Kari Liska is one of the newest additions to the Six Degrees staff community, coming on board as our front-of-house coordinator. Your fitness concierge, as it were! I checked in with Kari to learn more about her relationship with the studio, with athletics, and with wellness—all balanced with pursuing her master’s degree at the same time.

First things first: tell me about yourself!

I’ve been a Minnesota girl my whole life. I grew up in Highland Park in St. Paul, moved to Inver Grove Heights for middle school and high school, and attended college at St. Olaf in Northfield, MN (go, Oles!). I now live in South Minneapolis with my hubby. I’m in graduate school at the University of Saint Mary’s Twin Cities campus, working towards my masters in marriage and family therapy, and hope to have a career that integrates counseling/therapy with movement and exercise. I’ve been drawn to mindfulness practices since college, and can think of no better way to spend my days than helping people integrate spiritual, psychological, and physical wellness.

Speaking of those three, what’s your history with athletics and wellness?

I’ve always loved team sports. During high school, I would always do student service for the gym teachers instead of having a study hall, just so I could have two gym classes a day! I played basketball and volleyball, but by my first year of college, it was clear I wasn’t going to get much taller than 5’6”. The jumping, swinging, and hitting in volleyball were also starting to take a toll on my back, since I have scoliosis. When I went to study abroad in Asia, I began doing yoga to release the pain and tension in my upper back and shoulders, and I continued once I returned to Northfield.

So, how did you end up at Six Degrees?

Greta Ertl, one of the instructors, brought me to Six Degrees! I’m eternally grateful for her. My original goals in coming to the studio were building strength and finding a fun community to work out with. I hated the anonymity of the bigger gyms in the area. I had tried other yoga studios, and I felt like they were too packed (like I was one of those turkeys shoved into a tiny crate on back of a semi). At Six Degrees, I’ve come to know my body in ways I never expected, and my back has never felt better.

I also feel blessed to be immersed in such a cool community. Conversations and connecting with my classmates and teachers quickly became a highlight of my week. It’s such a small world, and I’m meeting people here at Six Degrees who have connections with my friends from high school, college, grad school, and work.

As the studio assistant, I’ll be focused on making sure people know what’s going on here at the studio and taking any and all suggestions about getting the word out about Six Degrees Uptown. The energy here is contagious!

I always ask everyone (even though with you, seeing you laugh at me doing Six° Barre in snowpants gives me a hint), what are your favorite classes, and which ones do you want to try out?

I LOVE BARRE! Each teacher brings an amazing twist to the workout—along with amazing playlists. I was initially intimated by the ballet components, but the staff is so knowledgeable, I made modifications fairly quickly. And of course, the props look scary at first, but they are actually really fun to use—yes, even the Magic Circle, which I never thought I’d say!

As for new stuff, I had my first go on the Reformer with Cady recently, and it was amazing. She helped me understand anatomy and the different parts of my back and core much more intricately than any of the chiropractors I’ve worked with. I also want to try out Mason’s new strength class. Other new ones for me were Becky’s Vinyasa class, which I took for the first time a few weeks ago, and Sofia’s Slow Burn Barre, which was a great compliment to the cardio and quick movements I do in other classes.

Obviously, wellness is a big part of who you are. How does your holistic view of wellness get incorporated into your life? Any tips for the rest of us?

First, I’m big on sleep. It was the running joke in college that I was a 72-year-old living in a 22-year-old’s body! I keep a regular schedule: in bed by 10pm, shooting for 8-9 hours of sleep. I just heard on the radio that too much sleep is a bad thing, but whatever… show me a person who just got 10 hours of sleep and wasn’t ridiculously happy!

It’s also really important for me to have time in the morning to read different devotionals and prepare for the day. I wake up with a million and ten thoughts racing through my head; I need time to get centered. Oh, and to drink at least one cup of coffee!

Third, I walk up to Lake Harriet often and try to walk around it three or four times a week (running when I feel like it). I even got into snow shoeing this winter (…and sadly, this spring). And finally, I really enjoy cooking and try to make most of my own meals. My husband and I got a crockpot as a wedding present, and it’s one of my new best friends, churning out grains, veggies, and beans for healthful meals.