Certified Instructor

I took my first Bikram yoga class in August of 2001 when I was a sophomore in college. At the time I was dealing with a lot in my life and yoga was a way for me to clear my mind and clean myself emotionally, physically and mentally from the inside out, and I was fascinated with the science of mind/body connection that I had been introduced to in my first yoga class.

At first I wasn't sure about the Bikram method, but after only 2 weeks of diligent practice I noticed so many changes in my body, mind and energy that I was hooked for life. I like yoga for many reasons. Physically it keeps me healthy, strong, flexible and aligned. Mentally, I feel more clear, focused and in tune with what's important in my life and well-being. Emotionally, it keeps me centered and balanced in a way that I never experienced before I started practicing.

I have benefited in my practice in many ways. First, yoga helped me deal with and overcome many addictive habits and tendencies including an eating disorder I developed as a teenager. It's given me meaning and purpose to my life in a way that benefits me and others around me. Through the practice of yoga I've been able to peel away the layers that are not my true nature and live in a way that is more aligned with my true purpose. Yoga has healed me from the pain of my past and for this I am forever grateful.

I decided to teach because after I felt the benefits I had inside me a burning desire to share it with everyone I knew. Teaching came very naturally to me as I started to share with my friends and family of the benefits of the practice so I decided to go to training. It was in the Fall of 2003 that I declined acceptance to UC Berkeley with a full scholarship to take Bikram's Teacher Training and teach yoga full-time. My life was changed forever.

I like teaching because this is something that I truly believe in so it feels as if I'm sharing the information with students instead of telling them what to do.
I love working with people and bodies and am fascinated by the mind/body science of the eastern disciplines. I believe that now more than ever, we as a species need to connect to something inside of us. With so much going on in the world around us I've learned the only way to live a balanced, healthy life is to take care of ourselves first and in doing so we can take care of others and the planet on a larger scale. This, I believe, is the essence of the practice.

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