Reviews
“Kiana is an instructor second to none. You try one class and you never want to let go.”
Rovena Hajderi, Canada
Testimonial
“If you crave empowerment and improvement constantly, physically and mentally, you go to Kiana. She leads by example as the discipline and dedication she demonstrates in the practice of yoga and handstands are equally important during practice and in life.
Prior to practicing with Kiana, I thought I had felt the benefits of yoga and the synch of body, soul and mind. However, once I started practicing with Kiana, and it has been years now, I realized that all was brought to a new level.
There are no sufficient words to describe all she brings to the table – one or two sessions with her and that will likely make you see what I mean. You will get to do poses you thought were beyond reach and that affects your perspective positively at the physical and mental level.
There are things you say to yourself that you’ll never do, but discover, not only that you can, but that you enjoy immensely – that was my experience practicing online with Kiana. I discovered how effective it is. I will keep doing my online classes.
Kiana would appear to be in the room practicing with me. You do not need to commute or get stuck in traffic and the practice is a button away. You can choose when you want to practice on the days when there’s no chance you could join a live class or just felt like practicing solo.
Now when I heard about handstand, I truly thought impossible because I have never been an acrobat or dancer or anything close to it. In my mind, the strength and balance handstand practice requires was simply beyond reach. What I discovered is that by attending Kiana’s classes regularly online, consistent practice, and patience get you step by step closer to handstand. It’s still a work in progress, but the handstand practice regardless has provided me with such an abundance of skill set and strength that I can bring it to my yoga practice.
Mentally what it has done for me is, once again, reinforce the principle that nothing is impossible with the right instructor and mindset at any age. And Kiana is an instructor second to none. You try one class and you never want to let go.”
– Rovena Hajderi, Canada
“Kiana’s coaching has helped my physical yoga practice break the plateau barriers over and over again.”
Joe El-Achhab, Canada
Testimonial
“Kiana’s coaching has helped my physical yoga practice break the plateau barriers over and over again. Her ability to read the body and see where improvement is required is amazing. Her cues and corrections are specific and easy to follow making it easy to remember the next time you find yourself in that pose. Her overall knowledge of structural composition of a pose and proper alignment was critical in my improvement, she was able to guide me to a higher level of openness, flexibility and strength.
The strength shown in her own practice validates the work she puts you through and certainly motivates you to follow her lead as she guides you into a stronger practice.
Before I started practicing with Kiana, I was rigid and inflexible with a lot of strength. Since finding Kiana I have found more ease in movement, allowing me to twist, bind and be more open in each yoga pose. In parallel, Kiana was able to provide guidance, mentally and emotionally through not only my yoga practice but through different life challenging situations. She has an immediate sense of awareness, and a kind, gentle yet firm manner of helping with her words.
– Joe El-Achhab, Canada
“I can now kick into a handstand with control and hold it in place for several seconds.”
Natasha Boulanger, Canada
Testimonial
“I started working with Kiana on my handstands at the beginning of May 2020 when she started offering more online classes.
I went into the class knowing how to kick into a handstand but it wasn’t structured and I didn’t have very much control in holding it once I got up. My back would arch a bit and I wasn’t engaging anything.
When I started taking Kiana’s classes they were tough, but AMAZING! Even with it being online she made sure to let you know if you needed correcting or if you were doing it properly. She made sure to show you how a pose should look and what not to do. The class was an eye opener to how I should be kicking into a handstand properly to gain more control along with how/which muscles I should be engaging to hold the pose without injury. She also went through warm ups prior to the class to make sure our muscles were warmed up.
Although my handstand practice is still in progress, I am now more confident in working on wall facing inversions to improve and can now kick into a handstand with control and hold it in place for several seconds.
“It’s been both impactful and overwhelming to receive such helpful coaching from Kiana.”
Steven Diaz, USA
Testimonial
“It’s been both impactful and overwhelming to receive such helpful coaching from Kiana.
It’s like being a struggling young actress doing waitressing gigs and then getting an encouraging letter from Anne Hathaway or something. So thankful Kiana’s platform helps to make each month one of strong growth.”
– Steven Diaz, USA
“I found that her teaching style was inclusive & empowering.”
June Welcome, UK
Testimonial
“I first started seeing Kiana on Instagram in 2019 along with many other yoga teachers who demonstrated postures from their practices. As I live in London UK, the possibility of actually attending a class never crossed my mind & I was only a beginner really so felt that at my age (54) the level of practice was out of my league anyway.
Then lockdown hit the UK in March 2020….suddenly the world changed. I was already dealing with a broken heart & yoga had become my medicine, now this isolation was threatening to flip everything. Of course I reached for the grounding presence of yoga practice again.
“She is easily the best fitness instructor I have ever had!”
