Hi, I’m Cristi Kaido.
I know what it's like to do everything "right" and still not feel well. That's where The Mindful Mixer came from.
The Heart Behind
The Mindful Mixer
For years, I believed wellness meant checking all the boxes. I exercised. I ate well. I stayed busy. I built a career helping others. From the outside, everything looked healthy.
But underneath it all, I had become disconnected from myself.
I grew up in a home impacted by addiction. At the time, I didn't realize what I was learning. I learned how to disconnect from difficult emotions. How to keep moving no matter what. How to push through instead of pause.
Fitness became my outlet. It gave me structure, confidence, and something I could control. I became a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, and wellness coach because I genuinely wanted to help people live healthier lives.
Then, in 2020, everything changed.
I experienced a near-fatal blood clot near my heart. After emergency surgery, my surgeon told me something I'll never forget: my low resting heart rate likely saved my life.
Years of taking care of my body mattered. But that experience also taught me that being well is about how you feel, not only what you do.
I had learned how to build a healthy body.
I had never learned how to truly slow down.
Slowing Down Is a Skill | Not a Luxury
Most of us don't realize how disconnected we've become until we're finally given permission to pause. Most of us were never taught how to take that pause.
The Mindful Mixer is about creating intentional moments where people can reconnect: with themselves, with one another, and with the present moment.
What I Bring to This Work
I'm a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, and wellness coach through NASM, with additional training in advanced personal training and behavior-based coaching through Elite Trainer Academy. I've led corporate wellness workshops, keynote presentations, and community experiences for organizations across Central New York.
But honestly, what I bring goes beyond certifications. I understand what it feels like to look healthy on the outside while feeling disconnected on the inside, and what it takes to come back from that place.
Some of my favorite moments happen after the workshop is over. When someone tells me, "I didn't realize how much I needed that." Or when a team that walked in stressed and disconnected leaves laughing together.
What I Believe
Wellness means reconnecting with what's already there, not adding more to your plate.
You can exercise consistently. Eat nutritious foods. Build a successful career. Take care of everyone around you. And still feel exhausted. Still feel disconnected. Still feel like you're simply moving through the motions.
Small, intentional rituals have the power to transform how we live, work, connect, and care for ourselves. That's the idea behind every Mindful Mixer experience, and it's why they change how you feel long after they're over.
