Stories that inspire: Yoga teacher nourishes the bodies and souls of Coachella Valley residents

COACHELLA, Calif. (KESQ) -- Crissy Hastings, a yoga teacher born and raised in Queens, New York, dedicates her time to teaching the community what yoga is all about.

“I fell in love with the city of Coachella because being a Latina and Hispanic, I know that there's like an opportunity to bring wellness and all of its modalities of breathwork and sound to the Eastern Coachella Valley," Hastings said.

Hastings is a Colombian Mexican-American who moved to the Coachella valley seven years ago, she created SoulZenter. She met her friend and work partner, Steven Garcia, founder of "Just Move Coachella," a running group created in 2023.

The group is dedicated to bringing the community together by jogging or walking, and having coffee as a treat afterwards. Hastings and Garcia incorporated the art of running and yoga as one.

“The idea is coffee connection and community. Right? Not long after we started that Chrissy reached out to us to incorporate yoga," Garcia said, "Yoga plays a big role for runners, after running a good stretch is very important so that you're not cramping up later in the day or on your next run.”

Her organization offers free classes and teaches peace of mind by connecting the body and mind through meditation. SoulZenter brings yoga to the areas in the valley that may not offer a variety of classes, like the city of Coachella.

"We bring yoga to you versus you coming to the traditional yoga studio. I do a lot of, community pop-up events all around yoga," Hastings said.

Hastings offers her special classes every other Sunday in Downtown Coachella.

For more information on the next class, visit SoulZenter.com.