how yoga found you: I took my very first yoga class in the winter of 1999 with my brother. We were in the basement of an old and stinky YMCA. Things were going well until the teacher told us to "be the cow and let your utters hang low." I was doing my best not to make eye contact with my brother who I knew would make me crack up with laughter... and then it happened, we both lost it and were in tears laughing. We walked out of class light and happy.
I teach... a thoughtful, powerful and rejuvenating flow class that focuses on preserving and celebrating the richness of the ancient yogic philosophy and practices so that we can contemplate these teachings in the context of their everyday, modern lives. We sing, laugh and stand on our heads! All levels welcome because we are all a mix of all levels at any given moment.
what nurtures me: Sunday dinners. Being outdoors. A good night's sleep. Sharing a delicious bottle of a French or Italian red with friends. Cooking soup!
A source of joy for me is... teaching and practicing yoga; I am able to let go of my fears and insecurities when teaching and practicing.
I am grateful for... my physical and emotional wellness. My friends, family, peers, students and teachers. The opportunity to teach yoga.
My favorite pose is... all the poses I cannot do yet!
Life is too short to... sit in front of the TV or the computer.
I love watching... any live performance (music, theatre, dance).
I can't live without... my running shoes and my yoga mat.
Places I love: The softness of the countryside, prevailing mountains, the tender seaside and vigorous cities! I love them all! Each has its own unique vibe.
There is nothing better than... waking up early and sitting quietly for a few moments. Then, shuffling around in my jammies, drinking coffee and enjoying the calm before the flurry of the day!
My teachers come in all different shapes and sizes such as...
traffic. I am a yogini with road rage.
words that i try to live by: "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
where you might run into me in Cleveland: Nature's Bin, the Cleveland Metroparks, any number of our amazing restaurants, and Inner Bliss, of course!
the best yoga class i ever experienced: During my Teacher Training with Marni Task, we did a two-hour Power to the Peaceful practice. There were eight of us in our training and at the end of the practice, each of us were moved to dance! We all intuitively started dancing around the studio. It was fun, it was silly, it was organic and it was immensely liberating.
favorite day of the week is... Sunday. I get to teach and practice yoga, and spend unstructured time friends and family.
Yoga is... an enormous exhale.
i am so passionate about... nutrition, physical and emotional wellness through natural prevention, a plant-based diet, and fashion!
Books I believe in: How Yoga Works, Jivamukti Yoga, Leaves of Grass, The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood (one of my all-time favs), Water for Elephants, Thrive, Way of the Peaceful Warrior, Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, Reinventing the Body: Resurrecting the Soul and Cinderella (it was the first book I learned to read).
Teachers that inspire me: Sharon Gannon, David Life, Tammy Lyons and Marni Task.