Why Yoga?
Yoga has been one of my greatest teachers on how to love myself, others, and deal with the challenges in this world. The tradition that I study and share is The 8 Limbed Path, codified by Patanjali, which originated in India about 3,000-5,000 years ago. It often gets confused that yoga is only physical movement – however, it has everything to do with our mind and actions. In yoga, we’re invited to observe how we exist in the world and how our mental and physical patterns are causing harm to ourselves or others. And that's not always easy! That’s why it's a lifestyle a practice. It’s something we can return to with compassion, in each moment.
I love supporting others in this brave work. It’s my belief and experience that by studying yoga, we can learn how to uplift the challenges in our lives, our relationships, and our bodies and minds. I have deep respect and gratitude to India, to all of the teachers and my teachers who have shared and lived their yoga, and to the spiritual culture from which this system originates from.
Education and Experience
My Background
As you consider learning with me, I think it can be valuable to offer you context of my background. My pronouns are she/her/hers, I am a white, assigned female at birth, human being living in and born in America. I grew up honoring and celebrating my Italian and Polish ethnic heritages and immigrant family members who came to this country to follow dreams of uplifting their lives.
Some of my first and forever spiritual teachers are my parents. They’ve showed me what it can look like to be complex and human; to be dedicated, devout, curious, confused, openhearted, a question asker more than an answer-knower, to look to multiple spiritual practices and see the thread of God/The Divine throughout, to Love, and to be in discernment and introspection. I was raised with great commitment to and then release from the structures of Catholicism and Christianity. In addition, my parents found deep inspiration from Buddhism, Yoga, other wisdom and spiritual traditions, music and art, culture, food, and world views that sought to connect one to God, Peace, and Being.
I met Yoga more deeply as an opera student nearly 15 years ago. Since then, it has been one of my best friends. When I first met yoga, I perceived it would “make me a better” on my path to becoming famous. Over time, yoga has helped me witness my wholeness and others wholeness in each moment…not once an accolade is achieved. It's helped me understand that Born = Worthy, as my Teacher, Juliana Mitchell always says.
Through constant change, challenge, joy, sorrow, identity shifts, anxiety, depression, relationship to self and others, it has deeply supported my peace and my ability to encourage others towards peace. Deeply significant teachers on my path are Juliana Mitchell, Tejal Patel, Anjali Rao, Prasad Rangekar, Indu Arora, Arundhati Baitmangalkar, Susana Barkataki, Karen Maezen Miller, Tara Brach, Jack Kornfield, Thich Nhat Hanh, my husband, my friends and family, the Ocean, West Side Story, Music, the Collective, and Spirit/God. I feel a great sense of relief that I will get to learn the richness and fullness of this lifestyle, science, and art of Yoga for as long as I am blessed to be on this Earth.
