How did I get into yoga?
I went headfirst into a car windshield.
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In June of 1995, I was a young art student cycling down a long hill in
Oakland, California. As I slowed my pace, making sure a bus ahead
didn’t roll through a stop sign, an elderly driver from the opposite lane
made a sweeping turn into me. In a moment I went from riding my
bicycle to flying backwards, smacking my helmeted head into her car
windshield, then rolling off the hood, and miraculously landing on my
feet, standing. From there I watched the car drive on about ten yards
until pulling to the side, finally stopping. The first thing the driver said
to me was, “Oh honey, I didn’t see you, I was wearing my dark
sunglasses.”
Just like that I was on a different path.
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In the beginning, when I was in pain and desperate for relief, I was looking for someone or something to heal me. I felt separate from the pain I was experiencing. Maybe I thought that since I didn’t cause the accident, it wasn’t my responsibility to heal from it. I was also angry about being young and injured. Then I went to a yoga class, felt great afterwards, and realized I had to do all the work myself. Inspired by my own healing, I pursued teaching and my ability to heal through touch.
I don’t look back at that moment with anger or regret. I was meant to teach yoga and heal people. If I hadn’t been injured myself, I might not understand the hard work it takes to repair the body, the heart, and the mind. In a way, before my accident, I too was wearing dark sunglasses through life.
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Inspired by my own healing, I pursued teaching and became certified in Alan Finger’s ISHTA Yoga in 2001. Since then I have been certified in Ancient Thai Healing, as a Relax and Renew Trainer through Judith Lasater, in Yin Yoga with Paul Grilley, and completed Shiva Rea’s Advanced Teacher Training. In addition to teaching, I'm an intuitive healer, and work with students to release pain and recover from their injuries through private bodywork sessions. Well versed in anatomy, I encourage students to deepen their practice with a better understanding of the body inside and out. Group classes are accessible and begin with centering through gentle movements and pranayama, flow with heat-building vinyasa, ground and strengthen with holding and alignment, while soothing with humor and a healing touch.