Kate Williams, Canada
Testimonial
“My love for yoga began 5 years ago when I completed a one month trial at a local studio.
I loved the practice and the atmosphere. However, despite a relatively consistent practice, I never felt like I was growing as a yogi.
In 2019 my fitness journey began to change and I developed an interest in not only increasing my yoga practice but specifically working on my inversions. I tried using online videos and tutorials but never felt like I was able to truly understand where my focus was meant to be or how to improve.
In January 2019 I attended my first class with Kiana. I could see right away that
Kiana was dedicated to helping her students develop their confidence regardless of where they were in their journey. Kiana has a great tradition of choosing a peak focus in all of her classes to help her students develop new skills or challenge themselves by exploring the explicit mechanics of more difficult asanas. The peak pose in my first class happened to be headstand. After a few months of trying but feeling little improvement, Kiana had me more confident in headstand after one quick explanation. Furthermore, Kiana was open to additional questions after class and even offered a few minutes of one on one support. After this experience I was hooked.
I began following Kiana on Instagram and using many of her mini tutorials offered on her page. From that day, I went to 2 of Kiana’s classes every week and continued to see not only further improvements to my physical practice but growing confidence in my mental practice.
When Covid hit and the gym was forced to close Kiana was amazing – offering 2 weeks of free online classes. She then began a very straight forward system of class passes, monthly’s or one off payments so her many yogis could continue to grow with her. This is when I began focusing more heavily on handstands with Kiana. I attended her weekly online handstand classes for 6 weeks and watched as my physical strength continued to grow as did my confidence in my inversions. Her ability to clearly explain the specific mechanics involved in both traditional asanas and a variety of other movements and her attentiveness to each individual student makes her an incredible instructor, whether in person or virtually. She is easily the best fitness instructor I have ever had!”
– Kate Williams, Canada
“Kiana helped me find courage and strength I never thought I had.”
Becca Feeney, Canada
Testimonial
“Before Kiana I was deathly afraid of going upside down, over backwards, basically anything but being right side up, which is sometimes hard enough!
Never in a million years would I have imagined I could be doing any sort of arm balance, let alone trying headstands and handstands.
Kiana helped me find courage and strength I never thought I had. Now I am hooked on always trying new arm balances and am continuing my journey to being able to hold a handstand.
From the first time I practiced with Kiana, I loved her teaching style and the way her flows just, well, flow! Because of distance, I have not been able to attend one of her classes in quite some time.
Now, with her new Body to Soul Movement platform, I can continue to practice along with Kiana and can pick a flow according to what my body is feeling that day. I would recommend anyone to check it out!”
“I was able to realize which parts of my body I needed to focus my attention on for better alignment.”
Anna Saldivar, Canada
Testimonial
“I have been practicing yoga for several years and handstands are something that I have always been wanting to do. I’ve been to yoga classes in the past where there were a few drills that we did to work up to it, but there wasn’t really a focus on doing the actual pose especially in terms of alignment.
Over the years, I have been able to do handstands against a wall but never a freestanding handstand. When I trained online with Kiana, I learned more drills that I could do to help with my handstand practice, and what’s even greater is that with her coaching, I was able to realize which parts of my body I needed to focus my attention on for better alignment.
Kiana’s classes are well thought out with no two classes ever the same, and the succeeding classes built up on what I learned in previous classes. I learned from her that I needed to know how to fall out of my handstand in order to be more confident in doing a freestanding handstand, so falling out was one of the things that we worked on in the first few classes. She is also great in that she emphasizes that flexibility, strength, and core training are important for handstands, to which these are included in her classes as well. She is very encouraging and I am glad that I have been able to train with her.
At the present, I’m now working on holding a freestanding handstand for longer than two seconds. I can definitely see a lot of improvement in how I get to the pose and how my alignment is now in the pose.
Thank you, Kiana!”
– Anna Saldivar, Canada
“Kiana has definitely changed my practice and has helped me connect to body and soul in ways I never thought possible!”
Lise Jordan, Canada
Testimonial
“Kiana has definitely changed my practice and has helped me connect to body and soul in ways I never thought possible (or even knew could be)!
Simple adjustments have made the world of difference and have permitted me to let go and just be!
I have come a long ways from where I began and this would not have been possible without her!
My sincere thank you’s for bringing me to a practice that is greatly rewarding not only physically, but mentally & inspirationally in my everyday life as well!”
– Lise Jordan, Canada
“I took Kiana’s zoom workshop and was blown away at all of the drills!”
Abby Gaskin, Canada
Testimonial
“First of all, Kiana is an AMAZING teacher.
I love the way she conducts her classes and makes everyone feel comfortable.
