Experiences

I did the SMART course in 2020-2021 while I was doing my teacher training RYT200 for yoga and it complimented my learning. I am also a health care practitioner and amongst the COVID pandemic was looking for CME on resilience, This SMART course fit the bill. Kristin is a great teacher, and we had many intimate group interactions (break out rooms, meditations, yoga, didactic videos) via zoom making the weekly meet ups an excitement that I would look forward to. The duration of 8 weeks was ideal as well. Although not fond of paperwork/ homework I eventually found the benefit in the exercises, as they built on the foundation of the course. I would definitely  recommend this course.

The SMART program was introduced to me at the ideal time. I was unaware of how much I could benefit from it until I completed the 8-week program. Kristin is a highly effective communicator and has a very engaging teaching style.

While I had a good background in anatomy and physiology (not essential for this program) from my university education, it was the mind-body connection that was the missing component that was built on.

This training increased my stress awareness and opened my eyes to how I have been holding tension in my jaw, neck and shoulders. The management strategies are effective and able to be employed even during a busy workday. As a result, the program has allowed me to improve my communication with my patients on this topic while better managing my own stress and reparative sleep.

There are many pearls that can be extracted from the SMART program. I am trained in conventional medicine and have not given much consideration for mind-body medicine until now. Kristin does an excellent job at explaining the science of stress and the role that mind body medicine plays to mitigate. I have personally implemented many of the tools from the program and my days definitely feel more balanced. There is a reason that the program is 8 weeks, because it takes time to create change within our body. I am happy to say that after taking the SMART program I personally notice a different as to how I approach and respond to my stressful days. It has also been very beneficial to my personal and patient relationships.

Studying the science behind our response to stress and the ways we can adapt that response was very enlightening. As a professional who deals with stressful situations on a daily basis, I found these techniques very helpful and enjoyable. 

Following the 8weeks I was able to better manage workplace stress, experienced much more restful deep sleep, and found I appreciated life’s many positive events every day.

What a wonderful course, I can’t thank Kristin enough! Not only is she super friendly, but also very knowledgeable and extremely passionate. This course provides you with valuable techniques to manage the stresses in your life; from daily appreciations to meditating to laughing – you learn a lot about yourself throughout the 8 weeks. It has given me a new perspective and the tools to guide me throughout my life.

The SMART program blends together positive psychology, meditation and body awareness into a usable wellness self-management program.  I learned effective strategies to engage with day-to-day stress and to guide me towards mind stillness and body relaxation.  Thank you, Kristin, for your leadership!

This course has been such a beneficial experience to me. Being a new graduate and a fairly new clinic owner, everything was stressful, and I brought a lot of those things home. With this course I can sleep better, definitely able to stop throughout the day and manage the stress – able to do much more mini meditations. It’s all about being guided in the correct way and seeing the connection the nervous system has on the rest of the body and how it impacts us on our day-to-day living, from eating – sleeping – and even being motivated to wake up. This course has definitely opened doors to a lot of opportunity to grow as a Leader in the office, but to grow as an individual and dig deeper into my mind and soul.

I just finished Dr. Kristin Yont’s SMART program. As a dental professional the course was extremely valuable in helping provide me with tools to manage day to day stresses. The meditation practice and recognition skills will be very useful for all parts of my life. She is very knowledgeable and passionate about this area of health care, and it shows in her presentation. 

The stress management and resiliency training course is very close to my heart as this course transitioned me mentally. I suffered from chronic migraine and was under the care of a Physician. I was prescribed stronger medications and Botox as I used to get 12-14 episodes of migraine attacks. I sat down with Dr Yont and expressed how my medical condition is affecting my life. This is when I was introduced to this course. I don’t have enough words to express how this course was a game changer for me.

This course is very person focussed. I felt I was being taught one to one even though we were in a group. Provides many tips and skills to utilize when having to identify and manage emotions and stress. I never wanted her session to end as she is an amazing communicator and a teacher.

Since I did this course my dependency on my migraine pills and Botox treatment have been reduced. I am so glad that I was introduced to this course.

Really practical course that was extremely helpful and enjoyable. Very relaxed after this course.

I highly recommend the SMART program with Dr. Kristin Yont.  ​ As a medical professional I appreciated the actual scientific and clinical research that is at the core of this program.  Mind body medicine is a rapidly evolving science and understanding how stress affects the body from a biological and neurological focus is crucial in learning how to effectively deal with it. ​ Dr. Yont’s enthusiasm for mind body medicine and the techniques learned  from stress perception to coping strategies and relaxation meditation is invaluable for resiliency and well being.  

