By: Krista Yapp
Hello, my name is Krista Yapp, I am a first generation, woman of color, born and raised in Florida. I moved to California in 2015 to pursue my Master's Degree in Psychology. I am now the first in my family to hold a Master's Level Degree!
I am a co-founder of Kula Wellness Yoga Studio in Sunnyvale, CA, I graduated from John F. Kennedy University with my Master’s in Holistic Counseling Psychology and currently work as a Registered Associate Marriage & Family Therapist with Grateful Heart Holistic Therapy Center, a non-profit organization based in Oakland, CA.
The journey to my present moment was an uphill battle filled with much laughter and many tears. Every sign to quit came knocking at my door: financial instability, no job, the housing crisis of California, student loans, car accidents and the list goes on, but, every sign of continuing the journey kept tugging at my heart. My heart guided my feet one step at a time, one hill at a time. And with a lot of faith and support, I found myself slowly creating the life I dreamed of.
Life is not meant to be easy. Sometimes the most beautiful things come from the deepest, darkest places. The question is, are we strong enough to rise?
My whole adult life I've spent as a full-time student working multiple jobs at a time, just to get by. In my free time (yes, I do have free time), I am doing yoga, cuddling up to a favorite book or my pitbull, cooking, traveling the world with my soon to be husband or spending time at the beach. So, it’s only fair I would be asked these questions throughout my life...
“How are you so happy?”, "Do you work?", “How much do you work?”, "How do you have time for yourself?", "How are you so 'Buddha', stress free?”
The answer is fairly simple... I designed the life I wanted. I love what I do and I do what I love...
My work is my play and my play is my work.
Lawrence Pearsall Jacks says it perfectly, "A master in the art of living draws no sharp
distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both."
So, the secret to mastering work and play is pursue your dreams with passion and excellence, then this world will become your playground.