Karina Berrade Valleau was raised in Calgary, with deep paternal roots in the Pyrenees mountains of Spain. Her passion for language and teaching led her to begin her career in education by teaching English in rural Spanish communities, where her broken Spanish evolved into fluency. Upon returning to Calgary, she built a successful 13-year career in the Canadian Energy sector, gaining expertise in software applications, mapping, and database management.

Driven by her entrepreneurial spirit, Karina founded a café bistro that introduced healthy culinary creations to a rural community and a yoga studio specializing in Iyengar yoga. Her journey in yoga led her to India to study with her guru, B.K.S. Iyengar, and his family. This transformative experience inspired her to establish her own yoga studio and later pursue an Education degree to integrate yoga and wellness into the school system.

Karina began her teaching career up North with the Little Red River Cree Nation in Wood Buffalo National Park. She eventually returned to Calgary, where she now teaches Grade 3/4 at Piitoayis Family School with the Calgary Board of Education. She received her Alberta Permanent Teaching Certificate in Fall 2024 and remains a certified Iyengar Yoga Teacher, maintaining her certification through ongoing protocols.

With over 15 years of experience as a Yoga and Wellness Teacher, Karina brings mindfulness and cultural learning into her classroom. She has a deep love for language and culture, which has included classes with various Cree and Stoney Nakoda language teachers. Currently, she focuses on Blackfoot language and cultural teachings through Elders and Knowledge Keepers at Piitoayis Family School. Karina is also passionate about learning more about her own Basque language and the cultural teachings passed down from her paternal grandmother, which continues to inspire her journey as a lifelong learner.