After years of working in human resources and fighting a chronic illness, the Business Administration major discovered yoga as a way to take control of her physical, mental, and spiritual health. Now, she has opened her own studio and reveals how her support system has changed the trajectory of her career path.
In 2018, Kirsten Blair-Johnson graduated from York College of Pennsylvania with a degree in Business Administration and a minor in Human Resources. As she walked across the stage and prepared to close the chapter of her college experience, she was already envisioning what her life would look like: get married, work full-time in a human resources position, buy a house, return to campus for alumni and Greek Life events, and spend as much time as possible at the beach and traveling.
However, only a few years after achieving many of her goals, Blair-Johnson became sick from a serious illness that drastically affected her health. She spent two years visiting various specialists and trying to identify the cause.
An integrative doctor eventually gave her a new perspective on her illness; it was the result of stress and burnout, and the best way to treat it was to reset her body and explore mindful practices such as yoga and meditation. To her relief, they worked, allowing her to reflect on the best ways to take care of her health moving forward and, unexpectedly, impacting her career.
Now, Blair-Johnson is a yoga instructor herself, having opened her own studio right up the street from York College. Not only has she taught over 350 hours of classes, but she also helps others struggling with conditions similar to hers, promoting wellness and flexibility not only in their health but also in their career journeys.
“Knowing your true, raw, organic self, what you want in life, and knowing what your body and mind need is really important when you’re navigating through your career,” Blair-Johnson said.
A Drive to Create and Manage
Blair-Johnson’s decision to attend York College was an unexpected one. Born and raised in York, PA, she initially planned to follow her friends’ lead and travel out of state for college. But when she visited York College, she found her attention captivated by the campus, its size, and the opportunities it offered.
“I remember walking up to the fountain and being like, ‘Yeah, I can totally see myself sitting here, studying, hanging out with friends,’” said Blair-Johnson.
York College also had a Business Administration program that appealed to her and her drive to create. Growing up, Blair-Johnson was always found crafting art projects, menus, recipes, short books, inventions, and so much more. She always wanted to be the leader on big projects or inventions, and that desire led her to take a business class in high school.
By the end of it, she had fallen in love with the human resources and finance management side of these projects, especially since they involved a balance of both math and creativity.
“It just felt like a really good way to pair my artsy talents with my organizational talents, and I knew I wanted to be in a role that made a difference in people’s lives,” she said.
Blair-Johnson also participated in a college internship where she studied under a human resources manager at Johnson Controls in York and her grandmother worked. For her, seeing a role model in action sealed the deal and pushed her to align her future career goals with the human resources work done there.
“I think that’s what drew me to HR as well; I was still able to help people on a personal level while upholding the standards of a business and having the structure of the policies,” she said. “So I always liked that 50-50 mix.”
Greek Life and Work Experiences
One of the most meaningful experiences Blair-Johnson had at York College was joining her sorority, Phi Sigma Sigma. Since most of her close friends had left York for college, Blair-Johnson didn’t know many people when she came in as a first-year student.
Becoming involved with Greek Life allowed her to meet new people and get active on campus. Many of her lifelong friendships were formed as a result, and she even met her husband, Dalton Johnson ‘16, through one of the York College fraternities. Many helpful skills and opportunities were made available to her as well.
“Greek Life opened a lot of doors for me to learn how to network…[and] figure out who my people were,” Blair-Johnson said. “I found people who would accept me as I was; it was nice that I could really embrace the on-campus life through that, otherwise I may not have come out of my shell.”
She also gained hands-on experience in the campus Human Resources office. As part of the financial aid work-study program, Blair-Johnson spent four years working with the HR staff. Through it, she was able to see what it was like to utilize her major and minor in the real world while discovering the benefits of working on campus.
“Having a job on campus taught me time management skills to be able to balance school work, Greek Life, studying, and visiting my family,” she said.
Overall, her experience on campus set Blair-Johnson up for success after graduation. As her first full-time job post-grad, she served as a human resources administrator. And as an alumna, she continues to volunteer with her sorority and attend YCP events.
Even as she continued to advance her career, Blair-Johnson never forgot her roots and expressed how much her time at York College helped to shape her into the person she is today, thanks to everything that the College had to offer.
From Human Resources to Holistic Healing
For the next seven years, Blair-Johnson would continue doing human resource generalist work and roles in various sectors, including higher and public education and corporate manufacturing. During that time, she got married, bought a house in York, and even set a long-term goal of visiting all 50 states.
However, during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, Blair-Johnson contracted the virus and developed double pneumonia in both of her lungs. It resulted in her taking a plethora of prescriptions to treat her condition, and even with them, she was left with many long-term symptoms. She also experienced back-to-back losses of a family member and a friend within three months.
All of this culminated in her falling ill again from an intestinal and stomach infection. She went through a number of specialists, even taking trial drugs at a Johns Hopkins University research center, spending thousands of dollars on experimental medications.
Blair-Johnson’s health rapidly deteriorated over the course of two years, and her need for a remedy culminated in her visiting a holistic doctor. The diagnosis that she was given shocked her more than anything she had been told up until that point; aside from the infection, there was nothing medically wrong with her, and it was the result of stress. Her nervous system was failing her.
After exhausting all her options, the doctor recommended practicing yoga and meditation. Even though she was initially skeptical, Blair-Johnson gave it a chance and began following guided videos on YouTube with her husband for one hour a night. When she found it was yielding positive results, she began taking official classes.
