Kristine is a dedicated yoga teacher and nature enthusiast with a deep passion for helping others. After overcoming her own chronic pain through yoga, she has devoted her life to sharing its healing benefits. Based on her small farmstead in Denmark, she finds joy in the simple things, from sea kayaking to observing wildlife, and believes that a truly rich life is lived in the present moment.

Where in the world are you right now? At my small farmstead by Sødringholm forest and the mouth of Randers Fjord, 8970 Havndal.

Hometown? Frederiksberg, Copenhagen native.

Your primary profession? Solo self-employed yoga teacher since 2012.

Other interests? Nature (our most important climate resource), my animals (cats and a dog), and sea kayaking. Yesterday, on our almost daily walk in the forest, the sun was shining, and I was in my light jacket and shorts. It was warm and dry until we were deep in the woods and got a scolding from a couple of angry fallow deer. Then, an older white-tailed eagle lifted off from a low tree right next to us and flew out in front of us, continuing down the forest path. Shortly after, the heavens opened up, and we took a game trail—something Sigurd (my dog) loves—to seek refuge in the undergrowth while the rain poured down. A herd of roe deer had the same idea, so there we were, with the wind in the right direction, watching the deer that hadn't seen or smelled us. This is my everyday life.

What drives you? Tell us about your journey and what sparked your passion.

I do what I do because no one deserves to be in pain. I spent my 20s and a good part of my 30s in constant pain—that’s how it feels today when I look back and know what I know about pain, the victim role as a survival mechanism, and the body's ability to heal itself. It was the yoga style that I have since refined, developed, and implemented that made me physically pain-free in six days in 2011 (after 15-17 years with chronic pain from head to toe, anxiety, depression, and stress). Three more months, with one hour on the yoga mat every day, and I overcame my anxiety. I wish that for everyone, because life is too short not to thrive every day.

Your most unforgettable moment so far?

Oh, there have been so many, from walking through the jungle in the dark to climb the many hundreds of steps to the top of Tikal. We sat down, 50 adults from all over the world and of all ages, and were shushed by a couple of guides. Then we just sat still and listened, looking out into the twilight. The monkeys woke up in the treetops, toucans and parrots started to squawk, and then came what we were waiting for: the sunrise. The silence, that light, and it’s 'just' a sunrise—I love sunrises. Also, from the kayak off Lynette Harbor, and across Ringkøbing Fjord, to today, where I can lie in my bed and watch it rise behind the treetops where the Kattegat Sea meets Randers Fjord. Sunrises are adventures, ever-changing and yet the same sun, the same planet, and a new beginning to a new day.

What's the next big adventure?

A big 3-in-1 event with two other yoga teachers at Randers Arena and Forum on Frederiksberg, with room for 1000 yoga mats. We have collaboration agreements with partners like Loow, and a big, accessible campaign so the three of us yoga teachers can show many, many more people what body awareness can do for conscious product purchases.

Or maybe just getting the Danish Rynkeby cyclists into Loow gear and onto the mat. Like here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADbiDHUsOiY

What dream are you chasing?

To free the Danish landscape from miles of black solar panels and put a stop to more wind turbines. Oh, okay, that's probably not what you want. I don't chase dreams; I don't chase tomorrow. I live today and I nurture the present moment. I would most prefer if life wasn't about adventure, but about living where we are, here and now. I wish more of our fellow citizens would look into the benefits of Danish products, clothing, and food from Denmark, in the form of raw materials that can be produced locally in our own country or within the Nordic region and Europe. I wish that recycled plastic in clothing was scrapped and that merino wool and cotton became much more widespread for their harmless effect on our bodies.

I've created an everyday life I don't feel I need a vacation from. Perhaps I've created a life that feels like an adventure to me—I just need the prince, and then I'm ready to pack a bag for an overnight stay in the forest...

Why are you and LOOW the perfect match?

Well, why? You invited me to collaborate years ago. What was the reason for that decision?

Your indispensable piece of LOOW clothing—and why?

The long-sleeved dark blue T-shirt. It's nice for a cafe, meetings, and when I teach. The long-sleeved blue one is classic, stylish, and practical. Dark blue is exactly the right color to appear professional and competent when I present and convey my messages. It's pure feng shui learning 😉.

And I love that I can just hang the shirt on a hanger—in fact, I usually have 8-10 long and short-sleeved Loow shirts hanging on hangers on the shower curtain rod in the bathroom so I can just grab one depending on my mood. This saves me from having to do laundry every other day.

A personal mantra or philosophy you live by?

I do what I do because no one deserves to be in pain.