This program is so practical! Using Mind-Body Medicine as a backdrop, it offers easy-to-implement techniques to build stress resiliency. Kristin is an intuitive, natural teacher and I come back to what I have learned from her here on a daily basis!

I very much enjoyed my SMART course. Kristin was extremely knowledgeable and engaging over the 8 weeks even through the zoom format. I found the course increased my awareness of stress and my responses to it in my life. It gave me skills to reframe. I particularly liked the meditative techniques we learned as a way to relax. I would recommend the course to increase your knowledge and to help decrease the effects stress has on your body.

Very much enjoyed the SMART course! I found it to be an insightful experiential approach to learning the science of stress recognition, mind body effects, and relaxation techniques to cope differently and build resilience. The meditative moments were especially enjoyable. Kristin is a very perceptive and engaging teacher and I continue to reflect on and learn from her guidance through this program. I would recommend the SMART course.

Kristin, I can’t thank you enough for the “lifechanging” effects this program has had on me.

We are all impacted by stress to varying degrees and how we cope with it can affect our quality of life significantly. I have always believed in the mind-body connection and although I have explored some of the concepts to some degree, the SMART program provided an in-depth overview of the many resources available to help transmute unhealthy stress levels to a manageable level that allows us to become more responsive and resilient rather than reactive.

Kristin is a breath of fresh air! Her method of teaching and connecting with her students makes learning and implementing the concepts so enjoyable! This is such a valuable program that will provide you with life-long tools to help you become more empowered, positive, relaxed, productive and joyful!

This course has been such a beneficial experience to me. Being a new graduate and a fairly new clinic owner, everything was stressful, and I brought a lot of those things home. With this course I can sleep better, definitely able to stop throughout the day and manage the stress – able to do much more mini meditations. It’s all about being guided in the correct way and seeing the connection the nervous system has on the rest of the body and how it impacts us on our day-to-day living, from eating – sleeping – and even being motivated to wake up. This course has definitely opened doors to a lot of opportunity to grow as a Leader in the office, but to grow as an individual and dig deeper into my mind and soul.

I’ve been curious about meditation for a few years and became even more curious after being approached by Kristin Yont about the SMART program and its scientific approach regarding the importance of a meditation practice. Learning the science behind meditation through the SMART program helped me cultivate a meditation practice that fulfills my spirit in a new way I didn’t know was possible.

Each week of the program I would look forward to learning from a lovely group of women, who were also dealing with their own unique life stressors and learning how they were able to use the tips and tricks from each session to become more resilient.

My favourite lesson from the SMART program was the mini meditation: using a breathing pattern to focus, recenter myself or handle an acute stressful event. I also really appreciated the exercises “new and good” and “good, bad and ordinary” both of which bring special meaning to everyday situations.

Overall, the SMART program has allowed me to develop unique techniques that help me stay grounded and mindful of goals related to physical health, relationship health, and emotional stamina. I would highly recommend this course to anyone going through any time of change or adjustment periods in their life.

Taking the SMART course has been truly transformative and life-changing for me. Kristin’s delivery of the course is the perfect balance of logic and explaining the science behind stress and the relaxation response, and guiding students to feel the results of “getting out of their heads” and experience the positive effects of meditation. I was skeptical of mediation for years and had made many unsuccessful attempts at developing a practice. I had finally accepted that I was “too busy for this” and that my mind was meant to be constantly working/thinking due to the nature of my work (as a lawyer). I didn’t realize how much stress and anxiety were affecting my life, my work and my relationships until I was finally able to step back and see things with clarity that came from working with Kristin. I didn’t know that the perpetual multitasking in trying to balance a professional career with single parenting was causing me to be distracted and not present in all aspects of my life. When I finally realized that I had to make time for self-care (i.e., “recharging my battery”), I was no longer struggling to get everything done in a day. In fact, meditating for 10 minutes twice a day resulted in my work being more focused and smarter and actually having more time in my day to do things that I enjoy (and had been neglecting).

I recommend the SMART course to all parents, professionals, students, or anyone who feels the stress of being pulled in many directions in their daily lives. The course has done for me what years of therapy, prescription medications, exercise and self-help books could not accomplish, which is to finally be able to recognize and appropriately respond to stress.

The SMART program led by Dr. Kristin Yont is what I would deem as essential for any health professional! The 8-week program goes by in a flash and with many gems throughout. Kristin has a great speaking style that you can listen to all day long and you know that you are safe and secure in her excellent hands. I now do a daily meditation to start my day and I am thankful that this program exists to help others. If you are looking for more intentional positivity in your life and some great coping strategies, this program is not to be missed!