Karina Mirsky – Lead Speaker Coach

A Kalamazoo resident since 1993, Karina grew up on stage, singing and dancing in Ludington, MI. She found a passion for teaching yoga while earning her BBA in Management from Western Michigan University in the 1990’s. Over the next two decades, she lectured on yoga philosophy to over 40,000 WMU Holistic Health students.

Karina found success at a young age in the yoga industry. From her mid 20’s to mid 30’s, she was featured in media ranging from Kalamazoo’s local Encore magazine to the cover of Yoga International. From 2003-2015, she owned Sangha Yoga in downtown Kalamazoo, one of the first and most revered authentic yoga schools in Southwest Michigan. She also traveled for 15 years to train yoga teachers and host retreats in the US and abroad. 

In 2009, Karina completed an MA in Contemplative Psychology and started a private practice. Her relational and equitable pedagogy resonates with people from all walks of life. In 2018, she founded Yoga Mindset Coaching and published her first book, Make a Difference & Make a Living Teaching Yoga. Since publication, she trained hundreds of yoga teachers and therapists to become YMC coaches. 

As a longtime social justice activist, in 2021 founded an international support group for those harmed by yoga teachers and other spiritual leaders. In 2023, she retired from working in Westernized Yoga Industry to take her decades of experience into the mental health and corporate sectors. She presents to non-profits, Fortune 500 companies, and small organizations all over the world.  In 2024, she took a position as a Contemplative Group Therapist as part of Charlie Health’s online intensive outpatient program. Most recently, Karina joined forces with a local massage therapist to offer “pop-up pain management clinics” in organizations in SW Michigan. They provide education and on-site pain relief to hard-working staff, employees and executive teams, helping to boost company morale and productivity.