Name: Christine Yanke
Location: Hamilton and Surrounding Areas, Ancaster, Ontario, Canado
Member Since: 2013
Occupation: Yoga teacher-200RYT, Master Trainer for Yogafit Canada, Life Coach
How did you hear about MFN? A fellow yoga teacher/master trainer.
How do you or your business help those with chronic disease/medical conditions or who need pre & postnatal care?
I teach trauma-based yoga classes to those people who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, emotional trauma or stress.
What makes you different from all the other fitness professionals out there?
Two things; the speciality training I have, called Yogafit for Warriors and personal experience. The training helps us understand the sympathetic nervous system’s role in understanding PTSD and to teach specific poses, breathing techniques and meditation practices that would not be taught in a regular yoga teacher training. As well, I was diagnosed with PTSD and Generalized Anxiety Disorder in 2012. This experience allows me to really relate to my students and to be able to share what I have learned.
What is your favorite activity or class to participate in?
I really love a high energy interval training class with really loud music! It’s so opposite to what I teach.
What is one piece of advice that you would give other fitness professionals about working with special populations or those who need pre & postnatal care?
To allow their students to just show up on their mats and to listen to their bodies. No judgement, no expectations.
What type of community activities are you involved in?
I volunteer trauma based yoga classes at an Addiction facility in my community.
What is one of your favorite memories involving working with someone who has a health challenge or disability?
When I first started introducing Yogafit for Warrior workshops in my community, I had a paraplegic student come to one. At the end of the class, I introduced a guided yoga nidra meditation to which he fully embraced in. When it was completed, tears rolled down his face. It was incredible to see that he had rebuilt a connection between his body and his mind. It was powerful.
What would you like to see change/develop/emerge in the future of healthcare and the fitness industry?
For my area of expertise, I would like to see more integration of yoga into the field of trauma. This is an alternative way to support people with trauma especially to help them reconnect with their bodies. We need to feel to heal.
And what are you doing to make this happen?
I am continuing to share in my volunteer work as well as in the classes I presently teach. It’s also important to talk about it, to bring awareness.
What is your favorite fitness/inspirational/motivational quote?
“Inhale love, exhale gratitude.”
Anything else we should know about you?
I was part of a Clinical Research pilot project in 2015 where we incorporated Yogafit for Warrior classes into the treatment program at an Addiction Facility. It was an amazing experience.
