Meet Cristina Johnson | Pilates & Yoga Instructor and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach

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

Hi Cristina, putting aside the decision to work for yourself, what other decisions were critical to your success?
Believing in my talents and abilities and my education that got me where I am today. For many years I second guessed myself and let it trick me into thinking I was just faking it. After working with clients and hearing their progress and witnessing in my own self positive changes I had to give up the belief that I didn’t know what I was talking about. I did and I am damn good at what I do. Once that confidence kicked in it changed how I viewed running my business, teaching my classes and just living life in general. I saw my value and my place in an industry that is full of people like me; but not one of them is me.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My career as a Pilates and Yoga instructor plus health coach brings with it a lot of hats to be worn. In a single day I may teach a Pilates class that is challenging, a private yoga session where the pace is slow and the focus on mindfulness, and coach a client who struggles with trusting their body with food and the inevitable mental and emotional toll that that takes on a person. I am very versatile in my skill set and am able to adapt quickly to better serve the person in front of me.

My journey started with 5 years of performing arts education, then I becoming a yoga instructor. Two years later a Pilates instructor, and two years later an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and now business owner. I wasn’t accepted right away in college, being an American in a Mexican college, and I did experience some adversity while I was there. But I became passionate for my heritage and fell in love with my culture and am a very proud latina.

Starting a business was significantly harder than I thought it was going to be, and I decided to start it just three months after having my first child. So I had two babies to take care of! I’ve learned to outsource things that are out of my scope of practice and in doing so I open myself up to different relationships that have taught me things and been crucial to my business. I have learned that when working with people you need a lot of patience, grace and compassion and that it is an honor when someone chooses me out of the many they could work with. I don’t take one of my clients for granted and thank God for each one.

The world should know that Honor Your Path Studio came from a place of my own struggles with finding my place in this world. I wanted a calling from God and never felt one placed on my heart until now. I constantly chased the thin beauty ideal and deprived myself of so much and I lived a life of not honoring my body. I wanted to be a safe place for someone to come and learn how to move and feed their body in a way that honors it and help guide them on that path.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The Georgia Aquarium is amazing! I would spend a good few hours there. Then I’d take her for a couple days camping and hiking up in northern Georgia where there are beautiful mountains and trails. We would then end up back more local and visit all the downtown areas and enjoy the farmers markets in the mornings, lunch at Henry’s Louisiana Grill! A yoga class at Be Yoga in Marietta, and then dinner and concert in the park in Woodstock. Maybe end with going to the Battery and seeing a Braves game and then going for Jeni’s ice cream at the Avalon and walk around window shopping!

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?
My mother, Patty Rickard, for one. When I decided to study in Mexico I was apprehensive to not have a plan B and apply to other colleges in the U.S. My mother encouraged me that if I had a plan B it would be easier to fall back on it and not push on with my dream! That decision has always propelled me to choose the harder path no matter how scary and out of my comfort zone.

I’d also like to shout out a friend of mine, Amanda Marks, who is a psychotherapist. For years I struggled with a poor relationship with food and exercise and would scroll past her posts on social media. But one day it clicked and she became someone I could go to for support or to vent and get advice.

And then my husband, Alex Johnson, who didn’t bat an eye when I wanted to start my own business, in our home no less. He has supported this passion of mine both emotionally, mentally and financially and for that I am so grateful.

Website: www.hypstudio.live

Instagram: @honoryourpathstudio

Facebook: Honor Your Path Studio

Youtube: Honor Your Path Studio

Other: Google: https://www.google.com/search?q=honor+your+path+studio&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari