Attending the Kaiut Yoga Intensive with Francisco Changed My Life

Our student Jeannine offers her transformative experience with the Practice Intensive below. If you have any questions about our upcoming practice intensive events, please reach out to us. Check out our upcoming events here.

When I signed up for the 7-Day Intensive held last January, I had been practicing for less than a year. I was only making it to class once or twice a week and honestly felt like I was just beginning. When I saw the flyer announcing the intensive with Francisco’s picture, though, something deep inside me simply said, “Yes.”

That “yes” came with plenty of fear.

As the intensive approached, I questioned whether I should cancel. I imagined everyone else would have years of experience, and I wondered if I belonged there at all.

But beneath all of those doubts was something stronger: a deep desire to feel at home in my body again. I had been living with chronic pain in my glutes, stiffness in my hips and lower back, and my acupuncturist had encouraged me to try KaiutYoga. Finding the Boulder Center just minutes from my home, and knowing I could continue practicing online while traveling felt like the perfect invitation.

So I showed up.

On the very first day, Francisco spoke directly to the fears I hadn’t even voiced. He told those of us who were newer to the practice that we should be grateful. Surrounded by practitioners with years of experience, we would be carried by the collective energy and commitment in the room. Instead of being behind, we were being lifted forward.

That simple perspective changed everything.

Throughout the week, I learned not to fear discomfort but to be with it. In a room filled with nearly one hundred people, I felt completely safe. The technology amazed me as well. Francisco taught from the screen at the front of the room while cameras throughout the space allowed him to see each of us individually. When I suddenly heard him call my name and gently correct the position of my legs, I realized he truly saw every person in that room.

One of the greatest gifts of the intensive was the opportunity to ask Francisco questions directly.

For years I had struggled with chronic constipation. During the intensive something shifted dramatically, and when I asked Francisco what had happened, his answer was surprisingly simple: my body wasn’t broken, it was stressed in a bad way. He encouraged me to continue practicing daily and take long, slow, gentle walks. Following that advice changed my life. I have not struggled with constipation since.

As a concert pianist who practices two to four hours each day, I also asked him how to incorporate the hand work we were learning. Rather than offering a generic answer, he gave me a thoughtful progression, practice once a week, notice how my playing felt, and gradually increase only when my body was ready. His guidance was individualized, practical, and deeply respectful of my life as a musician.

Equally transformative was discovering the community. I spent the week with nearly one hundred people from across the country who were deeply committed to Kaiut Yoga as a way of life. I heard story after story from people whose lives had been transformed through years of dedicated practice. Many had come seeking relief from chronic pain and had gone on to become teachers themselves. Some regained the ability to walk comfortably. Others found freedom from long-standing physical limitations. But what united everyone was not simply healing, it was a greater capacity to enjoy life.

One of Francisco’s final teachings has especially stayed with me ever since. He shared that, according to the ancient Vedic tradition, the physical blockages we leave unresolved remain part of our journey. Whether or not someone shares that belief, what I heard was a profound invitation: care for your body now. Don’t wait. The work of becoming freer, more open, and more alive matters.

I left that week knowing I had found far more than a yoga practice. I had found a lifelong community, a way of caring for my body, and a daily practice that gives me hope, peace, and confidence that I can continue to move through life with greater ease and joy.