Growing up on a farm in central New York, I loved being outdoors. I felt a strong connection to nature and enjoyed being active. I participated in a variety of athletic activities in my youth, and in college I studied Sports Management, Wellness & Fitness and then received my Master’s degree in Health Promotion. This trajectory was sensible and what I thought was expected of me, but I lacked a true sense of direction and purpose. In 2008, trusting my heart and intuition, I moved to Long Island. Soon after, I discovered yoga while traveling. I had no idea that the practice would become my passion and transform my life.
At the time of this discovery, I was feeling stuck; trapped in unhealthy patterns that began in childhood. At the age of nine, my parents divorced. Of my siblings, I remember taking the divorce the hardest. I struggled with worrying about my father, going between two homes and feeling loved. In my late teens, I found myself taking more risks and pushing boundaries. Instead of dealing with my feelings, I would avoid them by using substances to numb myself, which left me feeling even emptier inside. I spent many years in the wrong relationships—relationships that were imbalanced. One relationship in particular that wasn’t right for me created physical pain in my body that resulted in injury. When I broke the relationship off, the physical pain went away. Deep down I knew the relationship wasn’t right but I went against my intuition, which in return I was creating suffering for myself.
I have come to realize that our feelings and emotions are always communicating to us. They show us what we’ve been avoiding and what we are holding onto. They give us important information of where we need to take action in our lives. They tell us what we need to move closer towards and what we need to move away from.
As I was getting closer to realizing my path, there was one stressful experience that really changed my life. I remember the day clearly: During a taxing day at work, I was driving across a bridge feeling completely numb. I remember calling a friend and telling them that I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I felt off and had no feelings at all. Looking back, it was at the lowest point in my life and I had lost hope. I was working a stressful job that was affecting me on all levels. As I was driving across the bridge, the thought crossed my mind of steering the car off the bridge. Soon after that moment, I suffered a panic attack, and wound up in the hospital, feeling heavy and completely defeated. I knew then that I needed to make changes in my life. I made a decision that I would start listening to the calling in my heart and soul, and make choices that aligned with truth. The more I listened to myself and what felt right, the more I started to feel alive and free inside, and the path to finding my purpose and truth became clearer.
What inspired me the most was discovering the power of breath and realizing that we have the ability to lead and heal our lives. We can create a life thats filled with passion and allows us to feel free. It begins with letting go of things that we hold onto so tightly. This can be letting go of ways of thinking, old patterns and habits, trauma, emotional wounds, negativity and the life that we hoped to have.
Yoga and breathwork have been one of the most evolving and empowering parts of my journey towards healing and self-discovery. It has provided me with tools to undo destructive habits and to move through life with more grace and authenticity. Breathwork has been so powerful and is how I manifested my clothing line. I am inspired and awed by the human mind and the way that our mental, emotional and physical selves are all connected. As a student, I find release through breathwork, sound and movement by tapping into the physical body.
Over the years, I continued to deepen my knowledge and understanding of the techniques. In 2014, I completed my RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher) 200-hour certification and went on to fulfill my RYT 300-hour certification. I have advanced trainings in; Reiki, cacao medicine, breathwork, physioyoga, restorative yoga and a certification in health coaching from Integrative Nutrition. With all that I’ve learned, I have been fortunate to be in a position to help others as well.
As a teacher, I have retained that passion for movement that I’ve known since I was a little girl. I offer students challenging, freeing and intentional classes. I teach to help bring awareness to the subconscious. My goal is to provide students with the tools they need to initiate the healing process. I strive to connect with others and to foster awareness of their physical, emotional and spiritual selves. I seek to emphasize the power of breath, and the liberation that results from discomfort and vulnerability. My purpose is to help students find their inner voice and reveal their inner light. Through committing to the practice, the façade fades; the layers with which we mask ourselves begin to peel away, and the stories that we create in our minds start to disappear, allowing us to connect to our highest and truest selves. The path to freedom is not easy, and I believe it takes a lot of darkness for us to truly find our light, but the more connected we are, the easier the journey becomes. The years I’ve spent in this practice have given me the tools to move through life with more grace. I believe the healing process is a forever journey, and that our purpose while we are here on this earth is to not only give back to others, but to reach our highest state of consciousness.
