Meet Christy Maskeroni Price | Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, Certified Yoga Teacher, Certified Personal Trainer, & Owner of ALULA COLLECTIVE

We had the good fortune of connecting with Christy Maskeroni Price and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Christy, what is the most important factor behind your success?
There are a few things that are incredibly important to me and what I think has helped my successes – connection, integrity, and education. CONNECTION If someone is taking the time to take my class or book a session with me, I want to take the opportunity to genuinely connect with them in some way. INTEGRITY The health, wellness, and yoga world is an interesting place (I am sure like many others). It can be easy to get caught up in finding the easy way, fastest way, or trendiest way especially with the use of social media these days. It is important to me to do what I do with integrity behind it. It may take me longer to get noticed but i whole-heartedly believe in staying true to myself and to others — to not concede for a trend, a quick win, or outside pressures like social media, etc. EDUCATION I am incredibly passionate about what I do so it makes it easy to continue to learn, grow, and expand. I take what I do seriously and want to be the best support I can be for my students and clients. If someone is coming to me with an injury, illness, or just a general question I want to be able to support them to the best of my ability. Also, I often collaborate with other experts when something is beyond my scope of practice or there is a need for additional support. I am a firm believer that it is the integration of several modalities that help us all live our most optimal.Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started out working in fashion design right out of college. While I was lucky enough to have a job working as a design assistant for an incredible designer, it never felt quite right. It didn’t take me long to realize I wasn’t doing what I felt called to do. So, I left to start over. I ended up back in school again to pursue my Masters in Nutrition and Applied Physiology and become a Registered Dietitian. Since then I haven’t looked back. I do think that my creative side stuck around — it’s what pushed me to be on my own, to start my own business, and to create something different. I think what sets me apart from others is that I have my own way of doing things. I have learned a lot of techniques along the way — receiving education in various forms of movement, food, plants, and other integrative techniques. It has helped me get through my own health concerns and hard times. And, it has allowed me to share, empower, and educate others on how to support themselves. I also teach a very different form of yoga. One that is less familiar to the Dallas area. While I was originally trained in a vinyasa style, I found a hatha style of yoga over 8 years ago that really integrated what I had been searching for. “Katonah Yoga is ® is a syncretic Hatha yoga practice developed by Nevine Michaan over 40 years ago. She and her teachers incorporate classical Hatha yoga with Taoist theory, geometry, magic, mythology, metaphor, and imagination — in a practical framework designed to potentiate personal and communal well-being.” The focus on form and function — why are you doing that particular yoga pose? What is it helping you achieve? — are some of the questions that are answered with this practice. I continue to study this style along with other forms of yoga and techniques like acupressure that integrate Traditional Chinese Medicine. And, I am so so grateful that others have shown interest in the information and practice I have formed. I feel really lucky to be spreading such great knowledge and information to other students and teachers that want to learn more. Doing what I do is the easy part. Sharing, connecting, and teaching comes more naturally so it has been easy (in a sense) to just keep taking the steps forward. However, putting myself and my business out there is not so effortless. I would say marketing myself and my business has been the greatest challenge for me.  Doing things like THIS is how I try and overcome it. Also, I am not from Dallas. I only moved here a few years ago from NYC. So, coming to a new city with a different way of teaching and different ideas has been interesting. Dallas can feel very small sometimes. What helps me overcome these challenges are the people that come to a class, refer me, or book privates with me. I don’t need to be the most popular or the trendiest — I just want to connect with people and maybe show them a few techniques to help support, heal, or just make them feel good. I may have some info but I truly believe it is the individual that really helps and heals themselves.  One of my biggest lessons that I have learned along the way (and that I am continuing to learn from) is that not everyone is going to like what you love and that is more than ok. That imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and you can’t let it stop you from being creative. ALULA COLLECTIVE was born out of a desire to create an inclusive space for everyone that integrates a multitude of techniques to cultivate a life well lived. We collaborate with other experts and professionals in the wellness world to offer unique workshops and experiences that support our well-being including: ALULA in Nature – giving us the opportunity to explore and connect with the nature that surrounds our area; ALULA Wellness — creating events around nutrition, herbs, and other integrative topics; ALULA Creative – allowing us to tap into our creative side thru various forms of art; ALULA Sound & Acupuncture – giving us the opportunity to support our body thru the combination of acupuncture treatment with the vibration and resonance of sound healing instruments; and ALULA Sonic Sound Bath – one of my all time favorites because it is done in collaboration with my husband, an incredible musician, bringing meditative sounds to support a deeper state of rest and relaxation thru guitar, crystal bowls, gongs, and other healing instruments. We’ve been offering this experience for many years together and always have a blast. And, of course, much more including educational trainings in Katonah Yoga®, Yin Yoga, Restorative Yoga, and other techniques we have learned along the way. We have just recently closed our physical space for the time being but plan to have a space again in the near future when life supports indoor, group classes in a safe way. For now, we continue on in creative ways — online and outdoors and I continue to see one-on-one’s both virtually and in-person.Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
What a fun question. I feel like I too am still getting to know Dallas. To eat: Medina oven and bar HG Supply & Co Kalachandjis To drink: I love a tequila cocktail at the Mezcaleria, Las Almas Cosmos For a health cocktail: The Gem Juiceland Roots Juice For coffee and other warm beverages and things: Merit Coffee Fiction Coffee Bonton Farms To visit & hang: A picnic at White Rock Lake or the Dallas Arboretum A bike ride around Deep Ellum or around the Katy Trail Cedar Ridge Preserve for a good hikeWho else deserves some credit and recognition?
Wow. There are so many I would want to give a shout out to. I feel like it is the incredible love and support from family, friends, mentors, teachers and students that have gotten me to where I am. BUT, it is also the people that I had to learn big lessons from that have helped me along the way. My parents and my siblings for always believing in me and what I could accomplish. My husband, Mack, who teaches me everyday through his own work, that hard efforts, dedication, and heart is what keeps us moving forward. My teachers and mentors – I am so thankful for the people I have met along the way. And, of course, my students and clients — their belief and trust in what I do allows me to continue to support others in their health and wellness journey.

Website: www.alulacollective.com

Instagram: @alulacollectivealula

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cmaskeroni/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alulacollectivealula

Image Credits
Samuel Solomon