“Yoga is not about touching your toes. It's about what you learn on the way down.”

 

The first time I truly tried yoga was on the rooftop of a hostel in Guadalajara, Mexico.  I know, exotic right?  Some friends showed me some postures, and I remember sweating my butt off and feeling so alive afterwards that I decided to continue a steady practice in Austin, TX where I lived at the time.  Gradually I started to notice how much yoga and breathing techniques reduced my anxiety attacks that I had been struggling with since I was 13 years old.

In 2012 I earned my RYT200 certification from Shambhava Yoga in Kona, HI. I usually go big or go home.  Since then I have taught over 1,500 hours (E-RYT200) to all levels and age groups and received my 300 hour certification (RYT500) in Yoga Therapeutics from the Wilmington Yoga Center in Wilmington, NC which emphasizes more towards private sessions to those with specific needs: trauma, anxiety, depression, PTSD, chronic pain, difficulty breathing, and injuries. I'm also trained to teach Core Strength Vinyasa from world renowned teacher Sadie Nardini and Budokon Yoga, a mixed movement arts system from movement expert Cameron Shayne.  During the summers I teach Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) Yoga on the Chattahoochee River.

I strongly emphasize that yoga is all about about calming the mind - the body, postures, and breathwork are just the tools you use to get there.  The flexibility, balance, and strength are by-products of the work you do on your mat.  Everyone has a different skeleton and varying degrees of flexibility so you CHOOSE what variation of a posture is right for you and own it.

I'm big on breath awareness to calm the mind, moving slowly and mindfully into and out of postures, smart alignment, and core awareness.  Being an athlete my classes will have that athletic, kick your butt edge to build strength and resiliance, but I can also teach a “put you in a coma” Gentle Flow class.  In all classes I promise to balance you out with flexibility work (I understand tight hamstrings!) and a much deserved savasana (relaxation pose).

When I'm not yoga-ing, you can find me running or riding my road bike on the Riverwalk, hanging out in Uptown, doing ninja warrior training, making and selling homemade essential oil products, reading and writing, watching Impractical Jokers, walking my precious black lab Lando, or satiating my travel bug.

Yoga is a LIFELONG PRACTICE and is truly for everyone whether you're just practicing breathing or going to sweaty flow. IT'S ALL BENEFICIAL.  Whenever we come to our mats it's an opportunity to let go of the negative voices and thoughts in our head, to change our reactions to bodily sensations understanding we are human and it's normal to have them, to create more SPACE in the mind and body, to open our hearts to ourselves and to others, to let go of anger and past, painful memories, to be in the present moment, to let go of anger and unhealthy habits, to SLOW DOWN in this instant gratification world, to build equanimity, to build confidence and self-love, to REMEMBER who we are, to recognize our spirit!, to celebrate our breath, movement, our aliveness, to cleanse from the inside out, to STAY HEALTHY FOR YEARS TO COME, and to ultimately FEEL GOOD and KNOW FREEDOM.