I found my first yoga class pregnant with my first child in 1997 in LA; I had grown up with my mother doing yoga in the kitchen, so I was very receptive. I became 200 hour certified one on one while pregnant with my second child in 2000. This began my journey at Yoga Works Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa, Yoga World in Long Beach, Yoga Arts in Tustin with group and private sessions. Educated in the Krishnamacharya tradition, I was blessed to learn from many teachers in the area at the time: Rodney Yee, Shiva Rae, Anna Forrest, Gary Kraftsow, Kofi Busia, Adhil Palkivala, Rod Stryker and more. I attended the Yoga Studies Extended Studies program at UCI and LMU for a year and 100 hours in 2005.
In 2007, my family re-located to Colorado and I founded Treetop Yoga. In 2010, during divorce, I began yoga therapy studies earning 300 hours training from Rocky Mountain Institute in Yoga and Ayurveda with Sarasvati Buhrman, PhD in the Baba Hari Das tradition; I became faculty in various trainings with that school. I sold the group space and opened this region's first Private Practice in Yoga Therapy in 2011. In 2012, I began the two year studies for iRest yoga nidra with Dr. Richard Miller graduating in 2014 fully certified. Soon thereafter, I earned the coveted grand-parenting of IAYT's certificate in Yoga Therapy.
My studies and teachings are steeped in wisdom from Advaita Vedanta (non-dualism) with deep influence from Sri Vidya and Douglas Brooks, PhD. These teachings are applied to help students and clients see the shadow side of their nature and to learn to integrate, actualize personal vision and direction and the customized practices. My specialty is PTSD, mood stabilization, pain recovery and mentorship.
My acting studies and career (SAG-AFTRA) has woven itself beautifully into this style. Identification of the shadow and recognizing its power are a part of the arts, as well. For three years, I taught weekly DoD grant-funded sessions for veterans, have had contracts with the Larimer County Human Resources Dept., NoCo chapter of the Alzheimer's Association, Denver Brain Injury Alliance, Cheyenne and Fort Collins, VA and InnerBalance addiction recovery center.
My private practice has a strong cross referral system with local psychotherapists, GP's, physical therapists and psychiatrists. Clientele include mental health providers who are learning practices from iRest and philosophy to apply to their own clientele. I teach virtually and in-person.