Yoga requires us to set aside ego, release expectations, and move to stillness. When you dedicate yourself to these actions, every other aspect of your life improves.

 

One belief that guides my teaching is that yoga is for every body, regardless of age, weight, flexibility, or fitness level. After your first session, you’ll understand how yoga moves you beyond the physical practice toward even greater internal benefits, and gives you the ability to explore your full potential on and off the mat.

I started my yoga practice in 1996, and pursued certification in 2008. Since then, I've taught classes in a variety of studio, community, and corporate settings. From 2014-2017, I also operated an intimate boutique studio as a way to create better relationships with students and share in their journeys of discovery. Teaching in this way, especially in a small-class environment, allows for hands-on attention, with proper adjustments and assists to help your progress, and fosters a supportive environment between individuals as they focus on becoming their best selves.

Outside of a studio environment, this is still the intentional teaching philosophy I extend to my current private sessions and corporate yoga classes.

As a registered yoga teacher and wellness coach, I hold an E-RYT 500 designation through Yoga Alliance. What does this mean to you? It means I have 500 hours of certified yoga teacher training, and extensive hours teaching hundreds of students. I focus on proper sequencing to ensure that you have a safe, progressive, and intuitive practice, and continue to expand my knowledge with extended training and self-study. I'm certified in a number of yoga disciplines, with foundational education in Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga, and Adamantine® Yoga. I've trained or workshopped with Gary Kraftsow, Bernie Clark, Kathryn Templeton, James Miller, Lakshmi Voelker, Max Strom, Mara Healy, Evan and Kelly Harris, Jonathan Bender, and Gabriel Azoulay.

I'm also a prolific journalist, writer, and editor on the topics of yoga, health, and wellness for companies nationwide, and the former managing editor of YogaIowa magazine. Once the co-director of the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Summer Yoga Series, I regularly lead community yoga and meditation programs, facilitate workshops at various retreats and festivals, and volunteer to teach classes for different outlets, including the non-profit Youth Emergency Services and Shelter of Iowa.