Kristiina Viires’ chapter of self-discovery began at an early age thanks to the fascinating books she found in her mother’s bookshelf, which sparked her interest in ancient cultures, especially India and Egypt, and opened the door to the world of yoga and Tantra teachings. She was enchanted by a deepening intuitive knowing that life was much deeper and more mystical than the cultural space in which she grew up as a child in the Soviet era. Despite her curiosity to discover what was possible, Kristiina kept her interests to herself for a long time, afraid to stand out from her peers.
Kristiina’s life has always been influenced by her desire to discover the world. In her early 20s, she lived for a while in Germany and Iceland. University time, starting a family and fresh motherhood took Kristiina’s attention away from herself for a while in her 20s. When Kristiina’s long-standing relationship with the father of her child began to fall apart, and the resulting deep chaos disrupted her whole life, her search for self came back on the agenda. During this emotionally very difficult period in her life, Kristiina suffered a traumatic injury in which she fractured a vertebra, forcing her to lie in bed for a few months and reflect on her life. This period, which at first seemed very scary, was also a great lesson, and a gift, opening Kristiina to deep insights and the courage to start a new phase of her life, taking responsibility for her own happiness into her own hands.
In her 30s, Kristiina began a great period of adventure, where she began to discover life and herself in it. Her studies at the Institute of Holistic Therapy helped her to put herself back together, piece by piece, and to get closer to what was her heart’s calling.
Yoga came to stay. In 2007, Kristiina Ashtanga started practicing yoga and it was at this time that her desire to become a yoga teacher was awakened.
In 2009, while attending one of the first Tantra courses in Estonia, which included Hatha Yoga, the Great Awakening took place. It was the beginning of a whole new era for Kristiina, which started to shape her into the woman she had always dreamed of becoming.
Kristiina started studying Tantra and Yoga at Agama Yoga School in Koh Phangan, Thailand in 2010 and in 2011 she became a certified Hatha Yoga teacher. The period 2010-2018 as a student and teacher of Agama Yoga and as part of the vibrant international community of yogis, tantrists and life-artists on the island of Koh Phangan, has been one of the most special and life-changing experiences for Kristiina, deeply shaping her as a yoga teacher and as a woman, and opening her to insights that still influence her daily life and inspire her to live authentically and courageously.
Kristina has always been interested in the deeper layers of being a woman and has been driven by the desire to learn to know herself better, with the aim of living as a sensual, feminine and self-worthing woman. With a desire to understand the processes that take place in a woman’s body through the life cycle, and thereby be able to better support both herself and her female yoga students, Kristiina’s 2017 Womb Yoga therapeutic women’s practices led her to Womb Yoga. From 2021-2022, Kristiina completed the 9-month Yoni Shakti Well Woman Yoga Therapy Teacher Training under the guidance of Womb Yoga founder Uma Dinsmore-Tul.
A passionate interest in discovering the complexity of life and herself in the wonderful play of it has led Kristiina to travel to many places around the world, to experience, experiment with different forms of relationships, to learn, to participate in courses and festivals, to enjoy the colourfulness and multiculturalism of life, and has also brought her into the lives of many wonderful teachers, giving her the opportunity to draw inspiration and knowledge to live an authentic and fulfilling life.
Kristiina has been giving weekly yoga classes since 2011 and has been organising self-development courses and retreats in Estonia and abroad since 2015. Having worked in the fields of advertising, marketing and human resources management for many years alongside her interests, Kristiina has decided to dedicate herself full-time to what makes her soul ring the most from 2022 onwards.
She values lifelong learning and daily practice, which helps to integrate all the lessons and methods she learns more and more deeply into everyday life.
For more information about Kristiina’s classes, visit the „Kristiina Viires Yoga“ and “Womb Yoga with Kristiina” pages on Facebook.