I immediately connected with yoga when I was introduced to it more than a decade ago.  After years of practice and not seeing teachers who looked like mine or knew how to teach to a student in a larger body (like me), I pursued yoga teacher training. I received my 200 hour yoga teacher certification from Lara Ward, E-500 RYT of Lotus Gardens Yoga School.  I have also received training in trauma-informed yoga, Yoga4Classrooms, am a certified Yoga for All teacher, and completed the Accessible Yoga Training.

In addition to my yoga training, I have received training in Psychological First Aid, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), and Mindful Schools.

I earned a BA in Psychology from Fairfield University and an MSW in Policy Practice from UConn School of Social Work.  I've worked in the human services field for more than twenty years. 

In addition to working full time in the human services field, I have a small business, Compassion Evolution, LLC (est. 2011). My mission is to inspire people of all backgrounds and beliefs to increase their compassion for themselves, all living beings, and our planet by sharing resources and knowledge and providing consultation and support to individuals, groups, and organizations who want practical ways to infuse more compassion in their everyday lives.

Aligned with my belief in Ahimsa, I have practiced a vegan lifestyle for more than 15 years and have volunteered as a Vegan Mentor for multiple organizations. I am a proud mom to my sensitive and creative son and our sweet cat Gavin.