Yoga Studio Owner Launches Homeless Nonprofit

by Blake Herzog
In the year she’s lived in Prescott, Christine Streveler has opened a yoga studio that led her to launch a nonprofit benefiting women in recovery from homelessness, domestic violence or substance abuse. 
“I’m very excited, very happy. I feel a smile every day. I’m so proud that I get to offer this to the community and be of service,” she says.
Streveler moved here in 2019 from Chicago, where she’d managed yoga studios for a decade.
“I noticed a little bit of a void from what I was used to,” she says, so she decided to open one of her own, Your Soul Shine at 843 Miller Valley Road. 
She was getting ready to open last spring when COVID-19 intervened and delayed her opening to August. Once opened, her class size was capped at seven students, limiting her reach. 
Then, she got a voicemail from a staff member at a local recovery center that expanded her mission in ways she’d never imagined — she created a nonprofit arm of her studio to serve women in recovery.
“My first week of being open, I had 21 women in recovery wanting to come to my studio for class and we can only accommodate seven because of COVID,” she says. “About two weeks later, I decided no one’s going to get turned away.” 
All these women have experienced hardships in the recent past and are in the process of getting back on their feet. Yoga can be part of that journey, Streveler says. 
“Yoga is such a wonderful healing modality to add to something when you’re going through a tough transition. Having a space of community and peace and acceptance is so critically important. I started the nonprofit off of that and just wanting to help women in recovery,” she says. 
Many of the 21 women are already taking yoga classes at Your Soul Shine, and all have their own yoga mat, paid for with a donor’s check. Many other community members have come forward with offers of gift bags, massages, haircuts and other goods and services. 
Streveler is busy with the administrative work involved with forming Peace-Full Oasis, the 501(c)3 she’s created to manage all the assistance that’s coming in. Her son Chris Streveler, who plays for the Arizona Cardinals, is the president of the newly formed board. 
She hasn’t been formally promoting Peace-Full Oasis to the public yet, but says, “Everybody that I seem to mention it to wants to be involved, either a ‘Can I help you’ sort of way, or ‘I’d like to donate this sort of way.’” 
She’s not sure exactly where her efforts to help these women through the power of yoga and its discipline will develop over time, but Streveler says she is excited to see where it leads. 
“I think it’s going to be really big, and I’m very proud of this,” she says. “It’s definitely a sweet spot in my heart, giving back is always key in my mind. And holding everyone to their highest selves. 
“And that’s sort of what yoga is all about, right? It’s not about if you can touch your toes, it’s about just being your best self, finding the peace and calm and clarity within yourself. And within that, there are a lot of healing properties.” 
For information on how to contribute to Peace-Full Oasis, email peacefulloasis@gmail.com or visit its new website at www.peace-fulloasis.org 
For information about Your Soul Shine visit www.yoursoulshine.com or call 815-900-0369.