Personally, yoga has created a sense of both physical and mental release while encouraging me to practice for a greater purpose, a higher meaning, allowing me to let go of egotistical thoughts of personal gain. Though it was my choice to walk into that first yoga class at the local YMCA in my hometown of Walla Walla, WA, I am a firm believer that yoga found me. Out of everything that I could have
been drawn to, as I was ready to build my new life, I cannot be more grateful this was it. I continued to take classes on a somewhat regular basis for the next three years until I moved out to Portland, where began the Yoga Teacher Training at the Bhaktishop with the beautiful, dedicated people who fill it and instantly gained my respect and trust. The 200 hour Teacher Training program was lead by Lisa Mae, Hari-Bhakti and Monicka Koneski. The early mornings and long afternoons of physical effort paired with Friday night Philosophies quickly proved themselves to be as challenging as promised, and demanded even more time and effort outside of school than promised, but I quickly found myself loving Yoga more and more each day, for better or worse in every sense. As the program came to an end I found myself yearning for more, so I dedicated myself to an Apprenticeship with Monicka for the next three months. I feel so lucky to have had the chance to study with such inspiring people, and through my teachers have been able to develop a teaching style which incorporates thematics, an anatomical focus, and a light-hearted spiritual essence that I hope encourages my students redefine what their practice means to them. I’m here to teach everything I know to the best of my abilities because Yoga has not only given me a better sense of self awareness with a tremendous amount of newfound confidence, but it has also allowed me to overcome physical as well as emotional pain while giving me a new sense of spiritual comfort. I am now able to follow my personal beliefs clearly whether it be on, or off of the mat, and I look forward to growing within this practice both as a teach and forever a student.
