Christina Dufour
Wellbeing/Performance Coach
Christina brings mindfulness education and well-being life coaching to executives, entrepreneurs, and employee well-being programs for corporate teams through her company, The Carnelian Connection. She draws from her background in business management along with her training as a yoga instructor, to integrate wellbeing into professional spaces.
Connecticut
United States
- Meditation Teacher
- Mindfulness
- Corporate Mindfulness
Testimonials
I started working with Christina in January 2018. Since then, we have built a strong relationship full of guidance and support. Christina has provided me with specific tools I can implement in my life to better my well-being and approach to living a healthier, more mindful life. Specifically, her Mindful Month Take-Homes have provided insights and support with incorporating meditative practices as well as specific ways I can better manage my energy and live a holistically healthier life. They are something I reference often. I have enjoyed working with Christina very much over the last year, and it has helped to encourage me to transform my life and to understand that I am truly in control of my thoughts, emotions and energy.
HR Consultant, Inspire Human Resources
Christina has a positive, uplifting energy that is contagious every time I speak with her. She creates a safe space that I can open up in and pushes me to think about what is possible beyond my limits. I’ve enjoyed our monthly check-ins and have stretched my creative and business goals because of them!
Digital Designer, Ralph Lauren
Featured Works
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Yoga Nidra for Balance
Find your way back to a state of balance. Join Christina Dufour for a deeply restful yoga nidra (yogic sleep) meditation to reset your energy for the weekend.
Air Element Yoga Nidra
Visualize the air element to cleanse your chakras and restore balance. Join Christina Dufour for a yoga nidra meditation (yogic sleep) exploring the calming and clarifying qualities of air.
Yoga Nidra: Winter Paradise
Explore visions of your own winter paradise. In this tranquil yoga nidra meditation (yogic sleep), Christina Dufour guides you through a peaceful snowfall to a cozy cottage under the northern lights.
Fire Element Yoga Nidra
Visualize the fire element to cleanse your energy and burn away what no longer serves you. Join Christina Dufour for a guided yoga nidra meditation (yogic sleep) exploring the purifying qualities of fire.
Yoga Nidra to Uplift and Soothe
Immerse yourself in joy and relaxation. Join Christina Dufour for a beginner-friendly yoga nidra meditation (yogic sleep) to soothe and uplift your spirit.
Yoga Nidra: Mountain Journey
Explore visions of paradise in this peaceful yoga nidra meditation (yogic sleep). Christina Dufour guides you through majestic views and awe-inspiring waterfalls in your own mountain dreamscape.
Yoga Nidra: Water Element
Visualize the water element to cleanse your energy and invite deep relaxation. Join Christina Dufour for a guided yoga nidra meditation (yogic sleep) exploring the soothing qualities of water.
Set Your New Year's Vision
In this special yoga nidra meditation you'll visualize your life in the months ahead to get clear on your intentions for the new year.
Yoga Nidra: Mirror Reflection (Encore Broadcast)
Visualize your reflection in a mirror and return to scenes from your life. Christina Dufour leads this profoundly rejuvenating journey into yourself. This session was previously recorded on Oct 28, 2021.
Yoga Nidra: Relax and Release (Encore Broadcast)
Follow Christina Dufour on a journey inward to explore how the body intelligently releases excess. Enter a space of total relaxation by enhancing your bodily awareness. This session was previously recorded on Oct 19, 2021.
Holiday Reset and Restore
Gift yourself a moment of deep relaxation. Drop into this restful yoga nidra (yogic sleep) meditation for a restorative, and heart-warming holiday visualization.
Welcome the Winter Season
Join Christina Dufour for a special yoga nidra (yogic sleep) meditation embracing the energy of the new season — a time to slow down, reflect in gratitude, and visualize your intentions for the winter months ahead.
Make Room for Magic
Relax and reflect on your current environment and living space. In this yoga nidra (yogic sleep) meditation, Christina Dufour guides you to consider what you can let go of, and make room for more magic and ease.
Yoga Nidra for Clarity
Relax with a beginner-friendly yoga nidra (yogic sleep) practice. Join Christina Dufour for a unique visualization and experience the clarity that comes after a hike in nature.
Visualize Your Purpose
What do you hope to create in the new year? In this yoga nidra (yogic sleep) class, you will be visualizing a path toward your dreams, goals, and aspirations.
Reconnect with Your Purpose
Relax and reflect on your life’s path over the past year. In this yoga nidra meditation (yogic sleep), Christina Dufour guides you to let go of habits that no longer serve you and reconnect with your purpose.
