Mary Karsten

Instructor

Elk Rapids Yoga Flow

 Mary Karsten 500 hr RYTCuriosity is what initially brought Mary to yoga. An avid gym goer, she craved something different that would complement her fitness training. She took her first yoga class in 2012 in Grand Rapids and has been practicing as a humble student ever since. Mary is a certified 500 RYT instructor, having completed her 200-hour training in 2016 and 300-hour training in 2018, both with teacher/mentor Kelly Stiglich (People's Yoga and Aerial Fitness). She also holds a certification in SUP Yoga Teacher training from Leslie Simionescu at Yen Yoga & Fitness. Most recently, Mary’s training has come full circle with her exploration of body biomechanics and functional movement. She is currently working on her Multi-Dimensional Movement Coach (MDMC) certification with Michael Hughes and his California-based gym, Gymnazo.In her classes, Mary prides herself as more of a guide than a teacher. She offers fun and dynamic sequences that encourage each practitioner to use their own intuition and exploration, while doing it in a way that promotes proper biomechanics and minimizes movement-related pain and dysfunction. When not moving her body, Mary's number one priority remains her family. She's a self-professed homebody at heart and reading is a favorite pastime. She loves spending time outside during all of northern Michigan's seasons, but summer is her top pick and being on or around water is medicine for her soul.