This is the fourth in our ongoing series celebrating our happy customers. This week we’re profiling Cristina Romagnoli of Orouboros Yoga. Cristina is special to us because she was the very first person to buy one of our microfiber suede yoga mats yoga mats who wasn’t already a friend or family member or who otherwise had some connection to us. She was a complete stranger who stumbled across our site, threw caution to the wind, and bought one of our microfiber suede yoga mats yoga mats. Our first sale to a complete stranger! That was a BIG day for us, because it proved that our crazy dream went beyond just our friends and family humoring us. It proved that there really WAS a market for artistic and luxurious high-end yoga mats, yoga mats that are machine-washable and go beyond the usual one- or two-color foamy rubber mat.
Christina was also the first to purchase Waxing Crescent Phases of the Moon which has gone on to become one of our top sellers and has earned its way into our Permanent Collection. She then went on to purchase ANOTHER mat for her sister which has also gone on to become part of our Permanent Collection — Water, Wind, Fire & Earth which was last week’s Design Highlight. (Perhaps we should be using Cristina as a one-person focus group to vet each of our new designs? She seems to have impeccable taste!)
QTell us a little bit about yourself. What keeps you busy off the mat?
AI’m a lifelong student and lover of: movement, critical thought, being outdoors and upside down :) I’m a physical therapist in Orlando, Florida, specializing in rehabilitation for the oncology and lymphedema populations. I’m passionate about total mind and body wellness and the importance of the modern health care provider to consider the patient as a complete person and not just an illness or injury. Yoga has been an integral part of my own personal wellness, and after completing my teacher training in 2014 I use it in my physical therapy practice as well.
QWhat kind of asanas do you practice?
AHot vinyasa, kundalini, yin, nidra, and that strange home practice I do first thing in the morning when my brain isn’t connected to my body (pretty sure there is no word for it yet).
“15 years ago yoga saved my life, literally. As a survivor of sexual assault in University it wasn’t until my therapist recommended yoga / body work that I felt at home in my body again.” ~ Cristina
QHow long have you been a yogi?
A15 years.
QWhat role does yoga play in your life?
A15 years ago yoga saved my life, literally. As a survivor of sexual assault in University it wasn’t until my therapist recommended yoga / body work that I felt at home in my body again. These days yoga remains a daily practice to keep me grounded, centered and open despite what comes across my path in life. I integrate yoga into my physical therapy practice as well and teach weekly classes for cancer survivors, caregivers, and health care providers.
QDo you have a favorite pose?
AKarnapidasana — I live a very extroverted life, so I love to snuggle into myself and close off the senses for a while.
“Mostly they want to know how I do the hot classes without a towel.” ~ Cristina
QHave you ever had a “yoga moment”, something that happened during practice that you didn’t expect? That made you laugh, brought you joy, made you cry?
AI often cry in camel, still 15 years later. Haha, gotta love that sympathetic nervous system ;)
QIs there a pose that used to be a “pillar pose” — one that you were working toward — that is now accessible to you?
AMermaid (I’m a runner so tight quads were my middle name).
QWhen you placed your order with Big Raven Yoga, what made you choose Waxing Crescent Phases of the Moon?
A I’m a moon creature, so the waxing crescent phases of the moon called to me. The lines give me such a strong drishti in class.
QDo you have your eyes fixed on any other Big Raven designs? If so, which one(s) and why?
AOoooh, so hard to choose one! I love the rest from the moon collection like Pathways of the Moon and the brightly coloured mandala / floral designs.
QDo people ask you about your mat?
AYES! All the time. Mostly they want to know how I do the hot classes without a towel.
QIs there anything else you’d like us to know about you?
AThank you for the opportunity to share my love of yoga and your mats! Keep up all the beautiful and inspiring work! <3. Also, at my personal website, https://www.ouroboros.yoga/cristina I’ve just started working on a series about how yoga can help cancer survivors and you can find it on my website under Yoga For Cancer Survivors.
Thank you SO much, Cristina — we really appreciate you taking a few minutes out of your day to answer our questions! You can learn a whole lot more about Cristina at Twitter, Instagram, and A Cup A Day, as well as her Ouroboros Yoga site. (And, I should point out, her beautiful black-and-gold Big Raven yoga mat is ALL over her Instagram feed, which tickles us to no end!)
Cristina purchased Waxing Crescent Phases of the Moon for herself, and later purchased Water, Wind, Fire & Earth for her sister.
