Hi! I’m Diana Rajchel. It’s a long story, but I moved to Kalamazoo, MI from San Francisco, CA by accident in mid-March of 2020. Now I call Kalamazoo AND San Francisco home.
But I’m no stranger to the Midwest! I was born in Northwest Indiana and I went off to have the most adventurous life I could after college. To that end, I have a spiritual counseling and consultation business that serves the San Francisco Bay area and southwestern Michigan.
When I moved to San Francisco, I struggled to find my places – the coffeeshop, the watering hole, the favorite bookstore. Then, one day as I walked back to my apartment after having found my coffee shop and bookstore combined, I passed Purusha Yoga and something about it called to me. I came in to try out the yin yoga I’d been reading about, and I found a little neighborhood home in the little yoga temple by the sea. I had no idea that they were a fitness and education powerhouse; I was just going for the glorious stretchy naps after weight lifting at the YMCA.
When I moved to Kalamazoo, I didn’t have to struggle as much to find community, but with the pandemic seeking out area yoga practice was hard. I stayed connected to Purusha through their online offerings as I could (not nearly as much as I wanted) and I even took a yoga philosophy class as a way to stay connected to that community and to understand the core of yoga as a spiritual and/or philosophical practice.
I never imagined myself becoming a yoga instructor. I’m not exactly the ascetic vegan type. Also, I’m a big person and I have been since I was 4 years old. No amount of dieting and exercise has caused me to fit what most people would consider conventionally attractive. I’ve gotten injuries from the silly to the sublime, and sometimes I have had to be still far longer than I’d like. I am anything but a human pretzel – I am exactly where I am, as I am, how I am, and according to yogic philosophy, that’s perfect.
I currently have a 200 hour yoga certification from Purusha Yoga, earned December 2, 2023. I needed to sit on a hot pad for about three hours after the final. I am also a member of the Yoga Alliance.
I am coming into my practice as an instructor with an intention of practicing radical non-judgement, non-competitiveness, and fundamental respect. Hi, I’m Diana, and I’m ready to meet you where you’re at!
Where You're at Yoga 