Ready to feel divine?
We sat down with Krystal Hendy of Divine Quine’s Yoga Practice to discuss what it means to go on a spiritual journey and how yoga isn’t just something for YouTubers to post about on Instagram.
After a two-year stint in Australia, she changed her name from Kirsty to Kyrstal but a change in name wasn’t the only thing that had changed about her in the time she had been away.
Now Krystal spends her days loving not only Mother Earth but herself, something, that since practising yoga every day has come as second nature to her.
Something, that for most of us can be an everyday struggle.
But Krystal’s experience, embarking on her spiritual awakening is a conversation we hope will inspire you to have a look at your own life and take her words and teachings into consideration.
The catalyst for her to set off into a more spiritual existence was a road traffic accident back in 2015. Despite non-life threatening physical injuries, the mental health effects of the accident forced Kyrstal to take a really good look at how she was spending her time, it was at this point she realised that there was more to life than the mod-cons we have all become accustomed to. And so, with this realisation, she moved over to Australia, with a year-long visa and very little planned for what to do when she arrived.
It was after her first year in the outback of Australia when she was looking to extend her visa, that Kyrstal’s true journey began. After a year of living in paradise and making the most of having next to no responsibilities, she realised that she better start looking after herself a bit more if she were to endure the farm work that comes along with a visa extension.
And thus she started a daily yoga practice five years ago that she hasn’t missed out on since.
“My lifestyle is very spiritual. It stemmed from my yoga practice. I try to live as intentionally as possible now and soak up every moment of the day, I try to fit as many rituals into my day as I can.”
Kyrstal explains that she begins her day with yoga to clear her mind and connect to a spirit, the universe or “whatever name you’d like to give it” – appreciating the time she can spend outside with nature.
On asking her what benefits she sees since embarking on this lifestyle, she didn’t give me quite the answer I was expecting, like being super flexible or not getting breathless going up the stairs, but instead, that she now feels present in her day-to-day life.
No longer is her head full of worries about the future or how she looks to other people that really don’t matter: “From following this kind of lifestyle, I treat myself a lot kinder, I genuinely love myself and choose to show up in ways for myself that I never used to”.
Now if you’re anything like myself and keen to get into a yoga practice, but a bit afraid to go to a class then there are plenty of online classes or YouTubers offering free sessions to get started. My personal favourite is Yoga with Kassandra. She has many (many) different classes from 10 minutes to over an hour for whatever time you can set aside. From beginner classes to the more advanced intermediate classes, it can be the perfect introduction to yoga before you take the plunge into in-person classes.
When I went along to my first class of Krystal’s I felt a lot more confident knowing a lot of the different moves and techniques already. But it was so nice to be in a relaxed place to have guidance from a yoga instructor and be surrounded by people who were also looking for a calm space.
“Once you go down the yogi path, there’s no looking back, about a year after my accident I just said stuff it, something needs to change and I booked my one-way ticket to Australia.”
Choosing to show up for herself and sharing that love with other people in her life leaves a wholesome feeling and connects Krystal to her inner peace: ” Before going down this path, I was abusing myself in so many ways, I definitely didn’t love myself, I didn’t know what that meant and how to love myself.”
The benefits Krystal has seen in the time since she began her yoga practice transcend the physical into the spiritual. Krystal goes on to explain, of course, there are physical benefits. She’s never been fitter or healthier in her life.
But the kindness she gives herself is then extended to those around her, and once they see the love and tranquillity that Krystal has, quite frankly who wouldn’t head out to their local crystal parlour and look up their closest yoga class?
Now I don’t know what brought this on but you’re maybe thinking it too. Krystal’s story is all very ‘Eat, Pray, Love’.
But realistically that’s not a bad thing – don’t we all want our lives to be a little bit more Julia Roberts?
Translated; I wanted to ask her if the everyday person can achieve the same sort of enlightenment between their 9-5 and the normal workings of day-to-day life, without having to travel to some far-off land and meet a handsome stranger: “I think this awakening will happen when a person is ready for it. I mean, yeah mine happened on the other side of the world, but I’d like to think had I not gone it still would have happened because it came at a time when I needed the self-love and affection of mother earth to guide me,
“You don’t have to go to Thailand or another physical place to find yourself. It’s all within yourself, you could have your enlightening anywhere. It’s all about keeping up with it and practising those positive affirmations with yourself.”
Krystal explains the more practical side of learning about your spiritual self: “Journalling is a really great practice for connecting to your higher self. Just getting all your thoughts out helps you go through your emotions and refocus your mind from the distractions or worries you may have had. For all yoga poses you have to be in tune with your breath so you don’t fall over but gain thee most from practising yoga. When you channel your breath and really focus on the spiritual things it can really change your perspective.”
Enjoying outdoor spaces can also help a person’s spiritual awakening to get in tune with mother earth and outdoor yoga refreshes you in a way that the gym just can’t. Unlocking the spirit within yourself and beginning to truly love the person you are will fulfil you and those around you.
Krystal has a number of different classes running throughout Alford and the surrounding area. She now focuses on children’s yoga practice – trying to fill Aberdeenshire with little free-spirited yogi’s. But also runs an adult class on Tuesday and Thursday. You can follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
If you want to find your local yoga group, more information can be found on the sportscotland site.
