The Vast Method

When we use our joints over and over again in the same direction or pattern, the less we use them in other directions, and the more stuck or sticky they become. As blockages and restrictions develop in the joints they create a ripple effect, impacting the functionality of the entire system. We feel this happening through the chronic pain and stiffness that starts to show up in our body, and the stress and anxiety that shows up in our nervous system and minds.

Create New Patterns in Your Body

Vast Yoga is a non-traditional yoga method designed specifically to work with the modern body and mind. Simple movements, both passive and active, that connect mind, body, and breath allow us to return lost mobility to the body and restore physical health and balance. Many poses require you to yield and allow the pose to enter your system without trying so hard, opening space for the intelligence of your body to heal itself.

With a consistent Vast Yoga practice, people notice an improvement in the mobility of their joints, a lessening of chronic pain, and a calmer nervous system. You move better and feel better and maintain a higher quality of life for longer as you age.

With Freedom of Body Comes Freedom of Mind

Through our breath, we can train our nervous system to be calm as we sit with intense physical sensation. Doing so helps build space between outside stimuli and our mental and emotional body reactions. Off of the mat, the equanimity follows into our interactions and relationships, making us better friends, partners, and parents.

Try Vast For Free

I was quite fortunate to experience yoga with Katie in person at a workshop last winter and was immediately drawn to her positive, encouraging approach and gentle, therapeutic format. Now that I'm too far away to attend her classes in person, I've been enjoying her online offerings via Zoom, which faithfully recreate the vibe of her live sessions. She pays close attention to her students, providing appropriate modifications and suggesting additional (or alternative) props as needed, in order for each participant to achieve maximum benefit from the poses.

- Marlene

VAST yoga’s techniques work wonders! It has enabled me to stop going to the chiropractor and not have back or neck pain. My occasional sciatica has all but disappeared. I have taken several other yoga classes, and none of them has had such a positive effect on my health.

- Marcia

Katie's yoga style is unlike any other yoga I've known in over ten years of practice. I've released so much tension in my back, my jaw, and my brain. I've learned to engage specific areas that had been neglected in previous yoga. I've gained a deeper connection and better understanding of my own body. And yet, this practice is as much for your mind and soul as it is for your body.

- Rudi

Meet Katie

Katie Harpstrite began her love of yoga in 2002, and in 2009 started teaching the Iyengar method while working as an attorney. In 2013, Katie had a brain tumor epiphany, quit sitting at a desk, took a long vacation, and devoted herself to yoga full time. In 2014, she discovered Kaiut Yoga, a therapeutic method from Brazil, and shifted her practice. Katie spent extended time in Brazil in both 2015 and 2017 studying with some of the world’s most experienced teachers. She worked with Cris Sprengel of Yoga Mais to present a teacher training in January 2020.

Katie continues to grow and evolve in her approach, drawing from her practice, other teachers, and studies to create sequences to meet the needs of her students. She is grateful for all the teachers and teachings that have given her the capacity to help people of all ages and abilities learn to deeply connect. When she’s not teaching people how to be more present in their body, mind and breath, she enjoys training her new pup, Bazooka Joe, to be the best yoga dog and dancing whenever she can.

The VAST Yoga studio is located at the White Schoolhouse in Lawrence, KS. It’s a beautifully restored one-room schoolhouse that is also an event space and all-ages music venue. Katie also offers virtual classes with the same personalized guidance of being in a live class. Her aim is to give each student individualized attention so that they are seen, supported and inspired to go deep within themselves to heal from the inside out.