Yoga Nidra to Restore Energy
Discover how a simple yoga nidra (yogic sleep) practice can reset and revitalize your energy. Join Christina Dufour for a relaxing visualization that will leave you feeling deeply restored.
Imagine Your Ideal Relationships
How do you want your relationships to feel in the new year? Open your heart and mind to the connections you hope to cultivate in this yoga nidra and visualization practice.
Make Room for Deeper Relationships
Relax and reflect on your relationships over the past year. In this yoga nidra (yogic sleep) meditation, Christina Dufour guides you to let go of unhelpful patterns and make room for deeper connections.
Heart-Opening Yoga Nidra
Surrender into a deeper awareness of your heart center. Join Christina Dufour for a soothing yoga nidra meditation (yogic sleep) to help expand the forces of love, forgiveness, and compassion in your heart.
Drift Through the Galaxy
Experience space travel through the power of yoga nidra meditation (yogic sleep). Christina Dufour guides this tranquil journey to enjoy the views from another planet.
Beginner-Friendly Yoga Nidra
Join Christina Dufour for a deeply relaxing yoga nidra that's perfect for first-timers. Learn to let go and release tension from the week.
Float Among the Stars
Join Christina Dufour for a profoundly peaceful journey to the stars. This relaxing yoga nidra uses guided visualization to take you on a flight through space.
Throat Chakra Yoga Nidra
Join Christina Dufour for a relaxing journey to awaken the throat chakra — the center of communication that helps us express ourselves fully and honestly.
Sail to the Moon: A Visualization
In this yoga nidra experience, you’ll visualize the moon from earth then travel into space, venturing closer and closer as you sink deeper into rest and relaxation.
Yoga Nidra: Weekend Unwind
Join Christina Dufour for a journey of deep relaxation, unwinding tension from the week so you can emerge feeling rested and renewed.
Yoga Nidra: Mirror Reflection
Visualize your reflection in a mirror and return to scenes from your life. Christina Dufour leads this profoundly rejuvenating journey into yourself.
Yoga Nidra: Weekend Wellbeing
Relax into the weekend with Christina Dufour. This rejuvenating yoga nidra will help you let go of tension and ease into a state of tranquillity.
Yoga Nidra: Third Eye Connection
Join Christina Dufour for a relaxing journey of the mind, visualizing yourself as a peaceful, seated meditator and creating a powerful third eye connection.
Yoga Nidra to Relax and Release
Follow Christina Dufour on a journey inward to explore how the body intelligently releases excess. Enter a space of total relaxation by enhancing your bodily awareness.
Yoga Nidra: Weekend Reset
Join Christina Dufour for a relaxing journey to help you shed stress, renew your energy, and continue your weekend feeling rested.
Yoga Nidra to Ease Fatigue
Lie back and allow Christina Dufour to guide you through a series of yoga poses in your mind, using the power of visualization to release physical tension and ease into deep relaxation.
Yoga Nidra to Rest and Digest
Join Christina Dufour for a yoga nidra meditation where you'll journey inward to explore your digestive system and settle into a state of total relaxation.
Relax Into the Past
Allow Christina Dufour to guide you into the past, using the power of imagery to lead you further and further into a space of total surrender and deep rest.
Ease Tension with Yoga Nidra
Lie back and use the power of visualization to relax every part of your body. Let the day's tension drain away as you sink into an experience of deep rest.
Ultra-Relaxing Yoga Nidra
Yoga nidra combines breath and body awareness to evoke a deep sense of calm and rejuvenation. In this session, Christina Dufour helps you release tension with a relaxing scenic visualization.
Restorative Yoga Changed My Life
For some, yoga is just an exercise. For others, it's a deep spiritual path. For me, it's both these things and so much more. Yoga — and 2 styles in particular — transformed my body and my mind from the inside out.
Peaceful Yoga Nidra Journey
Refill your well of energy and ease into deep relaxation. Join Christina Dufour for a yoga nidra meditation and visualization exploring peaceful, scenic imagery.
Yoga Nidra for Chakra Healing
Are you looking to relax? Yoga nidra combines breath and body awareness to evoke a deep sense of relaxation and rejuvenation. In this session, Christina Dufour guides you through a calming chakra visualization.
Yoga Nidra Nature Journey
Would you like to be more present in your life? Yoga nidra combines breath and body awareness to evoke a deep sense of relaxation. In this session, Christina Dufour helps you use a visualization of nature to rejuvenate and restore your mind.
