Meet Crystal Winter | Children’s Yoga Instructor and owner of Young Heart Yogis

We had the good fortune of connecting with Crystal Winter and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Crystal, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I was blessed to teach elementary-aged children in Douglas County for 34 years. After discovering the benefits of yoga in my own life, I became certified to teach children’s yoga through Radiant Beginnings in 2012 and began incorporating yoga into my classroom along with an after school enrichment program. This is when I discovered the variety of benefits for children like learning calming breaths, being brave to try new things, self-regulation, and gaining self-confidence with every experience.
After retiring from teaching in 2019, I wanted to combine my passion for teaching and love of yoga so I founded my own children’s yoga business called, “Young Heart Yogis.” I pursued my Certified Children’s Yoga Teacher training (CCYT) 95 hours shortly after starting my business to provide the best yoga experiences for the children I taught. I currently provide children’s yoga enrichment classes at several elementary schools to come alongside parents to raise healthy and happy children. For my youngest yogis, ages 2-6, I have created a “Story Time Yoga with Parent/Caregiver” class. This is a joyful, interactive class designed to promote whole-child wellness and early literacy through movement and connection. Our youngest yogis will delight in songs, playful yoga poses, gentle breathing, an engaging story brought to life through movement, and a calming rest at the end of class. Through the generous support of donors in our community, each child gets to leave this story time class with a copy of the book we shared together. I’m very passionate about early literacy and this promotes high quality literature in the home, encourages time for parents to read to their children daily, and builds a home library to foster a love of reading that can last a lifetime.

With every children’s yoga experience, I strive to nurture the hearts, minds and bodies of the young yogis that join me!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am so blessed to have chosen the career of education and teaching first and second grade for 34 years. Teaching others comes so naturally to me and it was an opportunity for me to love others well. I taught at two elementary schools in Douglas County led by incredible principals. Through the years of teaching, I was so thankful to learn the importance of collaboration with teammates and staff to provide the best possible instruction for my students. One of my highlights was when Fox Creek Elementary became an Expeditionary School. This style of teaching and learning closely matched my philosophy of teaching, bringing learning to life with real purposes. Over the years, my students brought me so much joy and happiness. After retiring, I missed the daily interaction with children and the joy so this is one of the reasons I wanted to continue my teaching career in the realm of teaching children’s yoga.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My husband and I moved to Montrose in the summer of 2023 because of the opportunity for outdoor adventure. During the summer, a hike to Blue Lakes would be a highlight to see the beautiful, turquoise water and experience spending time in nature. An afternoon on paddle boards at Ridgway Reservoir would be sought after for a relaxing time on the water.
During the winter, snow adventures would be at the top of the list with snowshoeing, back country skiing or downhill skiing. A trip to Telluride to enjoy some hiking and eat at Brown Dog Pizza or The Butcher and the Baker would need to be included in our itinerary along with a short trip to Ouray to sit in the hot springs. We also try to sneak in a quick trip to the Black Canyon to see the magestic views of the canyon. Living on the western slope has such a beautiful balance of calm and adventure!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
In children’s yoga, I am always gently reminding my young yogis to be brave enough to try and encourage them along the way. When I wanted to continue my passion of teaching after retiring, it was my husband, Brad, who planted the seed of opening up my own children’s yoga business. Coming from a career of education, I didn’t have the business experience to start my own company. Brad was the person who encouraged me to take it step by step and seek the resources I needed. In other words, he echoed my words of being BRAVE enough to try. After much thought and prayer, I decided to be BRAVE and step out of my comfort zone. I met with a friend that had opened her own yoga business to find out my first steps to creating a business. My sister-in-law sat with me to create my website and has been there every step of the way for all of my marketing needs and encouragement. It has truly taken a village to support my yoga business going and I’m so thankful for the principals and teachers that welcome me into their schools, parents who trust me to help them raise healthy and happy children, and my family and friends that cheered me on along the way…and still do!

Website: https://youngheartyogis.com

Instagram: young_heart_yogis