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My journey with Yoga began in 1996. While attending college in Ann Arbor my
English teacher asked me to write my term paper on yoga and meditation. Not
knowing anything about either subject I wasn’t sure where to start. She gave
me her home address and told me I could borrow some books on the subject. I
showed up at her house surprised to be greeted by a pile of books on
meditation and yoga. Never have I heard of a teacher giving you all the
materials to write your paper! She also sent me to my first yoga class. It
was near the university in the basement of this building. The class started
at 6 am and was lead by an angelic older woman. I was so nervous I refused
to do any poses, since I was really just there for "research!" I sat in the
back in the shadows in awe of this woman and her group. Needless to say, I
don’t believe my paper was any good considering I still had such a small
grasp on the concept of either subject but obviously she sparked my
interest.
Shortly after that I moved to San Diego and began attending yoga classes. I
found a teacher who really inspired me. She had left the corporate world to
teach yoga and give massage, and now she owned her own yoga studio. She
inspired me so much that in 2000 I attended the Vitality College of Healing
Arts to learn massage, eventually earning over 500 hours in certifications.
There I also continued my interest in yoga by taking my first 100 hour
intensive Yoga Teacher Training. Once I had that certificate I’ve never
looked back! I moved to San Luis Obispo and started teaching yoga full time.
The more I taught the more I learned, and the more I realized there was to
learn. Eager to learn more, I studied with Scott Blossom and Paul Grilley at
the Santa Barbara Yoga Center. There I completed the advanced studies
Teacher Training in Yoga Philosophy, Anatomy and Physiology.
I’ve been lucky these last few years to be able to broaden my teaching with
workshops and Teacher Trainings. I began by teaching chakra workshops in San
Luis Obispo and continued them in Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks. In
2006, I taught Anatomy for Yoga as a part of True Yoga’s Teacher Training
program. In 2007 I joined Paulette Dwyer, Mellara Gold and Maggie Mellor in
their first Westlake Yoga Teacher Training. There I taught the chakras,
physiology, Yin Yoga and some of the anatomy and asana curriculum. Later
that year I was proud to teach the anatomy module of True Yoga’s Teacher
Training with Purusha and Ericka Bryant. In spring of 2008 I did double duty
teaching the anatomy module for Yoga Works in Westlake Village while also
taking their 200 hour program. In 2009, Ericka Bryant and I developed a 200
hour Teacher Training program and became a registered school with Yoga
Alliance. We had a great group of students graduate from our program in 2010
and in 2011. Again, I have been able to continue teaching the Anatomy
modules of Yoga Works teacher trainings for Westlake Village, Tarzana and
Valencia studios since 2008.
Anatomy for Yoga has surprisingly become my passion, so to deepen my
knowledge I enrolled in a Yoga Therapy certificate program from Loyola
Marymount University. I studied at LMU for 2 years from 2008-2010 earning a
Yoga Therapy certification. I also took courses on The Bhagavad Gita and The
Upanishads, furthering my yoga philosophy knowledge. After all my hard work
I am now a certified massage therapist. I am certified as a Yoga Therapist
with LMU. I have a Yoga Works 200 hour certification and I am an E-RYT 500
with Yoga Alliance. |