Energy Cleansing Yoga Nidra
Join Christina Dufour for a relaxing yoga nidra meditation (yogic sleep) where you'll visualize your chakras (energy centers) to calm and balance your mind, body, and energy.
Yoga Nidra for Chakra Activation
In this soothing yoga nidra meditation (yogic sleep), Christina Dufour guides you through breathing techniques to evoke a deep sense of relaxation.
Yoga Nidra: Consciousness of Sensation
Join Christina Dufour and experience the yoga Nidra duality of sensation techniques as a way to free the body-mind of tension and fall into deeper relaxation. This class was previously streamed on September 3, 2021.
Yoga Nidra with Balancing Breath
Learn alternate nostril breathing, a breathing technique to encourage mind-body surrender, with this yoga nidra practice designed to enhance creativity and cultivate deep focus.
Yoga Nidra for Deep Relaxation
Join Christina Dufour to learn yoga nidra techniques for deep relaxation. Ease into a space of calm and serenity by exploring the duality of sensation: pain and pleasure.
Yoga Nidra for Creativity
Relax into a yoga nidra practice to enhance creativity and focus. In this session, Christina Dufour teaches a breathing technique to awaken your third-eye energy center.
Yoga Nidra: Sensory Experience
Use the contrasting sensations of hot and cold to ease your way into deep relaxation. Christina Dufour guides this calming yoga nidra technique (yogic sleep) to release tension and stress.
Make Yoga a Lifestyle
Learn breathwork, postures, and meditation practices that yogis use to achieve health, joy, and peace.
From Skeptic to Meditation Teacher
Cultivating a state of being that allows me to connect and feel deeply adds a richness to life.
Training
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Jeff Primack at Supreme Science Qigong Center
Level One Qigong Teacher Certification Jan 2019 - Dec 2019 (a year) -
Yoga Alliance
Continuing Education Provider Jan 2018 - Present (7 years) -
Jillian Pransky at YogaWorks
Restorative Yoga 60-Hour Teacher Certification Nov 2017 - Dec 2017 (2 months) -
David Nichtern at Kaia Yoga
Meditation Teacher Training Level 3 Jan 2016 - Jan 2017 (a year) -
Yoga Alliance
Restorative Yoga Certification Jan 2016 - Present (9 years) -
NCBTMB Education Provider Barbara Ritchie
Reflexologist Certification Jan 2014 - Dec 2014 (a year) -
Jillian Pransky at Kaia Yoga
Restorative Yoga Continuing Education Training Jan 2014 - Jan 2014 (a month) -
Christina Sell at San Marcos School of Yoga
Momentum of Intention Yoga Intensive/Continuing Education Jan 2014 - Jan 2014 (a day) -
Zumba Fitness with Tanya Beardsley
Official Zumba Instructor Basic Steps Level 1 Certification Sep 2012 - Sep 2012 (a day) -
Training with Sharon Gutterman
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Aug 2012 - Aug 2012 (a day) -
Fred Astaire Dance Studios Dance Board
Advanced Bronze Level Ballroom/Latin Dance Teaching Certification Jan 2012 - Jan 2014 (2 years) -
Ellen Heed
Sacred Anatomy and Functional Anatomy for Yoga Teachers Jan 2012 - Dec 2012 (a year) -
Reiki Master Teacher Aaron Weston
Usui Reiki Level I, II & III Attunement Certification Jan 2011 - Jan 2014 (3 years) -
West Hartford Yoga
200-Hour Yoga Alliance Certification for Teacher Training Jan 2011 - Dec 2011 (a year)
Education
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Central Connecticut State University
Bachelor of Science in Business Management and Organization 2005 - 2009
Experience
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Yoga Instructor & Continuing Education Provider
Sama Yoga Center and Oxygen Fitness Apr 2015 - May 2020 (5 years) -
Mindfulness Educator, Performance Coach, Motivational Speaker and Founder
The Carnelian Connection Mar 2015 - Present (10 years) -
Owner, Director, Yoga & Meditation Instructor
BLT Properties/Toll Brothers Rivington Club Mar 2015 - Jun 2017 (2 years) -
Yoga Instructor
West Hartford Yoga & Vital Life Center Jan 2014 - May 2020 (6 years) -
Business Development Director, Professional Dance Instructor & Competitor
Fred Astaire Dance Studios Sep 2013 - Oct 2014 (a year) -
Professional Dance Instructor, Community Coordinator, Yoga Instructor, Zumba Instructor
Fred Astaire Dance Studios Jul 2012 - Sep 2013 (a year)