After Melissa’s Sunday night sculpt class, Ashley Da turned to me and said, “that was hard.” Outwardly, I agreed. Inwardly, I felt satisfied with myself. I had survived a class one of my favorite instructors found challenging.
Afterwards, I felt too yoga drunk to drive home. I sat in my car and tried to turn on Spotify but I couldn’t even remember how to turn on Bluetooth. I decided to just sit and eat my banana in silence.
I finally hit the road and about 5 minutes into the drive I started crying. Crying!?! Was this the body’s natural reaction to Melissa’s sculpt class? You physically have nothing left to give so the only thing left to do is cry? But I realize it was so much more than a reaction to Melissa’s class. It was a reaction to the gift Power Life has given me over the course of the past year. Power Life has given me what I need to finally feel like myself again.
I walked into Power Life for the first time roughly a year ago feeling like a shell of my former self. The previous December, I had nearly lost my life while losing a pregnancy that I had prayed years for. I was lost emotionally. I was physically recovering from a traumatic, life saving, emergency surgery. Previously I found my identify and sense of community in fitness, suddenly that was taken away from me. I could not find joy. My spirit was broken.
A month later I talked to my trainer and dear friend, Lisa, about joining the Power Life community. She always had such positive things to say about it and I felt yoga would be the best way to take care of my body while slowly re-introducing movement. I walked in and instantly felt welcomed. That day I attended a meditation class and a few minutes in, I fell asleep. The teacher gave my mind a sense of peace I hadn’t felt in a long time.
For my second class I decided to try Maria’s restore. Throughout class she discussed the human experience of bearing witness to one another. She walked around the room and lightly touched each one of our backs (remember how nice that was???). At that point, I lost it. I literally cried for an hour straight during restore. I couldn’t stop. It hit me like a ton of bricks that I was given another chance to live, and here I was doing it: LIVING.
It has taken almost a year, but with Power Life’s help, I finally feel like myself again. There are so many instructors who have made my experience a positive one, it would be impossible to mention them all here. But to each one of you and the larger Power Life community: Thank You.
2025 Power Life, All Rights Reserved.
Built with 🤍 by Blink
2025 Power Life, All Rights Reserved.
Built with 🤍 by Blink Wellness
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Kirk was working 80-hour weeks and wearing his shoulders as earrings when he found yoga in 2005. Forever the competitive athlete, he loved the physicality of yoga. When the spiritual and philosophical side of yoga were exposed to him, Kirk was hooked. Yoga provided him with what other activities couldn’t -- the ability to foster the benefits of practice both on and off of the mat. Yoga was something that Kirk could bring into all aspects of his life.
Kirk knows that yoga can be intimidating, so he crafts a class that is playful and inviting, while still being challenging and safe. His creatively planned classes build strength and flexibility in your body and mind while establishing clarity, giving you more confidence to overcome obstacles in your life, and keeping you injury-free. His classes are themed with a message that is relatable and will inspire you to take it with you off your mat. Kirk has been teaching yoga since 2008 and lead his first teacher training in 2012. Where Kirk truly shines is in coaching, developing and bringing out the best in others.
Kirk enjoys traveling (40+ countries to date!), snowboarding, and cherishes time with his wife and two daughters.
Christen Bakken’s yoga journey began in 1998 in a Bikram studio that provided a safe and secure place to practice. She saw the yoga mat as a place to remember her purpose and a place to play. As she continued her studies and began her journey to teaching in 2006, Christen infused yoga classes with devotion and the yoga mat became a place of personal transformation and healing. Her classes are filled with laughter, song, sweat, and usually heart openers. In 2013, Christen began training yoga teachers. This is the place where she finds the most joy - in community with folks looking to grow and be of greater service in their homes, on their mats, and in the world. Over the years, she has led trainings in Denver, the Midwest, Florida, and now abroad. She has trained in continuing education modules, 200-hour, 300-hour, and 500-hour programs. Beyond the mat, Christen is a passionate adventure seeker - she loves to bike, snowboard, and spend time with her husband and pups. She sees each day as a blessing and hopes to remind all who interact with her of this truth.