I discovered yoga as a kid while practicing next to my mom with Gaiam VHS tapes in the living room. When I felt stressed and couldn't fall asleep, I'd come downstairs and find her on a mat in front of the TV with Rodney Yee or Suzanne Deason. I remember two things from those nights together: how slowly they did everything, and how much better I felt after.

Fast forward to summer 2018, when I graduated college with a public relations degree and started my first full-time job, on a clear and stable corporate path. Eager to find something that would counter the 40-plus hours of sitting in front of a laptop, I went to a hot yoga studio nearby. From that first class, I was hooked. But not from the actual poses and heat (which kicked my ass) -- from how it made me feel, especially when the teacher told us to "take up space" in savasana. That studio became a place I felt at home at, where I could literally stretch out and feel like I belonged. After becoming a loyal student, I quickly felt yoga’s physical benefits, but the emotional and mental impact hit me much deeper.

People encouraged me to become a teacher myself, but I felt nowhere near ready. The thought of squeezing a 200-hour training into my life was too daunting. But, in the middle of COVID, I lost my regular yoga sanctuary, and I felt a little lost. I was walking through Fred Fletcher Park and saw a group of people practicing yoga outside in a beautiful amphitheater. The class was led by Nova Yoga, which just so happened to be enrolling for its teacher training. Even though I still felt a little hesitant about what it'd entail, I chose to go for it. A year later, I was teaching my first yoga classes with Nova in that same park, and I was a different person.

Becoming a teacher transformed me because of what I learned about yoga. Much more than the physical asana practice, I nourished my energetic, mental and spiritual health, and my perspective toward myself and life changed dramatically. It brought me so much fulfillment to share what I could with others.

Meanwhile, six years into that public relations career, I felt overwhelmed, unhappy, and stagnant in my life. Teaching yoga was the thing that brought me the most joy, but I knew I was juggling too much, and I couldn't see a path forward that felt right. After a lot of reflection and internal work, I chose to trust myself and take a leap, even though I really didn't feel "ready."

At the end of 2024, I left the corporate job to pursue yoga as my full-time career. Although the future feels less certain, I’ve never felt more energized and prepared to navigate it. What I'm working to do is to live everything I've learned in my own yoga practice. That's what to embody something means to me -- not just thinking it or believing it, but allowing it to become part of you and lead everything you do.

I created Embodied Yoga as a way to share my practice with others who are on their journeys, too, so we can all get closer to unlocking the full potential of yoga in our bodies, minds and souls.

No matter what your yoga understanding or practice looks like right now, there's a place for you here. Check out my offerings and join me in whatever calls to you. I hope to see you soon!