My story:
I walked into my first yoga class in 2003 at my local gym on a lark. Having never been the most athletic growing up, this was the first time I felt excited about the movements I was doing and the competency I had with flexibility. Soon I moved my practice to a yoga studio where I could focus my efforts on accomplishing the more challenging poses. After a couple years of continuously pushing myself to achieve the bigger stretches, I began to have pain in my hip and low back.
It was only when I stepped away from yoga that the pain lessened. I didn't want to surrender my practice, so instead, I avoided deep ranges. I became a yoga teacher in 2014 so I could learn more about how to adapt poses and find new ways to access different shapes. I was teaching several classes weekly, but still having generalized discomfort in my body. I just assumed that was a result of aging.
In 2019 I discovered Kathryn Bruni-Young and her Mindful Strength practice aimed at building strength and confidence in movement. I became fascinated with her approach to integrating modalities to build a robust movement practice. In 2020 I took an online Teacher Intensive with Kathryn and several incredible guest lecturers. including Jules Mitchell.
My yoga practice evolved after that training. I also had less pain with movement as I was more aware of how to add resistance to build my resilience. I wanted to understand more about the biomechanics of how and why my body was adapting so I signed up for Jules' 300 hour yoga teacher training in 2022 and completed that course in 2023. I cannot overstate the impact that training had on my teaching and it has made me a more engaged, caring, and curious teacher.
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How I teach:
My passion is working with people to find more freedom & confidence in their bodies by building stability, mobility & strength with progressive movements. Each person has a unique history in their bodies and we move according to those experiences, our own anatomy, and the patterns we've developed over time. I enjoy working with people to gain a sense of appreciation for what they can do and exploring other options to add variety and strength. When you feel strong, you feel confident and more resilient.
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Resiliency also stems from our ability to tolerate stress. It's so important that we allow time to reset, reduce stress and give space for well-being. In addition to teaching active movement classes I also teach a restorative style practice. Adding space to our lives for renewal, both physical and mental, increases our capacity for stability and strength.
Fun Facts:
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I live outside Houston, TX with my husband and nearly adult children
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I love traveling and spent over a decade working at a major US airline
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Massive Penn State football fan
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In my spare time I love walking and hiking. I even dragged my family to Kilimanjaro in 2018.
Credentials:
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300 hour yoga teacher certification with Jules Mitchell
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Teacher Intensive with Kathryn Bruni-Young
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Yin yoga certified
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200 hour yoga teacher certification with Sacred Art Yoga