Before attending her handstand workshop, I had a pretty consistent handstand practice. What I was most struggling with were my press-ups. I really didn’t know what my next steps were, especially what drills to incorporate into my practice to target my handstand press.
Then, I took Kiana’s zoom workshop and was blown away at all of the drills that I a) had never seen before, and b) found to be incredibly helpful. Even though it was over zoom, it was still just as effective as an in-person class.
I would highly recommend Kiana’s teaching and all of her classes and workshops!”
– Abby Gaskin, Canada
“Kiana’s teaching has transformed my yoga practice for the better.”
Spenser Chapple, Canada
Testimonial
“Kiana’s teaching has transformed my yoga practice for the better. She clearly directs my awareness so that I appreciate the purpose of each asana and have a stronger connection with my body and the movement. Kiana encourages you to be curious and explore postures. The lessons I’ve done were intense, the work goes deep and stays in the body long after class is over! There are many “ah-ha” moments as Kiana brings unique elements to her teaching always patiently taking each lesson step by step.”
– Spenser Chapple, Canada
“She has helped my alignment, my strength and my flexibility.”
Lori Visconti, Canada
Testimonial
“She’s always challenging and motivating students to bring them to the best of their own abilities.”
Aeran Harris, Canada
Testimonial
“Kiana’s one of the most influential yoga teachers that I’ve been practicing with for a few years. She’s always challenging and motivating students to bring them to the best of their own abilities. Her energy is calm, but with strong, trustworthy leadership that gets you through challenging asanas. I never thought that I would be able to do handstands or arm balancing poses until I met her. She helps me build confidence and she pushes me through to stay motivated.
I hope you find Kiana on your own journey!”
– Aeran Harris, Canada
“Her guidelines for where to place your hands, feet, gaze, etc. are meticulous and accurate.”
Ewa Bielawa, Canada
Testimonial
“She is an engaging instructor focused on individual growth and development.”
Telma Fletcher, Canada
Testimonial
“I have been physically active since University with a lot of time spent in gyms, weight training and teaching spinning. Yoga has always been something I’ve meant to add to my fitnss routine, but never quite made time for seriously until this past year.
After a few injuries resulting in chronic joint and low back pain, I finally decided to incorporate more flexibility training into my fitness structure. But I never realized it would become so much more than just another physical milestone.
I am still a beginner yogi, but absolutley love yoga and have been really inspired by Kiana. Her teaching style is always supportive and encouraging and she is an engaging instructor focused on individual growth and development. Her unique
classes are also a lot of fun with some great music and energy.
Kiana’s yoga classes encourage me to look forward to every pose, every breath and every part of my day. It’s made me feel more confident, and although I have a long way to go, more positive about my health and my body. And I have experienced huge benefits with my flexibility practice already.
It’s also been a great thing to bond over with my teenage daughter – who also loves Kiana’s classes and takes them regularly with me. This has been an amazing experience for me and I feel deeply grateful for the opportunity to participate in this journey with her.”
– Telma Fletcher, Canada
“After taking 1 or 2 of Kiana’s handstand classes, I am now able to set up and go into a handstand.”
Kapil Narale, Canada
Testimonial
“I discovered Kiana about 4 months ago, through her inspiring posts and flawless poses in her posts on Instagram. I decided to follow her and was impressed with the daily pictures I was seeing. When I took a look at her website, I was quite impressed with her yoga journey and goal of wanting to help and teach others.
When I took a look at her different offerings, I noticed that she was very experienced (an expert) with handstands. This is something I wanted to learn for a while, so I decided to dive deeper in looking into her classes. I found out she was offering weekly online classes, specifically for handstands, so I decided to participate in some of these classes. After taking 1 or 2 of Kiana’s handstand classes, I am now able to set up and go into a handstand. I am still working on making it steadier and taking it away from the wall.
I also took a few of her flow classes online. I liked how upbeat it was, and how there were a variety of poses and sequences than those I’ve done before. It is refreshingly different from some other instructors in the community, who may be following the same routine or sequence of poses based on the type of yoga they’re teaching. It’s also really unique that all her flows and practices, on and off the internet, progress to doing a handstand.
Before discovering Kiana’s practice, I had a regular yoga practice, which involved doing poses and sequences on my own or following instructions online via other instructors. However, this previously did not involve handstands. Being able to do, and having a daily practice of, handstands, is one big addition to my practice, since I started practicing with Kiana.
Another big influence Kiana has had on my practice is through enabling myself to be aware of proper alignment in respective poses, therefore taking my time to progress into a pose. This helped me understand the importance of activating the correct muscles to increase range of motion and flexibility, and of focus and concentration during the yoga practice. This is nicely done through her verbal instructions, and hints from her videos and diagrams.
