My deepest intention in teaching yoga is to expand minds, open hearts, and to be a catalyst for discovering the wisdom and wonder of an embodied life. I cross-pollinate from many traditions, weaving together various combinations of technique such as: soft somatic work, intentional sequencing, how to personalize practice, sustained holds in poses, rigorous vinyasa, personalizing practice, yin yoga, breath-work, individualized alignment, anatomy study, wisdom teachings, meditation, chanting, and open exploration of physical and mental awareness. With over 3,000 hours teaching private sessions I'm a YT accredited thru IAYT. And with over 30,000 group class and teacher training hours I surpass Yoga Alliance's highest standard as an E-RYT-500
In addition to completing my 500 hour teacher training with Tias Little and the Prajna school, I am also an accredited Insight Yoga teacher under Sarah Powers and I mentor students in her Insight Yoga Institute. I am honored to have been chosen by Tias Little to be the first of the Senior Prajna Yoga instructors. Currently I wholeheartedly devote myself to ongoing studies with Tias Little, Sarah Powers, Amy Matthews, Jennifer Welwood, Patty Townsend, Joseph Goldstein, and Patricia Walden.
I began practicing yoga in 1989, and have been teaching since 1998. My early years of practice and teaching were devoted to vigorous vinyasa and hot yoga practice. During this time I met Rolf Gates and began assisting him at his vinyasa workshops. In 2001 I met Tias Little, and have been traveling in his orbit ever since. In 2002, I became director of One Tree Yoga in Omaha, where I led annual yoga teacher training programs beginning in 2004. I was the first student to receive Tias' 500 hour Prajna Yoga certification, and have assisted him at his workshops and teacher trainings since 2005. Since 2011, living in the New England area, I attend regular classes with Patricia Walden. Over the years I have attended thousands of hours of training with an eclectic range of internationally renowned teachers (too many to mention them all) including Eric Schiffman, Baron Baptiste, Shiva Rea, Aadil Palkhivala, Richard Freeman, David Life, Anna Forrest, Sharon Gannon, Leslie Kaminoff, John Friend, Desiree Rumbaugh, Dharma Mittra, Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, and a select sampling of senior Iyengar teachers. I completed the Insight Yoga Institute's rigorous 500+ hour training in 2013. This eclectic program includes trainings in Taoist Yoga, Ayurveda, TCM, Trans-personal Psychology, Buddhist philosophy and meditation. It was a life changing, heart opening and utterly transformative experience. Currently, starting February 2019, I'm embarking on The School of Body-Mind Centering's® Somatic Movement Educator program with Amy Matthews.
In my teaching as well as in my studies and practice of yoga and meditation, I embrace the philosophy of an all encompassing practice. I believe in doing what works, and not belittling the rest. One must know one's own needs while respecting all options. Remaining open to the possibility of fallibility helps one avoid delusion. I believe the narrow vision of fundamentalism only serves to strengthen the illusion of separation. All practices which support self reflection are worthy of respect, and no single method is the only way for everyone.