IT'S LOVELY TO MEET YOU
I'll get right to it: start with the end in mind.
I don’t want to reach the end of my life wondering what else might have been possible if I didn’t spend so much of it desperately trying to run away from myself.
Maybe you can relate?
My story
A trauma-sensitive Yoga therapist, meditation teacher, Fulbright scholar, and artist, I have all the education this and in-depth training that.
Yet, my sincerity and lived experiences are my greatest assets to support you:
Experiencing grief, trauma, major weight loss, health challenges, career pivots, and an autism diagnosis at age 42, I deeply understand the question "Who am I?"
I know what it's like to feel broken.
I've struggled with disordered eating, bulimia, obesity, and self-harm. My trauma history didn't help, either. I kept myself busy and distracted at all times. I was addicted to overworking. At one point, I was juggling 4 different careers, often all on the same day. At one point, I was taking 9 different medications prescribed by a team of neurologists, gastroenterologists, and psychiatrists, none of whom talked with one another to coordinate my care.
why yoga?
My yoga journey formally began in 2007, while seeking relief from stress in my career as a high school teacher, and while navigating multiple medical challenges.
Like many westerners, my first experience with Yoga was through a strict, demanding 90 minute practice of 26 poses, practiced in a 105’F room with 40% humidity. The intensity inside the studio taught me: 'If I can do this, I can do anything.'
Without consciously knowing it, I was teaching my nervous system what safety and predictability felt like. I started to connect those parts of myself I discarded, abandoned, and rejected.
Over time, I learned that Yoga teaches us to connect with ourselves, and that we are our own best healer.
Yoga has been my most trusted, faithful companion - supporting me though daily life, and during some of my most difficult moments:
→ Learning I was autistic at age 42. My entire world turned completely upside down and sideways. Read more here.
→ Losing 4 of my most beloved relationships, nearly simultaneously, while in solitude. I was given a masterclass in bone-deep grief. Read more here.
→ Guiding my nearly 103 year old grandmother through her transition as she left her body.
→ Resigning from my longtime career as an accomplished classroom teacher. I had no idea who I was.
→ Experiencing simultaneous fear, agony, presence, and joy with my beloved dog during her final few weeks and moments. Read more here.
my approach
My approach is trauma-sensitive, contemplative, and inclusive for people with diverse bodies, abilities, and backgrounds.
Balancing esoteric, ancient wisdom and evidence-based practices rooted in modern western science, my offerings are designed to meet you where you're at, and help you get to where you want to go.
While I specialize in crafting personalized 1:1 and small group holistic yoga therapy programs for women navigating life transitions, my interests and training include a wide range of populations and challenges.
If my credentials might inform your decision to work together, you can read more here.
other things that make me human
→ I'm also a textile artist and clothing designer under my own label, Lake Elinor. Twice a year, I participate in 4 day national shows with tens of thousands of people. There's no way I possibly do this if it weren't for my practice.
→ I have had to learn to inhabit a body - and world - that felt awkward and unfamiliar after my healthy 80-pound weight loss. I learned how to move my body more, paying conscious attention to what and how I eat. It's a lifelong practice.
let's get started