BIO

Why I practice

I was twenty, studying photography in San Francisco, when I first came to my mat. A friend had recommended yoga to me as a potential remedy for my chronic anxiety. That first class was one of the most memorable experiences of my life: intensely physical, a constant attention to my breath, it pushed me to a breaking point. I cried most of the class, struggling to move my body to the cues, until finally it was over. In savasana, without warning or expectation, a deep surrender took me over, and, for what felt like the first time in my life, I let go entirely. I left class as if I had taken a full-dive into a swimming pool, cracked open, and in complete awe, the purification of tapas (fire/heat) in full effect.

That moment ignited a life-long investigation of this practice, and over time I’ve found an infinite universe of awakening. I’ve discovered an unthawing of movement and breath, strengthening, alignment, and ultimately, a continued fine-tuning of the subtle body and energetics of my mind.

Witnessing our ingrained patterns, and alchemizing samskaras, Sanskrit for "mental impressions and psychological imprints" are the driving force of my practice. By the simple action of continued practice and showing up, incremental shifts are made over time that possess the enduring power of deep transformation for the practitioner. Redemptive in its nature, like a great hero's journey, this is the experience I hope to share with my students.