Moms Who Inspire: Heidi Kristoffer

When I think of Heidi Kristoffer only one word comes to mind: Balance.

Whether it’s balancing career and home or literally balancing on her hands (she’s known for her killer yoga inversion skills), this mama of two knows how to juggle all the different things that are thrown her way.

Heidi is the creator of the popular CrossflowX, a class that combines yoga and plyometrics at two New York City studios as well as the creator and producer of Microsoft’s Bing Fitness Yoga. Although she’s extremely successful at work, if you asked Heidi what her biggest achievement is to date, she’d say her two little twin girls Priscilla and Alexia that she cleverly calls PandA.

I’ve been lucky to know Heidi for a few years now, and during our friendship there is one defining moment that showed me how much motherly love she holds inside of her…

It was September 2014 and I was having lunch with Heidi at a popular Vegan NYC restaurant.

Amidst our conversation the subject of children came up.

Heidi and I were both in the process of trying to conceive at the time. I was only a month in, and Heidi had been trying for quite some time. As most trying to conceive stories go, the emotional upset that came along with wondering whether or not it was ever going to happen was weighing heavy on her.

As we talked, Heidi openly shared her struggles with me, only to eventually pause and say, “But you know Anna, whenever I catch myself getting down I just close my eyes and imagine myself holding my babies and all the anxiety, all the stress, goes away. I know that this, all of this, is worth it.”

In that moment, I remember thinking how lucky her children will be, because the love that she had inside for them before she even knew they existed was already so powerful.

It’s because of this woman’s amazing heart that I’m so excited to share this interview with you.

What’s your favorite part about being a mom?

1. Getting to cuddle with my amazing babies and watch them grow into themselves and evolve. I still look at them every day and can’t believe that they are mine! I love them so much, it blows my mind on a moment to moment basis. There are so many favorite parts about being a mom, but I would say the favorite is the sheer amount of love.

What’s been the biggest challenge being a mom?

2. Finding a balance between doing the work I love and serving others, and spending enough time with my girls. I want my daughters to know that it is possible to be a mom and have a career, and follow your passions, but I don’t want that in any way to make me feel like I am missing a moment of their incredible journey. I want them to know that they will always come first for me, and I will be there for them always, no matter what – that NOTHING is more important to me than my family.

Self-care can be a challenge for moms. What advice do you have for moms who want to incorporate more self-care into their lives?

3. Oof. That is such a tough one. It is such a challenge as a new mom to learn to carve time out of your day for yourself. For me, it worked to have the goal of making it to one yoga class a week with a teacher who made me feel supported and inspired so that I could fill my well, and give it back to my children. Sometimes I make it, sometimes I don’t, but making it a priority to schedule it is helpful and definitely makes me a better mom. Whatever fills your well, start with trying to schedule it once a week. If you can do more, by all means, go for it! But, schedule it, or it won’t happen.

What’s the one piece of relationship advice you would give to new parents?

4. Date night. It is so, so hard – especially since I don’t think any parent wants to miss bedtime, but you need to have one-on-one time with your significant other to remind yourselves why you had babies together in the first place (ahem – you LOVE each other), and to feel like humans and not “just” parents.

What’s one thing that people would be surprised to learn about you as a mom?

5. Not really sure what might surprise people. Perhaps that my children are on a pretty rigid schedule? With twins, I just can’t imagine it any other way. They both wake up at the same time (we wake them up), eat at the same time, nap at the same time, etc. The schedule is the same every day, and they seem to thrive on that (I know I do!)

What lesson do you most want to pass on to your child?

6. I want my girls to know that they are loved. I want them to know that I loved them before I met them, and that I will love them every moment of the rest of their lives. I want them to know that they are enough, simply by existing, exactly as they are, and that they are a treasured gift of the universe. I want my daughters to learn that both my and the universe’s love is unconditional, and that nothing will ever change that.

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