Hi! I’m Chris byrne (he/him/his)

I am an E-RYT 500 Yoga Teacher & Continuing Education Provider with Yoga Alliance. I live in and teach in Southern Maine and beyond. I have received training in in Vinyasa, Restorative and Yin Yoga. I am an Accessible Yoga® Ambassador, a Balanced Athlete® Coach, and a Functional Movement Screen® provider.

I am a sasquatchian-sized, weekend warrior slow runner who loves hiking throughout Maine and New Hampshire, walking and biking around Biddeford, and watching the tide roll in and out while exploring the coast of Maine.

My teaching journey started with meditative yin yoga training in 2015 with my dear friend and teacher Sagel Urlacher (My Meditative Yoga). I completed my 200-Hour & 300-Hour yoga training with Jacqui Bonwell (Sacred Seeds). I have also been supported in my training by Erica Magro-Cahill, Katie Beane, Lakshmi Sutter (Accessible Yoga®, and has relentlessly studied Balanced Athlete® with Johnny Gillespie, Carissa Rubin, and Jacqui Bonwell. I have also taken training with Prison Yoga Project.

I came to the practice of yoga in 2012 after surgery on both legs sidelined me from activity for most of a year. Coming out of rehab and physical therapy, my yoga practice helped me further regain physical health - improved strength, balance, coordination, etc.

What I did not expect was that I would develop a deeper connection between my body, mind, heart, and spirit. And that my overall wellness - mentally, and emotionally, would also improve.

Through this journey I also learned that the practice of yoga is not a quest for a picture-perfect, Instagram post or magazine cover-pose. That the practice is far, far more than that.

Instead, the practice offers a framework for self-discovery, creating space for you to reconnect and nurture your true self. A self that is whole and complete through an acceptance that is centered in love, kindness, and compassion.

My classes invite participants to seek and nurture that connection using intentional movement, awareness of breath, and meditation. I offer classes that are accessible for all bodies, abilities, financial circumstances, and life experiences.

I encourage you to find the shape or posture that feels right for you in the moment. Together we’ll practice the skill of compassionate curiosity, observation and acceptance, and intentional engagement and response.   

In addition to teaching in studios and outdoor locations around Maine, I am honored to serve on the Board of Directors of Sea Change Yoga. Since I joined SCY in 2018, I’ve facilitated classes with adults and teenagers who are incarcerated or in treatment for substance use disorder. I have been to the Maine Correctional Center, Androscoggin County Jail, Long Creek Youth Development Center, Mountain View Correctional Facility, Portland Recovery Community Center, Milestone Recovery Center, and other locations.

Thank You

There are so many people that I have to thank for their love and support on my journey. Teachers. Mentors. Friends. I am grateful beyond measure for Jacqui Bonwell, Sagel Urlacher, Erica Magro-Cahill, Katie Beane, Andrea Gleason, Molly Donlan, Anne Esguerra, Julie Campilio, Elise Boyson, Johnny Gillespie, Lori Scott, Lindsay McDonough, Carissa Rubin, and of course my wife, partner in life Noreen and our two absolutely bonkers, whackadoodle cats - Sammy (pictured left) and Lemmy (pictured right)