe place to breathe and to be, just as I am. The space is always comfortable and welcoming, and I know when I roll out my mat, I have all that I need in that moment. I chose to take my 21 Day Challenge seriously, knowing that what I really desired for myself was a daily practice I could commit to no matter what. So I did. Real Talk—I came to class six days a week, through the pain and the tears, and it changed my life. Because I was at the studio nearly every day, I got to make new friends with the people in my classes and even my instructors, too. I found the authentic connection I yearned for with myself on the mat, my own little private island of peace and serenity I can return to each and every time I show up to roll it out. Better still, I found the authentic connection with others that healed my heart in ways I could never have expected. I loved the daily practice I began over that challenge so much that I continue it every month, and I am always finding something new to surprise and delight me. Nicole, Elizabeth, and the entire staff have worked so hard to create a space and a schedule to serve their students in so many ways, and many successes I achieve and honor, I owe to them.”

“The greatest improvement this daily practice with Bayou Yoga has given me is an unshakable foundation. I have the strength and flexibility of mind, body, and spirit to live my life to the fullest. I feel I am the most authentic expression of myself as I have ever been. So much so, that I am going into business for myself and rebuilding my private holistic health coaching practice from the ground up. It’s time for me to pay it forward by sharing this incredible joy and freedom I have found with others who seek it, too. I am an avid reader of the poet Rumi, and Rumi once said, “The wound is the place where the light enters you.” With this practice I’ve found at Bayou Yoga my heart is once again whole, and I am ready to love and to live.”

By now, most of you know how much it warms our hearts to hear the stories of how our studio and our community have impacted each and every one of your lives. It truly speaks to the heart of our mission and vision for Bayou Yoga. Thank you Kristin for the beautiful reminder.

Outside of the studio, Kristin shines as bright off the mat as she does on the mat. “My tabby cat Mina, named after the poet Mina Loy, and I live with my parents, Scott & Darlene Pevoto, in Mandeville. A lifelong lover of  learning, I have a Bachelors of Science in Psychology and Dance from Louisiana State  University, a Masters of Arts in English and Creative Writing from Southeastern Louisiana  University, graduate work in Dance/Movement Therapy from Drexel University in Philadelphia, and my certification in Holistic Health Coaching from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City. Some of my favorite work has come as a Crisis and Suicide Counselor with the Baton Rouge Crisis Intervention Center and as a Graduate Intern at the Center for Autism and Inglis Adult Day Program in Philadelphia, PA. People are my passion, and a source of endless curiosity, especially in the world of alternative health and healing. One day I hope to finally make it to New York and live in the city working alongside my teachers and mentors like Gabrielle Bernstein and Alisa Vitti—it’s my siren song calling me home. Until I get to take a bite of that juicy apple, however, I am happy as a clam to work my buns off building my practice, serving as many people as I can, writing a book on the healing journey for fellow practitioners, considering doctoral study in holistic psychology, and enjoying this adventure every step of the way. Let’s shuck the pearl from this oyster and shine!”

And shine indeed! We can’t wait to see what else life has in store for this girl!