CHRISTINA Basil, 31, is a yoga teacher and a mother of two who brings a grounded, real-life approach to movement and wellness.

Her classes blend strength, endurance, and mindful flow, shaped by her love for running, training, and staying active in everyday life.

“I focus a lot on helping students build consistency, feel stronger in their bodies, and establish feelings of wellness and balance — even with busy, unpredictable schedules,” she said.

Basil told Pepperpot Magazine that, with nutrition a passion of hers, her classes incorporate simple, real-life, budget-friendly nutritional tweaks to help achieve overall health and wellness.

Currently, her classes are held at GCC Bourda Ground three times a week, with morning and afternoon classes being an option.

Basil was originally born in Essequibo but moved to Georgetown as a toddler.

She started yoga in her gap year from university in St Lucia, where her mom’s friend inspired her.

Basil started just attempting poses and uploading them on Instagram, then as she got better, people started noticing and commenting on how much “better” she got.

Eventually, she began to feel very strong and balanced in her body, and took yoga seriously in 2016.

She said she never intended to teach, but a few people had asked her to Skype with them and show them a few things.

Eventually, when she returned to Guyana, a super kind soul asked her if she would be interested in teaching because he had a space at GCC. From there, it all began.

Basil said that as fast as it began, it was derailed when she had an accident in November 2016. She had sustained a shattered femur and was unable to walk for close to a year.

“I credit my entire remarkable recovery to yoga. My injury was so severe that my doctors were surprised I was walking without a limp. That’s yoga for you,” she said.

She reported that as she began to teach, word of mouth became her marketing, and the classes grew.

Basil told Pepperpot Magazine that she began looking into getting certified. However, by a stroke of luck, she saw the most perfect yoga training in Colorado, hosted by the very teacher she had initially based all her practice on.

The determined young lady worked hard and saved up her earnings. She was working at Giftland Mall at the time to earn money while she was in university.

“And there were many days I walked from UG to home to save on that transportation money. Fortunately, the stars aligned, and my friend offered to take me to classes in the morning as he was also working at UG and would pass my house every day. Every dollar I made, I saved,” she said.

Basil added that she recalled going to Colorado with a dozen envelopes because she was on a budget and could not afford to overspend.

Back then, she didn’t even have a bank card, and she did her training in 2019 and came out successful.

The 31-year-old pointed out that she was at the Bodhi Yoga Academy but is no longer there due to COVID-19.

Basil added that her studies were not free, since she invested US$5,000 in her training, and that yoga is definitely her way of life, with the physical aspects helping her immensely in her personal life.

Today, she is a trained yoga teacher, and her certification title depends on the number of hours of classes she has taken; she completed 25 days of classes and earned a 200-hour certification.

Basil said that, after she gave birth during COVID-19, she had another opportunity to specialise in yoga, which she wanted.

So, she got certified in Sussex, England, in an 85-hour Prenatal Yoga Teachers Training (PYTT) course, which helped her with a C-section delivery, and she credits the training exclusively for her amazing C-section recovery.

“It taught me so much on scar tissue massages, diastasis recti, pelvic girdle pain — things that I was never told about in all my clinic visits. In fact, when I asked my OBGYN about the possibility of my diastasis recti, I was brushed off. But sure enough, DR is something all pregnant women will have, with 67% of cases healing on their own. Others need more help. In my case, I was perfect after my first pregnancy. In my second pregnancy, I had a three-finger gap. I’ve helped tons of post-partum women suffering from that — spending my time educating them and showing them things could be done,” she said.

Basil added that her PYTT highlighted how amazing pregnancy and post-partum can be when mothers are supported not just mentally, but also physically. She thoroughly enjoyed her fourth trimester each time because she knew exactly how to help herself.

As a way to give back to society, she says yes to every volunteer yoga activity that comes her way and offers discounts to people who may not be able to afford classes.

In addition, she gives tons of free nutritional and yoga advice not only to people who attend her classes but also to others.