Kata, Cristina Penna
KATA is the abbreviation for katatsumuri, the Japanese word for snail. I received this name from my yoga instructors when I graduated from the Odaka Yoga Zen Warrior course. In Japan, the snail is a symbol of perseverance and patience, representing the concept of "a slow and steady victory."
MY LIFE
I always planned everything. And I had everything: a husband, a house, friends, a job. Until, in 2009, my life suddenly fell apart piece by piece. I found the strength to rebuild myself, prioritizing my mental health and working hard on myself. Yoga played a fundamental role.
A few years ago, I left my secure job as a sales manager at a major multinational, earned a second degree, found a second great love, and moved from Italy to California.
Life and the work I did on myself taught me that your happiness shouldn't depend on external factors, otherwise, it isn't truly yours. And I discovered that life always has a lot to offer, but only if you are ready to see the many possibilities in front of you and if you are capable and willing to change your perspective and approach.
'Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. ' Eistein
MY BACKGROUND
When we are young, we make many mistakes driven by the expectations of those around us. And so, without listening to myself, I initially graduated in law because I thought that fulfilling my desire for justice would suffice; but I soon realized that I would suffer too much in pursuing it. I therefore opted for a more "neutral" job and pursued a postgraduate master's degree in marketing.
I worked for almost twenty years as a sales and marketing manager, managing very large sales teams and using coaching as an approach technique. I liked it, but to stay centered (and not kill anyone), I simultaneously cultivated my practice of yoga and meditation and graduated as a yoga teacher in 2018, immediately starting to teach in my free time and continuing to study yoga and meditation.
At the beginning of 2020, with Covid having put many people I knew in difficulty, I began to engage more regularly in my coaching, mentorship, and support activities, helping people overcome obstacles and achieve their personal and professional goals.
Always passionate about psychology, I decided not to waste my time with Netflix series, but to pursue a master's degree in clinical psychology. After five years of study plus three months of internship in Germany (at a foundation specializing in psychedelic therapies), I graduated in 2023 with a thesis on new approaches to treating depression.
My work as a coach continues with great satisfaction and success. My master degree here in California is not fully recognized, and I cannot work as a psychologist, but I can still accompany you on your journey using all my knowledge of psychology, yoga, meditation and coaching.
If you wish to learn more, you can find my LinkedIn profile here: Cristina Penna - Samdea Mala
MY STUDIES IN BRIEF
- 2001: Master's degree in law
- 2002: Annual postgraduate master's degree in Marketing
- 2015: Training as a sexual consultant
- 2016: Leadership and Coaching Course
- 2018: Yoga teacher diploma (Odaka style) - Continued training with: Trauma-informed Yoga, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (USA), Yoga for eating disorders. RYT500 hours
- 2023: Master's degree in clinical psychology
MY WORK AS A COACH
In 2012, when I began managing a team of people in my professional life, I decided to do so using coaching techniques I had learned during a 3-year leadership program provided by the company where I worked. In 2018, I started applying what I had learned in managing my team (which then consisted of 54 people) outside of the corporate context, by helping a friend who was struggling to launch her new business. Together, we built a business project, but more importantly, I helped her abandon her old mental patterns that were holding her back from success and develop a new openness to the world. Now her business is thriving, and she has blossomed.
Over time, I have supported many other people, both as a coach and in creating personalized japamalas: the conversation with me and the subsequent meditation work has been, for many of my clients, a small inner journey, a starting point that has revealed their deepest motivations and the real obstacles to overcome.
After obtaining my psychology degree, I now work as an online coach, preferring individual sessions and monthly follow-ups because I believe that everyone has the capacity to succeed within themselves, that it often doesn't require weekly sessions, but that regular help can better support each change.
In our sessions, we will talk about you, who you are, and your desires, and I will provide you with the necessary tools to achieve what you want.
I managed to escape the nightmare I found myself in in 2009 thanks to the support I received from two skilled professionals. It is very difficult to do everything alone, and help can save you a lot of unnecessary effort, much hardship, and time spent in vain. If I hadn't sought help back then, I probably couldn't offer it now.
Whether you wish to embark on a small journey with me to create your mala, or you desire a profound evolutionary transformation through my support with Entropic Yoga Therapy, I am here for you: you will be in a safe place where you can speak freely.
Love, compassion, trasformation, happyness
Cristina