I attended my first yoga class in May of 1998. Soon after, I purchased a 20-class pack and began attending classes three to four times a week.

This was six months after having my first child. I continued practicing through my next two pregnancies and practiced yoga right up until the day I delivered both my second and third children.

My first steps toward teaching began during this time. In prenatal classes, I often assisted the instructor by demonstrating poses and helping other students.

My mentor during teacher training was Eric Small, a pioneer in adapting Iyengar Yoga for people with Multiple Sclerosis and other neurological conditions. I spent five years attending and assisting in his weekly classes.

I later taught weekly classes for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society for eight years.

What I love most about practicing yoga is how good it makes me feel in my body. What I love most about teaching yoga is helping students find the modifications they need to experience freedom and joy in the poses.

Over the years, I often encouraged yoga students who struggled with stiffness and soreness to try therapeutic massage. That interest eventually led me to enroll in massage school.

I earned my Massage Therapist Certification in 2018.

My years of adapting yoga poses for students with different levels of balance, flexibility, and mobility now inform my massage work. This background gives me a deeper understanding of functional movement and how to address patterns of stress and strain in the body.