We recently connected with Crista Rose Ellis and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Crista Rose, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

My mission is to support others in uncovering what matters most—in their lives, their work, and their inner worlds—through practices rooted in presence, self-inquiry, and meaningful connection. This work blends yoga, meditation, somatic awareness, soulful conversation, and community care.

The mission is deeply personal. I’ve spent much of my life navigating complex spaces—holding leadership roles in community engagement, while also walking through seasons of personal transformation, healing, and burnout. I know what it’s like to feel disconnected from your own truth, to push forward while your spirit is calling you to pause. And I also know the power of having spaces—and people—that help you return to yourself.

This work isn’t about fixing people. It’s about guiding them back to their own inner knowing and creating containers where they feel safe, seen, and supported. It’s about creating access points to tools and wisdom traditions that offer resilience and restoration—especially for those who often hold space for others.

Ultimately, this mission is meaningful to me because it’s not just a service—it’s a way of being. It’s how I live, how I lead, and how I continue to grow alongside the communities I support.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Hi, I’m Crista Rose—a guide, teacher, and lifelong student of the human experience. My work weaves together yoga, meditation, somatic awareness, soulful conversation, and community care to help people reconnect with what matters most.

I came into this work not through a single defining moment, but through a series of lived experiences that called me inward. For over a decade, I worked in the nonprofit and public service world—leading programs, organizing communities, and holding space for others. I loved the heart of that work, but eventually I hit a wall. I was burnt out, disconnected from my own body, and carrying more than my share of emotional weight. That’s when I turned toward the practices I now share—starting with yoga, then meditation, then energy work and deep inner inquiry.

What began as a personal healing journey grew into a professional path. I became a certified yoga and meditation teacher and a Reiki practitioner. I began working one-on-one with clients, facilitating group spaces, and supporting others in their own growth, clarity, and embodiment.

Today, I offer a blend of services including:
• Private mentorship and coaching rooted in mindfulness and compassionate accountability
• Yoga classes and teacher trainings that center nervous system care, accessibility, and connection
• Workshops, retreats, and seasonal gatherings that invite reflection, rest, and realignment

What I’m most proud of isn’t just the offerings themselves—it’s how I hold the space. My work is gentle but deep, structured but intuitive. I meet people where they are, and walk with them as they come home to themselves. I’m not here to fix anyone—I’m here to listen, guide, and support the unfolding.

What sets my work apart is its pace and its presence. I don’t believe in forcing transformation or bypassing the hard stuff. I believe in the slow, steady process of remembering who you are—and offering consistent, compassionate tools to support that journey.

If you’re someone who longs for clarity, who’s ready to live in deeper alignment, or who simply wants to feel a little more grounded and connected in this busy world—I’d be honored to walk alongside you.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to unlearn is that my worth is tied to how much I give and how well I hold it all together.

For much of my life—especially in my earlier years working in community organizations and service-based leadership—I was praised for being dependable, strong, and endlessly available. I knew how to read the room, anticipate needs, and keep everything running smoothly. But somewhere along the way, I internalized the idea that being generous meant self-sacrificing. That to be of service, I had to ignore my own capacity, boundaries, and truth.

Eventually, it caught up with me. I was burned out, emotionally exhausted, and completely disconnected from my body. I was helping everyone else breathe but forgot how to exhale myself.

The unlearning came slowly. Through yoga, meditation, nature, and honest reflection, I began to understand that my presence—not my performance—is what makes me valuable. That I can still be deeply compassionate and committed without abandoning myself in the process.

Now, my work is rooted in that unlearning. I support others in tending to themselves with care, in listening inward, and in creating lives that are more sustainable and soul-honoring. And I continue to remind myself (often!) that I don’t have to earn rest, softness, or joy. I am worthy just as I am.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

A few years ago, I found myself in a place I never thought I’d be—trapped in an emotionally abusive relationship, deeply entangled in codependent patterns, and disconnected from my own needs. I was constantly trying to manage someone else’s emotions while silencing my own, believing that if I just loved harder, stayed quieter, or did everything “right,” things would get better.

That wasn’t resilience—that was survival. And eventually, my spirit couldn’t keep carrying the weight of that silence.
The turning point came when I finally reached out for help. I committed to mental health counseling, began naming what I was experiencing out loud, and slowly started reclaiming my own voice. I learned how to sit with discomfort, how to unlearn people-pleasing patterns, and how to tell the truth—even when it felt terrifying.

In the midst of that healing, I made the decision to move across the country. It wasn’t a running away—it was an intentional step toward the life I wanted to live. I laid the groundwork carefully: built support systems, clarified my intentions, and made a promise to myself that in this new chapter, I would cultivate relationships rooted in mutual care, honesty, and alignment.
That commitment is something I still practice daily. I continue to meet with my therapist. I keep tuning into my body, speaking my needs, and letting go of the fear that I’ll lose love if I set a boundary or say something hard.

Resilience, for me, hasn’t looked like being unshakable—it’s looked like being honest. It’s looked like choosing myself, again and again, even when old patterns try to pull me back in. And it’s looked like reaching for support, instead of trying to do it all alone.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.risingroseyoga.com
• Instagram: crista_rose
• Facebook: Crista Rose Ellis
• Linkedin: Crista Rose Ellis

Image Credits

some photos are taken by Hannah Sharriee Photography, some are taken with my personal phone.