We’re looking forward to introducing you to Christine Anderson. Check out our conversation below.
Christine, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I wake before the world begins reaching for me, around 6 a.m. and linger in the in-between. Nestled beside my husband and our dogs, I breathe slowly, offering a silent thank you for another day.
When I rise, I begin my morning rituals. Dry brushing to awaken my body, a cleansing shower to wash the night away, always ending cold, a gentle vow to be fully present. Downstairs, I light incense and let the smoke carry my intentions upward. I prepare warm water with lemon and salt, open the door for the dogs, and step into the early light, letting the sun bless my skin before the day unfolds.
I move into some Thai Chi as prayer in motion, guiding breath and energy into harmony. Then I become still. Through breath work and meditation, I empty myself of noise and return to my center. With pen to paper, I offer gratitudes and set my aligned actions, choosing intention over urgency, devotion over distraction.
My husband and I run together as the morning opens, our shared ritual, our moving meditation. We speak our focus aloud, name what matters, and bless the day ahead. When I return home, I rinse, reset, and enter my work from a place of groundedness and peace- anchored, connected, clear ready to embrace the day.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! I’m Christine Anderson, co-founder of Sama Yoga House – an international yoga school and retreat company with a digital app and a podcast that I host. Sama means balance, and my passion is creating spaces—both in person and online – that invite people around the world to reconnect with themselves, with one another, and with the natural world.
We welcome people from all seasons of life: recent graduates, new moms, C-level executives, doctors, therapists, artists, athletes, and everyone in between. My motto is come as you are and let the practices of yoga meet you exactly where you are.
Beyond Sama, I teach public yoga and meditation classes in Austin, Texas, working with yoga studios and wellness spaces, corporate offices, pop-up events, and festivals such as the Telluride Yoga Festival. Teaching is at the heart of everything I do. I’ve been teaching for over 15 years, beginning my career as a high school art teacher on the south side of Chicago – an experience that ultimately led me to fully immerse myself in the holistic practices of yoga.
Education runs deep in my family, and I find profound joy in the art of teaching. Over the past decade, that passion has brought me into the role of yoga trainer, where I’ve led more than 18 international yoga trainings and retreats, along with at least 15 in-country trainings.
Come as you are and begin again with Sama!
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
The most impactful season of my adolescence was the one that ultimately changed the trajectory of my life. On the surface, I was a straight-A student deeply involved in sports like track, basketball, and cheerleading, as well as the arts. I had friends across many different circles and genuinely got along with everyone. I was raised in a grounded, loving home with incredible parents and many fond memories. Yet beneath it all, I was and still am deeply curious, always pushing to understand more.
By the time I was 16, that curiosity took quite the turn. I landed in the emergency room twice for alcohol poisoning and was told I needed to attend outpatient rehab during the summer of my sophomore year of high school. Being in varsity sports meant I was spending time with older kids at a young age, and I didn’t yet understand the consequences of how much I was drinking. That experience was my first real wake-up call.
Still, I was young and continued to test boundaries. By the first week of my senior year, my parents made the difficult decision to pull me out of school and send me to rehab. Suddenly, I found myself surrounded by young people withdrawing from heroin and crack cocaine, substances I had never touched, yet the gravity of their experiences profoundly shook me awake.
The rehab center sat beside a beautiful lake and included a quiet zen garden. We spent time with retired chaplains who introduced me to philosophy, think Aristotle and Socrates and invited us into deep inquiry about life, ethics, and choice. Between the stillness of the gardens and the wisdom of those teachings, I entered a level of contemplation and reflection I had never known before.
For the first time in my life, I realized I had a choice. I could live intentionally. I could shape my life with awareness rather than impulse. That inner work disrupted my familiar patterns and awakened a deeper consciousness around my decisions and the path I wanted to walk. It changed me from the inside out and ultimately set me on the path that would lead me to yoga.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Honestly, the most challenging moments of life was tending to Sama itself. Creating, running, and sustaining a business requires resilience, patience, trust, discipline, and an immense amount of time and energy and it can be incredibly lonely. I’m deeply grateful that I started Sama alongside my husband, who has been a constant rock and a driving force behind our growth. Even so, this has been, hands down, the hardest venture I’ve ever pursued.
From the beginning, my motto was hold the vision and trust the process and that belief was tested in every possible way. The stress and uncertainty were often overwhelming. Very few people truly understood the pressure we were under, aside from my parents, who were unwavering beacons of light and support.
There were many moments when I wanted to give up. I struggled with my mental health and felt deeply unbalanced, as nearly every waking hour was spent simply trying to keep us afloat. We faced setback after setback, challenges I wouldn’t wish on anyone. There was also a persistent feeling of not being fully seen or understood. Many people assume business owners live lives of glamour and ease, but the reality is far from that. The journey demanded immense sacrifice and came with real heartache.
And yet, we kept going. We kept trusting.
To be completely honest, navigating Sama through its most difficult seasons brought us into a much deeper relationship with our faith and that is truly what sustained us. I’m profoundly grateful we chose to forge ahead, because now I can feel the space and see the clearing. It doesn’t mean the work no longer requires daily devotion, but I’ve emerged clearer, more resilient, and more embodied through this process. Running Sama has shaped me in ways I never expected, it is truly a gift. I’ve gotten to witness hundreds upon hundreds of people come through our programs and see the positive transformation that takes place in their lives and it truly keeps my heart inspired and mind motivated to keep going. So for the readers, don’t give up on your dreams!
Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
My mom is one of my greatest inspirations. She is someone who always follows through on her word and consistently shows up with a helping hand and a listening ear. For over 30 years, she was a school physical education teacher, and through her example, she instilled in me a deep joy for movement and exercise.
She volunteers her time to support those in need, checks in on her friends, and lives with extraordinary compassion, openness, and joy. Her life is rooted in faith, and that grounding is clearly reflected in how she moves through the world, with grace, generosity, and integrity.
She leads an active, intentional lifestyle, caring for her body every day through cardio, strength training, and stretching. She is endlessly curious and values learning, especially through reading, while also making space for creativity, painting, writing, and sending handwritten cards she lovingly illustrates herself.
Despite navigating significant challenges, including shoulder and hip surgeries, she maintains a remarkably beautiful mindset. Her resilience, warmth, and character speak volumes. At 74, she continues to inspire me to live with the same presence, vitality, and wholehearted energy that she embodies so effortlessly.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: When do you feel most at peace?
I feel most at peace when I have nowhere to be and no obligations pulling at my attention. I feel most at peace when I have the space to go for a long run outside with my husband, or when I’m in the water, especially in the ocean surfing and watching the sun set beyond the break.
I feel most at peace in the forest, hiking with my dogs. I feel most at peace at home with my family, listening to music, sipping a cup of tea, and painting. I feel most at peace when I practice yoga and meditation consistently, as an act of devotion, a moving prayer of gratitude.
Ultimately, I feel most at peace knowing I am living my path in truth and courage, and honoring the dream I’ve been called to follow.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://samayogahouse.com
- Instagram: christine_anderson_yoga
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@SamaYogaHouse
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7pCFuC8IyfP99l9M5sk09W?si=ym6j-EOATC-wIbrqS43Fag
Instagram for sama: @sama.yoga.house
