My Yoga Journey
My path inward started ten years ago with YouTube videos and DVDs, but quickly grew into a dedicated practice both at home and a local studio as I became deeply fascinated by the changes that began not just in my body, but the shifts I felt in my mind as well. As a person with high anxiety, I could feel a change right away; Yoga gave me a feeling unlike anything I had ever experienced and completely changed my life for the better, which is why I decided to learn more about the practice and become a teacher just two years later.
with all the trendy yoga out there and methods that encourage you to “push push push” instead of “listen listen listen,” My hope through my classes is to show you the intuitive power that lives within you, and encourage you to always arrive as you are, meeting yourself with compassion, love, and curiosity along the way, both on and off the yoga mat.
My teaching style is vinyasa based with a lot of attention on mindful movement, and linking each movement with the breath. My classes tend to focus on conscious alignment while also leaving space to explore and move intuitively, creating a moving meditation of sorts while holding space for exploring your inner landscape. I also believe in bringing awareness not only to the breath and body, but the importance of moving from a place of allowing rather than forcing, and carrying these lessons off the mat into daily life.
In this past decade I have become is a 200-hour E-RYT (Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher), a C.E. 30 Certified Children's Yoga Teacher, Certified SUP/SUP Yoga Teacher, Ropes + Slings Yoga Teacher, and a C.E. 30 Certified Prenatal Yoga Teacher.
my journey through the dark
In 2019, I suffered a devastating loss that sent me into a deep depression, something i had never experienced before. In this new territory i had to learn how to pick myself up off the ground in ways that weren’t overwhelming and i could sustain long term so i could find my way back to neutral and carry on. Through this process, I discovered a lot of toxicity in the realm of holistic healing like “good vibes only” or “think good thoughts” or “you are the master of your own reality,” which can have some positive impacts on people, but when you are depressed or grieving or just in a bad place, sentiments like that seem impossible. Not only that, they can make you feel like what you’re experiencing is all your fault, creating breeding ground for guilt and shame, which makes any potential for healing seem like an impossible feat. At the time this discovery felt like I would be stuck in the dark for the rest of my life, but really it made me take charge of my healing and find small, sustainable ways to slowly but surely return home to a place where i felt good; a place where i could carry the weight of the loss while still being me, instead of letting that weight take me down. and once i got there, i decided i wanted to bring all the methods i used together in one place for others to access, which is how through the dark was born. I created a guide that i wish i had when i was depressed, so others could find a safe space to heal should they resonate with my approach (and i hope you do).
certifications and trainings include:
RYT 200 certification from Rising Sun Yoga in Buffalo, NY under the Iyengar, Anusara + Himalayan Institute influence
C.E. 30 Children’s Yoga Teacher Certification from Karma Kids Yoga in NYC with Shari Vilchez-Blatt
Standup Paddleboard Yoga Certification from SupOMYoga with the American Canoe Association (ACA) and Debbie Bisaccia
Ropes + Slings Certification from Yoga Union in NYC with Alison West
Thai yoga with Jen Irwin of Dew Yoga, Stamford, CT
Yoga Anatomy with Leslie Kaminoff
Teachers Enrichment Series with Petra Ledkovsky van Aarem + Nina Petruzzo of Orleans Yoga, Orleans, MA.
C.E. 30 Pretnatal Yoga Teacher Certification from ShivaShakti Yoga School + Healing Arts in Santa Fe, NM with Aiyana Athenian
Currently studying mobility and creative sequencing with Rocky Heron through Yoga International.