A Journey Rooted in Awareness, Healing, and Movement
My journey with yoga began in the mid-1990s when I stumbled upon a yoga video and later took a college course exploring Eastern wellness practices. These early seeds led to a self-guided home practice and, eventually, my first group class in 1998 while working in Bethesda, Maryland. Though the first experience didn’t initially resonate, I attended an Iyengar class without knowing the diversity of yoga styles; however, my curiosity remained.
Yoga would continue to be a quiet companion in my life until it became essential.
From Trauma to Transformation:
Movement and meditation were a part of my life long before I ever stepped into a yoga studio. As a teen in the 1980s, I was introduced to meditation techniques in group therapy to help navigate emotional difficulties, trauma, and abuse I was suffering. These tools became my refuge and foundation.
In 2002, after a skydiving accident left me with a serious back injury, I returned to yoga for healing, both physical and emotional. This time I discovered a new studio and a different approach, one that aligned with my needs and supported recovery. From that point forward, yoga became a committed and evolving part of my life.
Then, in 2013, I faced another life-altering event: a vertebral artery dissection (VAD) and stroke, completely unexpected and without warning. This rare kind of stroke, caused by a spontaneous tear in a neck artery, typically affects younger people and has few known warning signs. Gratefully, my deep awareness from years of yoga practice enabled me to recognize that something was wrong. I was able to communicate clearly with first responders and doctors, which made a critical difference in my care.
My continued healing journey deepened my understanding of the body’s relationship with trauma and recovery. Therefore, I began applying yoga’s principles to every phase of that process—learning, adapting, and expanding my knowledge along the way.
Teaching with Purpose:
With over 30 years of personal experience, I have developed my own unique teaching style. My classes emphasize mobility, function, and somatic awareness over strict alignment or perfecting poses. My teaching fuses a variety of yoga traditions and techniques.
I explore, experiment, and always keeps a sense of curiosity and fun in my practice. I take pride in offering classes that are accessible, thoughtful, and rooted in real-world movement that supports daily living—from athletes and dancers to everday workers and those in service work (veterans and first responders).
Deep Roots in D.C.:
I am a proud native Washingtonian! I come from a family with strong ties to public service. Both my father and grandfather were veterans, and I grew up going with my father to his office at the VA Administration headquarters near the White House. My father worked with the team that created educational motion pictures for the VA. I even had a small role in one of the films titled “Feelings.”
Work With me:
Whether you're navigating injury, chronic tension, or simply seeking to move and feel better in your body, I offer an experienced, compassionate approach.
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