Teaching grew from a desire to share that experience with others. Yoga has helped me in such profound ways, and I felt called to offer that same support, healing, and connection to people around me. It’s also become a creative outlet for me — a beautiful way to move, build community, and create spaces where people can feel more connected to themselves and each other.

My life experiences directly impact the way I teach. I’ve always loved to dance, and growing up in the rave scene gave me a strong connection to music, movement and self-expression. I get to weave that energy into offerings like House Yoga through playful playlists, immersive atmospheres, and classes that invite people to move intuitively and let go, to feel free.

I’ve also been on a lifelong journey toward self-love and acceptance, and that experience allows me to teach from a place of relatability and compassion. I try to create spaces where people feel safe to be human — to soften, explore, challenge themselves, and meet themselves with a little more kindness. In many ways, I offer the same compassion to others that I’m continually learning to give myself.

I’m also someone who genuinely loves learning. Whether it’s through books, podcasts, movement, nervous system work, music, or little insights I gather along the way, I enjoy weaving those discoveries into my classes in ways that feel inspiring, relatable, and accessible.

I think authenticity is one of the most important parts of yoga. In the beginning, it’s so easy to get caught up in your head — wondering if you have the right mat, the right clothes, if you’re doing the pose “correctly,” or comparing yourself to everyone else in the room. There can be a lot of looking around instead of looking inward. But with time, consistency, and simply continuing to show up, that busy mind begins to quiet. We start to just be — be present in our bodies, be more comfortable in our own skin, and be

more connected to ourselves, to our own divine.

I remember after teacher training, I went through a phase where I felt hypercritical in every class I attended. I questioned everything and honestly felt a bit like a poser. But like anything meaningful, authenticity takes time. Eventually those feelings dissipated, and I was able to return to simply enjoying the practice, staying open, and finding something valuable in every class and every teacher, allowing myself to surrender.

For new practitioners, I think it’s important to remember that yoga is not about performing. It’s not about perfection or looking a certain way, it’s not a competitive sport. It’s about building a relationship with yourself. Your practice will evolve as you do, and there’s beauty in allowing it to meet you where you are, bookmarking that spot and keep pushing yourself.

And for new teachers, I think it’s so important to continue being a student. Keep practicing. Keep learning. Trust that when you step into the room to teach, you already carry something valuable to offer. Every teacher brings a completely different energy, perspective, and gift — and that uniqueness is what makes yoga so powerful. The more you lean into who you truly are, rather than trying to imitate someone else, the more authentic and impactful your teaching becomes.

Some of my favorite memories on my mat come from the connection’s yoga has created in my life. During teacher training, we once spent three full minutes simply staring into our classmates’ eyes, offering compliments before switching partners. It cracked something open, there were tears and vulnerability, laughter and connection, that classmate and I are sisters for life (shout out to Heather!) I also treasure the simple moments — like lying in the grass after an outdoor yoga class, feeling the blades beneath my finger, watching the clouds drift by overhead, and feeling completely present. Those quiet moments stay with me just as much as the big emotional breakthroughs.

As a student, I really appreciate teachers who are playful and don’t take themselves too seriously — teachers who challenge me in ways I didn’t think I was capable of, but who also create space to soften and simply be. That balance feels important to me. And honestly, some of my most meaningful moments happen in savasana. Life can feel so busy and overstimulating, and having those few minutes to fully surrender, slow down, and sit with my feelings feels incredibly healing. Sometimes it’s the first moment

all day where I truly pause long enough to let the emotional cycle complete. More often than not, it moves me to tears — sometimes full-on bawling — but in the most beautiful, releasing way.

Yoga has influenced nearly every part of my life outside of the studio — honestly, that’s the biggest blessing of all. It’s helped me cultivate more empathy and patience, both with myself and with others. I’ve learned how to pause, take a breath, and respond more consciously instead of reacting impulsively. That alone has changed so many of my relationships and experiences. Yoga has also brought some of the most incredible people into my life. I still remember during teacher training when Andrea said, “Oh, the places yoga will take you.” At the time, I don’t think I fully understood what she meant, but she was absolutely right. Yoga has taken me places I never could have imagined and opened doors I never would have thought possible. It gave me the confidence to begin sharing other passions of mine too, like herbal medicine and plant wisdom, which I’ve studied for many years. Through yoga, I found my voice and eventually had the opportunity to share that knowledge at Carlson College, Harmony Festival, and local workshops. It’s also supported me in holding space through sound baths, kava ceremonies, and other healing experiences rooted in connection and presence.

And physically, yoga has quite literally taken me around the world — to places like Bali and South Korea, with India next on the list. But more than the travel itself, it’s the way yoga continues to expand my world internally and externally that feels so meaningful. It’s helped me trust myself, stay curious, and say yes to experiences that once would have intimidated me.

What’s kept me on my mat all these years is that yoga continues to offer me a reset — mentally, emotionally, and physically. No matter what season of life I’m in, it helps clear the noise in my mind while also challenging and strengthening my body. Every practice feels like an opportunity to reconnect with myself in a new way. And honestly, the community is a huge part of it too. Some of my closest friendships and favorite connections have come through yoga, so getting to move, breathe, grow, and laugh alongside people I care about keeps me coming back just as much as the practice itself.

If you come to one of my classes, you can definitely expect a challenge — I like to joke that I’ll kick your ass a little — but really, my intention is to remind you that you’re stronger and more capable than you think you are. I want people to leave feeling empowered, grounded, and more connected to themselves.

I take showing up for yourself seriously, but I don’t think we always need to take ourselves so seriously. I hope my classes feel playful, freeing, and real. There’s usually good music, movement that encourages expression, moments that push you past your comfort zone, and space to soften and breathe too.

More than anything, I want people to feel safe enough to let go a little — to move, laugh, sweat, feel, and simply be human. Because honestly, I think having fun is one of the highest forms of spirituality.