Education & Curriculum
I've worked on K–8 yoga and breathwork programming through the Jois Foundation and the Jewish Academy of Orlando, and created meditations for an Orlando Museum of Art program serving cancer survivors.
Krista Shirley · My Story
A life in practice. A lifetime of learning.
My life has been shaped by traditional Ashtanga Yoga, years of study in India, the development of my own Body Mechanics methodology, and an enduring curiosity about how we move, learn, and adapt.
Teacher · Student · Creator
The story behind the practice
Always a teacher. Always a student.
The more I've taught, the more curious I've become.
I began practicing Ashtanga Yoga in 2003 and traveled to Mysore, India, in 2005 to study with my teachers. I returned repeatedly, eventually spending more than two years immersed in study and practice in India.
I began teaching full-time in 2006 and opened The Yoga Shala in May 2009. Through years of teaching, I developed Body Mechanics, my original approach to movement education.
Today, both traditional Ashtanga and Body Mechanics remain central to my work—two distinct approaches connected by observation, inquiry, and a love of learning.
2005
First traveled to Mysore, India
2009
Level II Ashtanga authorization
2010
Yoga with Krista begins on YouTube
Rooted in lineage
The practice that shaped my life.
My relationship with Ashtanga has taken me repeatedly to Mysore, India, where I studied with Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Saraswathi Jois, and Sharath Jois. I received Level II Authorization in February 2009.
I continue teaching traditional Mysore-style Ashtanga: an individualized method in which students practice together while receiving personal guidance from their teacher.
After decades of practice and teaching, this lineage remains a defining part of my life.
My original movement methodology
Body Mechanics. Movement with understanding.
Body Mechanics grew through years of teaching, observation, and exploration of how people move.
My approach brings together functional strength, mobility, balance, coordination, breath, and sensory awareness—helping students recognize their movement patterns and develop new possibilities.
It's a method that continues to evolve through my work with students and my study of the relationship between movement and the nervous system.
When experience changes perspective
Sometimes the body changes the questions we ask.
In 2019, a serious shoulder nerve injury changed my relationship with movement. Things I had once done effortlessly became difficult or unavailable.
That experience deepened my understanding of adaptation, the nervous system, and what progress can look like when circumstances change.
It also reinforced something I value deeply as a teacher: every body has its own history, challenges, and possibilities.
A meaningful practice begins with the body we have today.
Beyond the practice room
Teaching takes many forms.
My work has extended beyond studio classes into educational programs, digital content, curriculum development, and teaching experiences around the world.
Digital Learning & Video
Since 2010, I've created educational content for Yoga with Krista, personally filming and editing most of my videos. My work also includes commissioned online movement programs and courses.
Watch Yoga with KristaWorkshops & Retreats
I've taught nationally and led retreats in Greece, Italy, Peru, Costa Rica, Thailand, Mexico, the Galápagos, and beyond—creating opportunities for deeper practice and shared learning.
Explore the Next Retreat
A life shaped by travel and study
The places change. The curiosity stays.
From years studying in Mysore to leading retreats around the world, travel has been one of the great teachers in my life.
I love creating experiences where students have time to practice, ask questions, connect, and discover something new.
I continue to welcome opportunities to share my teaching through workshops, retreats, and collaborations.
Continue the journey
There's always more to explore.
Whether you're interested in Mysore-style Ashtanga, Body Mechanics, private instruction, or joining me for a workshop or international retreat, I'd love to connect.