“Yoga is the secret to growing older gracefully both within your body and within your soul”. 

This has been my mantra throughout my several years of practicing yoga. As a nurse I always knew the importance of maintaining my health. Even though I enjoyed several sports such as biking, swimming, hiking and even competitive figure skating, I was always drawn back to my mat because it treated both my body and mind equally. After a severe accident left me with the inability to walk for three months, it was yoga that healed my leg and my anxiety. Linking breath and movement allowed me to strengthen my muscles, calm my doubts, and move forward to a place of calmness and peace. Always a competitor, I also learned to listen to my body and work towards my own goals in a healthy way. 

My decision to become a yoga instructor was influenced by wanting to share yoga’s path to peace and tranquility with other individuals. I knew that yoga could be an answer for so many people dealing with medical issues such as stress, high blood pressure, arthritis, and previous injuries. For those people wanting to maintain their strength, balance, and agility, yoga was the perfect answer for maintaining wellness. 

Through Nirvana Yoga Studio in Richfield, Ohio, I completed my 200 hour Yoga Alliance training under the kind and thoughtful leadership of Melissa Cugini and Maria Varonis. It is with great appreciation and an open heart that I grew my own practice with their support, guidance, and gentle teaching techniques. Additional accolades to Dunya Khaleq for her encouragement and sharing of her own unique teaching methods. 

On the mat, my favorite asana is Locus. It represents to me a way to float above the mat in a beautiful and powerful way. 

Off my mat, I share my life with my four wonderful children, my encouraging husband Ken and my pet Dove and my cat Coconut. Listening to music, enjoying fires in the backyard and hikes and bikes in the Metro parks put a smile on my face. I love all types of yoga from a powerful vinyasa flow to a gentle yin and meditation.