Karissa Stoner

The Heartbreak Kids: Season 2.12

Changes.

Born and raised in rural Pennsylvania.

Born into boredom.

Born into a box.

Born into a church.

Born into expectations.

Don’t rock the boat Karissa.

I’m a good faker.

I really tried.

I was almost married.

I was almost nailed down to a job.

I almost settled for less.

I was almost well…. what I was born to be.

Changes.

I said no to abuse.

And changed.

I said no to addiction.

And changed.

I said no to expectations.

And changed.

I said no to complacency.

And changed.

Somewhere in there I met my breaking point, and shaved my head.

And with that, change flooded my life.

I am not defined by who I was born to be.

I am defined by who I’ve decided to be. Through hard work and changes.

Hi, I’m Karissa Stoner.

I practice Ashtanga yoga. It’s intrinsically ingrained into each of those changes above.

Yoga doesn’t define me.

But it does give me strength to help make changes. So, yoga gave me definition. Yoga gave me a focus. Yoga gave my winter, all the rain and sunshine and moons and night that it needed. Now, I am brighter, and able to blossom. I’m surrounded by love. I’m surrounded by support. I’m surrounded by a community, voices, and a practice that says “Keep going.”

So I keep going.

Even when I think I can’t, I just keep going.

I feel like I’ve come so far, but I also feel like this is just the beginning.

“Strange fascinations fascinate me

Ah, changes are takin'”

-David Bowie