As a child, I used to come home from school three times a week to my parents and a small community of friends practicing hatha yoga under the inspired guidance of Jay Bixby, who taught in their living room for decades. So from an early age, yoga was a central part of our family life. I could see the benefits in all areas—from flexibility of body to calmness of mind—in my parents, and naturally wanted to follow that path to balance and wellness.
Eventually, I went on study and become a certified yoga instructor with many gurus I admire. I have taught hatha yoga, meditation and mindfulness but my deepest love has become yin yoga. I studied with Paul Griley and Sarah Powers, among others.
I studied under many gurus: Jay Bixbie from Yoga Sanctuary in my roots, Tony Murdok aka Vishnu Das through the Peace Theatre and Centre for Compassionate Leadership, Susie Dias of East to West Yoga for my initial training, Gudrun Hardes and Charlene Sullivan at Pendo Studios, with whom I guided Yoga Teacher Training for five years, Antoinette Finelli of Yoga Rocks, with whom I guided Thai Restore sessions for a decade, Paul Griley and Sarah Powers for Yin Yoga training, Nora Benian for restorative Yoga training, and many others.
I have taught meditation for over 25 years, hatha, yin and restorative yoga for over 20 years, and have taught yoga teacher training with the Yoga Alliance for more than five years.
Most recently I guide meditation and mindfulness at SMC U of T, and teach yin yoga and have guided Thai Restore sessions for almost two decades with the Pendo Studios team.
I have lived through breast cancer—and meditation, mindfulness, gentle movement and yin yoga have been a huge part of my own healing journey. Yin yoga teaches us to listen to our body and surrender to that place of being in the moment through witnessing the breath.
I believe if we can breathe through places of un-comfort, opening and vulnerability on the mat, we can do the same off the mat, in our lives and the world.