For Blair-Johnson, the decision to pivot wasn’t about falling out of love with Human Resources, a field she spent years passionately building a career in. Instead, it was a matter of listening to her body.
“Basically, it was demanding work duties, stress, and being burnt out,” she said. “My immune system just couldn’t handle it.”
She genuinely loved the work, finding deep fulfillment in building connections and applying the skills she had cultivated since college. But as she poured herself into more demanding roles, the physical toll of her dedication began to mount. Eventually, she decided to start a new career, even if leaving a beloved field was bittersweet.
“Changing careers was really interesting because through it all, I actually still loved my career and job duties, I wanted to be successful,” Blair-Johnson said. “This was just something that was happening below the surface of my body that I had no idea was affecting me so badly until it was almost too late.”
Discovering a New Calling
Once she began to recover, Blair-Johnson was approached by her yoga teacher from one of her classes, who asked whether she had ever considered teaching. The idea intrigued her, and although she worried whether it was something she could turn into a full-time career, Blair-Johnson decided to see what she could do with the experience.
She received her certification after a year, and Blair-Johnson began hosting backyard practice classes with friends and family for feedback. And when she felt she had received enough experience, Blair-Johnson applied and taught at several studios around York.
By the end of 2024, Blair-Johnson came home and told her husband she was going to quit her final human resources job to start teaching yoga full-time.
“I taught at the studios for a couple of years, working for other people, but I knew I had more in me,” she said.
Around the same time, the holistic doctor who helped Blair-Johnson reached out to say she was starting her own practice. She mentioned that a studio had opened in her building that Blair-Johnson should check out, and within 24 hours, she signed a lease for her current studio space.
Yoga with KBJ, LLC
Blair-Johnson officially opened her studio, Yoga with KBJ, LLC, in November 2025 on 1224 South Queen Street in the South York Business Center building. The location is close to York College and houses many other wellness professionals.
“It’s nice to be surrounded by like-minded individuals who offer those services,” she said.
Blair-Johnson’s work includes hosting group yoga sessions and one-on-one yoga coaching, holistic health programs, sound baths, guided meditations, and yoga retreats. She also partners with local businesses to bring fun wellness-themed events to the community, such as yoga followed by a trip to a local coffee shop, yoga and mocktails at local alcohol-free bars and restaurants, and yoga in the park.
As of now, she holds a 200-hour certification and is on track to earn her E-RYT 200 (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher). She is also a holistic health practitioner and a sound practitioner, which she uses to help others find the wellness she did and the benefits that practicing yoga and meditative exercises brought her.
“Truly, every single human on this planet can benefit from taking their health into their own hands, exploring what wellness means to them, and adding longevity to their lives for their future families and loved ones,” said Blair-Johnson.
In her mind, health is wealth – if a person is not healthy, then they can’t have a good quality of life. This has pushed Blair-Johnson to continue learning about the science behind health and wellness as it continuously evolves. And just as she encourages others to keep practicing and exploring ways to improve their health, she is making adjustments as needed for what fits for her.
Pivoting to a Path of Wellness
Looking back on the past eight years, Blair-Johnson never expected these changes. But at the root of it all, she acknowledged that both her successes in human resources and in yoga can be traced back to her time at York College.
“My experience at York College set me up for success in both of my chosen careers,” she said. “I learned a lot about myself, my direct community, and my field of study. Being a founder of a business, I am a one-man band. I have to utilize these skills daily to keep my business running successfully. From bookkeeping to designing merch and advertising to teaching classes and creating yoga playlists, I am doing it all!”
One of the College’s strengths in her mind is its number of sororities, each with its own values and philanthropies. Because of the work and experiences she completed, Blair-Johnson not only benefited the campus but also made a direct impact on the York community. It was her way of giving back to the community that raised her.
“It was a great opportunity to learn how to network and how to present myself,” Blair-Johnson said. “[Also], how to uphold the values of an organization. Of course, that’s valuable when you work for yourself or other companies because you always want to put your best foot forward if you’re representing something larger than yourself.”
She still utilizes those skills in her yoga profession, and, as a result, Blair-Johnson found a passion that allows her to balance her health and work while staying connected to the York College community. And along the way, she has been recognized in many different ways, including:
- Winning 1st place in the York and Hanover 2026 Community Choice Awards for Best Yoga Studio in the Sport and Fitness Category
- Volunteering and mentoring active sorority sisters in Phi Sigma Sigma as a Chapter Key Advisor
- Being a certified Mental Health First Aid Giver
- Affiliating with the Buy Local Coalition in York, PA, and the YCP chapter Alpha Alpha Alpha
As a result of her experiences, Blair-Johnson leaves this advice: never be afraid to pivot, regardless of where someone is in their career journey. Although it may be scary at the time or a daunting task to take on, if it is something the person loves and they are willing to put in the work to achieve it, then they should do it.
Blair-Johnson never expected to be teaching yoga in her lifetime, but she is so glad that she found it. Not only for the impact it has made on her career path, but also on her health, and how she shares wellness for others who have struggled just like she did.
“It’s okay to pivot. If you have an idea or an invention, take the leap to achieve it with confidence,” Blair-Johnson said. “Confidence is huge when you’re going out on your own and exploring these opportunities. You really have to lean into it and do your research, find networking opportunities with other like-minded individuals in your community who will support you and see your vision. Small businesses in your local communities make such a huge impact, and I think it’s really just about finding yourself through the process of it all. You matter, and you will find healing.”
