For full article in the New Times about my classes: 
​m.newtimesslo.com/sanluisobispo/from-the-roots-up-healing-services-teaches-self-defense-and-confidence-to-females-in-the-community/Content?oid=8011586&fbclid=IwAR0seiFCDOW2yxns0uFBHP6CmLWf9hULFbEWK7PU9OtwqAIWAq1jwkgb8ZI

I have really been loving learning indigenous ways of living/surviving! 

Krista Rooney

AFPA certified Personal Trainer
AFPA certified Kickboxing Instructor
Indigenous Healer / Reiki Master 
​B.S. in Biology with Minor in Biochemistry from the University of Alaska, Fairbanks

​I feel my path started when I was a child growing up in the wilderness in Alaska. It was growing up there that I learned my connections to the environment and world around me. The Native Alaskan culture was always around me and my heritage of being Cheyenne River Sioux and Que’chan has always been in my mind and heart. I always felt a higher calling to learn as much as I could about all Native American cultures. I studied biology, biochemistry, and environmental studies at the Universities in Alaska. How the body works and how it heals itself has always held a great interest to me.

It was while attending college that I discovered a GREAT passion for learning kickboxing and self defense. I spent years training in the art of kickboxing with the International Karate Association in Alaska. I started training as a way to protect myself on a very potentially unsafe college campus. I quickly became hooked to how strong and fearless I would feel after a session. The teachings have stuck with me for almost 2 decades now. I really stepped back into training over the few years. I can't imagine not living my life by the principle and practices of the sport - respect, self control, integrity, and courage. Feeling the strength it has given me in both my mind and body have been invaluable! In fact, these practices have even helped me to lose 100 lbs, manage my Hashimoto's (thyroid disease) and fibromyalgia, recover from two high risk pregnancies, overcome a spinal fusion with a plate and pins in my lower back, and a plate in my foot. Having to navigate all of these obstacles has helped me to better to relate to clients from all different backgrounds and places in their lives.

I fully stepped into my journey as a healer over 5 years ago when I happened upon one of my mentors. It was through doing deep healing work on myself that I decided that I would listen to the call that Great Spirit had called me to and began my intense training to walk the path of an Indigenous healer. I am honored to be a Mesa Carrier and am also honored to share indigenous wisdom teachings, medicines, and tools with others.

Through this journey, so far, I have been very blessed to have had many teachers of many backgrounds - Peruvian, Mayan/Incan, Alaska Native, Native American, and American. I have also learned a vast amount through my travels and service in Central and South America, the Caribbean, and here at home in my own community. My greatest teacher has been my life experiences and the things that I have learned from healing my own personal wounds.
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I believe that my calling is specifically to help empower others to heal themselves so their own healing can not only benefit their own lives but it can ripple out and heal the collective also. I facilitate this process through a full body and lifestyle approach to healing on all levels.

Being able to integrate kickboxing with my healing background has been such an incredible blessing! When I am teaching any of my classes, I am in a place of pure joy. It is by no means work. I approach all my classes with fun and enthusiasm. It is not about how well a student performs, it is about the joy that they have while learning!