20/05/2026
One day, a looooooong, long time ago, came stumbled into Zen Yoga Garage (my first studio I founded, and where Zen Den got its name) in Chicago and signed up for a free week. From the very first classes, I noticed him. He was able to drop in and practice restraint. He was calm on a different level. I watched him fall in love with yoga. He became one of those students every teacher notices—the person who walks in and changes the energy simply by being fully present—the most still person in the room, even in motion.
Chris practiced yoga with a discovery mindset. Every pose was something to unlock. Every class gave him another piece to the puzzle. Then came the handstands. What started as playful curiosity turned into focused dedication. He spent hours working, falling, trying again. Slowly, the balance appeared, then the control, and eventually, he learned to press. And not through talent, but patience, discipline, and consistency. He stopped practicing just to achieve poses and started practicing to understand himself.
At that same time, Chris was working incredibly hard supporting his partner’s dream of owning a restaurant. I think that’s part of why we connected so deeply. We both understood what it meant to build something from the ground up—to pour yourself into a small business fueled by passion, long hours, and the desire to create meaningful experiences for people. Whether it was a yoga room or a restaurant, we both cared about holding space for others in a way that felt genuine and transformative. The food was delicious by the way and people would sit for hours...
It was clearly obvious that Chris was meant to teach. I pushed him toward teacher training before he fully believed he was ready. He stepped into the role fully, with humility and heart. One day he had an epiphany and decided to devote his full attention to yoga—not just to practicing, but to teaching. From there, everything skyrocketed. He became an event leader, a mentor, a teacher training leader, a confidante, and a steady presence for so many people. His teaching evolved the same way his practice had—grounded, intentional, and human.
Story cont. in the comments