About

I have had a regular yoga practice since 2010.  Initially, I thought that yoga would provide a “good stretch” to complement my marathon training and relieve some of the resulting muscle tightness.  Soon after I begun doing yoga regularly and in person (rather than just following a yoga video), I discovered that yoga offered me so much more than just a stretch.  Yoga also provided me with a way to manage the stress and emotional trauma of being a newly-widowed single mom. In the beginning, I explored the many yoga styles including Power, Tapas, Yin, Vinyasa, and Yoga Basics. Then, I took her first Ashtanga Yoga class. From that point forward, I knew that the Ashtanga Yoga Method was the practice for me. It was only natural for my teaching to focus on the Ashtanga Yoga Method. As one of the lead Mysore teachers at Breathe Together Yoga, I am able to share my enthusiasm towards the Ashtanga Yoga practice. This Mysore style offering allows my students to receive individualized instruction within a group community setting.

Becoming a Teacher

My path to teaching was a long and drawn out process. I began my yoga teacher training in 2012 with a trip to India for a 100-hour collaborative training between Breathe Together Yoga (BTY)’s JOY of Yoga Teacher Training program and Yogalife‑International. The following year, I completed an additional 200 hours of training (JOY of Yoga, Dynamics and Therapeutics) and enrolled in the 500-Hour JOY of Yoga Teacher Training program.

Around the same time frame, I was confronted with unresolved issues surrounding my scoliosis and chronic back pain. I opted to continue studying Ashtanga Yoga more in depth, logging 500+ hours towards my certification, and used my practice to navigate self-healing. This also afforded me the time be present for my sons, which is essential to me as their only living parent. The Ashtanga Yoga Method, with the Tristana (breath, posture and gaze), gave me the ability to find some separation from the discomfort, was a medium towards transformation and further healing. Through a mysore-style practice I was able to meet the discomfort each day on the mat and saw that, like the shapes made in doing the asanas, the discomfort showed up differently each day as well.

For nearly 15 years, I have been on the mat practicing Ashtanga Yoga. This means doing the same sequence(s) of poses nearly every day of the week. Each day, the practice unfolds a little differently. Yet, I am never bored because the practice is like a mirror revealing my life and the emotions, pains, and struggles I am working through. To the observer, the practice is just the asana, or the shapes we make with our bodies. To me, however, the practice is one of reflection and self-study (svādhyāya, the 4th niyama).  I remain dedicated to my mysore practice as it is invaluable to me.

In August 2019, after my youngest son graduated from high school, I finally felt called to share the practice with others and completed the final steps of my certifications. Although I am thrilled to be able to share my passion for yoga with others, I am most excited to share the Ashtanga Yoga Method, as it was so instrumental in my own healing. I consider myself a student first and foremost as my six-day-a-week practice informs and inspires my teaching. I am so grateful for the practice, the healing it has brought me (physically and emotionally), and for the many teachers who have showed me the way.

Although I primarily teach Ashtanga Yoga at Breathe Together Yoga (BTY), I do offer private yoga sessions upon request.

In addition to yoga, my other play includes spending time with my sons, running, strength training, hiking/backpacking, and simply being outdoors.