We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Krystal Norris-Landry a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Krystal, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

My mission for Krystalight Yoga is all about being an illuminating light to the community by offering yoga to underserved communities as a therapeutic service. My name is Krystal it roots from Crystal, which can be clear & illuminating. Adding “light” was a play on words that is symbolic of my mission. So it went together perfectly.

Krystal, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a Certified Yoga Instructor with a Bachelor of Science degree in Therapeutic Recreation & Leisure Studies from Southern University A&M College. I have a background in Mental Health due to being a Recreational Therapist prior to becoming a full time yoga instructor. I’m currently working as a Health Educator and Yoga Instructor for the City of Houston. I must admit I’m pretty excited about being able to enter the corporate sector of teaching yoga. My main goal is to be an illuminating light to the community by educating and spreading education on health and wellness by way of yoga. I especially have a love for reaching & educating underserved communities on how they can utilize yoga for self care & healing purposes.

I was introduced to yoga back in 2018. I was working at a hospital as a Recreational Therapist. The requirement was to become certified in yoga so that it be able to offer classes to my patients at work. I had no interest in yoga and was very intimidated by how intense it appeared. However, I’ve never been one to back down to a challenge & I wanted to keep my job. So I did it & I’ve literally loved yoga ever since!!! Shout out to my instructor GURU Lex Gillian at The Yoga Institute. By the end of my 200hr training I had a-whole new level of respect. Little did I know it would ignite a fire of passion & peace.

I now teach Hatha Yoga as a Corporate Instructor & Freelance Yoga Instructor. I have curated a black yoga poster that has a cartoon illustration of myself in 12 yoga poses. My vision for curating this poster was to actively bring diversity into the practice of yoga. I know how important visual representation is & wanted to produce that. This poster not only symbolizes our beauty but also our strength. My intent is to motivate my black queens to lead a healthy lifestyle by staying active. On this poster you’ll find a sequence of 12 poses that can be done in order to give you a 25 min yoga flow. I’ll be releasing it soon on ETSY so follow me on Instagram @iamkrystalight or @krystalightyoga to stay updated on its release.

I’ve currently partnered with Axelrad & Heights House Houston to bring the Houston community yoga every 1st Saturday of the month (Heights House) & every 3rd Sunday (Axelrad). I’m super excited about that because I always have people asking where they can find me. Until I get a studio I really enjoy free lancing for universities, bars, hotels, and etc.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

A book that has helped me grow in the yoga industry is B. K. S. Iyengar’s book “Light on Yoga: The Bible of Modern Yoga” it truly breaks down what yoga is, how it should be practiced, and much more.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish I would’ve known more about getting a app created. It’s a great way to reach the world & have all of your classes in the palm of your students hand.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.Instagram.com/iamkrystalight
• Other: www.Instagram.com/krystalightyoga

Image Credits
Personal Photo – Corporate Yoga Photoshoot I’m pictured in the middle. David Smith – Photographer Other Photos – Yoga Class at Bar Boheme Devonte Landry – Photographer