Kiana is very well rounded in her yoga practice, and in addition to her spiritual/life lessons discussions on her posts, she does a regular podcast, called “Soul Talks”. The chosen topics can be anything from what she may be going through or experiencing, or a general interpersonal or intrapersonal topic. She provides her own examples and experiences, which helps to relate to such topics. I enjoy listening to and reflecting on these discussions. It definitely helps to understand the connection between the body and mind.
Seeing Kiana’s posts and podcasts, and presence brings a nice light of energy everyday, and motivation to try something new!”
– Kapil Narale, Canada
“Every class I took with Kiana felt like I was in studio with her.”
Damien Ragsdale, United States
Testimonial
“Kiana is a talented, deeply knowledgeable, and fun handstand coach!
Even though I’m in New York City, every class I took with Kiana felt like I was in studio with her, getting personalized feedback and cues every time I worked on a different handstand variation. I was struggling with aligning my hips in my tuck jump, and she guided me through the proprioceptive cues I needed to figure out how to stack my body in space.
She’s also incredibly approachable and friendly, making the handstand journey feel like you have a trusted friend helping you on your way. Check her out!!”
– Damien Ragsdale, United States
“Kiana is an incredible teacher and coach, and is able to correct the smallest of postural alignment problems.”
Courtney Collicott Masters, Canada
Testimonial
“During quarantine, I stumbled upon Kiana’s instagram and saw she was a former gymnast and yoga teacher offering a handstand workshop. As my own handstand progress had stalled, I immediately jumped at the chance to get even a little bit of feedback.
I was shocked at how much I got out of Kiana’s workshop – my handstands immediately began to improve, and I was becoming more and more comfortable being upside down, thanks to some great coaching! I began to take Kiana’s weekly handstand class, and I was shocked at how much personal attention was paid to each participant in every workshop or class, especially considering it was done via Zoom!
Kiana is an incredible teacher and coach, and is able to correct the smallest of postural alignment problems, leading to big improvements in form.
I am so thankful I have had the opportunity to take Kiana’s online class, and I am looking forward to doing more in the future!”
– Courtney Collicott Masters, Canada
“Kiana is the yoga teacher I didn’t know I was looking for!”
Anthony Passarelli, Canada
Testimonial
“As a new person to yoga, Kiana is the yoga teacher I didn’t know I was looking for!
I happened to take one of Kiana’s classes at a studio and was instantly hooked. Kiana’s ability to mesh strength, balance and creative transitions into a yoga class always left me feeling recharged and motivated for the next one.
I also enjoyed Kiana’s focus and passion for inversions and handstands, a passion that I think can be quite infectious; I know it was for me. After some time taking classes, I felt I would benefit with some focused instruction on transitions, certain poses and of course inversions and handstands!
“Kiana’s technique of meditation, seamless flowing, and gymnastics is exactly what I was looking for.”
Joleene Bertrand, UK
Testimonial
“Kiana’s technique of meditation, seamless flowing, and gymnastics is exactly what I was looking for.
I was previously a member of yoga studios that only provided one or two of the three elements. I love that there’s so many videos you can choose from at any time that works for you. So far I’ve been focusing on level two classes trying to work my way up.”
– Joleene Bertrand, UK
“I can successfully handstand and fall out of one without injury!”
Abby Yew, Canada
Testimonial
“I embarked on a handstand journey this May 2020. It was 2 months into a global pandemic and my family was sheltered in home. We weren’t going anywhere so I thought it was the perfect time to pursue a new skill… and childhood dream.
I had always wanted to be able to hold a freestanding handstand. I could handstand against a wall and then immediately fall at the thought of the wall leaving my feet.
I found Kiana through rave reviews by one of my friends, who had taken classes with her in the past. She sent me one of Kiana’s instructional instagram videos and I was instantly connected and engaged. Kiana’s demeanor on camera was calm and friendly, yet direct and professional. She demonstrated instant expertise; cue-ing movements and pointing out common mistakes and bad habits preventing the perfect form to successfully handstand. I was intrigued!
I signed up for a virtual handstand class and attended her weekly online handstand class for the next few months. Every initial impression I had of her was true. She is patient and thoughtful and takes the time to observe each student throughout the class, offering small changes and iterations to help you really understand how to improve your technique and form. Despite requiring the attention of several students, she gives you one-on-one attention akin to a personal instructor.
So, how am I doing 4 months later? Much to my delight, I can successfully handstand and fall out of one without injury! I am now working towards holding it for more than 5 seconds, which I am confident I can do with practice.
Kiana has given me the confidence and agency to continue my handstand practice by breaking down the technique in ways that are easy to understand and improve upon. I’d recommend her to anyone looking to learn or improve their handstand, press, or yoga skills. She is highly skilled and experienced, yet also an exceptional teacher – a combination not always easy to come by.”
– Abby Yew, Canada