I began practicing yoga in 1999 when the "dot.com" where I was working as an instructional designer brought in a yoga teacher a couple times a week. At the time, I thought that yoga equated to stretching and relaxing, and that it would be a good balance for my marathon training and the stress of tight deadlines; plus, I just wanted to know what the buzz was all about. The instructor happened to be one of Chicago's master teachers and I quickly discovered that while yoga was not at all what I had expected, I had happened into something very powerful.

In 2003 I attended Ana Forrest’s teacher training program, and along with being Forrest certified, I am also certified with Yoga Alliance at the 500 hour level (RYT 500). In addition, I have participated in Daren Friesen’s Moksha Yoga teacher training program first as a trainee, later by mentoring new teachers, and finally assisting Daren with his teacher training classes. Prior to teaching yoga, I taught in the high school and corporate setting for over 10 years. My master’s degree in education and my 15+ years of teaching both on and off the mat allows me to make some of the subtler aspects of yoga understandable and accessible.

I believe it’s beneficial to study a variety of disciplines of yoga, and enjoy both practicing and teaching more than one style. My teaching style is a fusion of the disciplines I have practiced, including Ashtanga, Universal, and Iyengar as well as Forrest. In addition to Ana, my primary influences are Tias Little, Shiva Rea and Rod Stryker, with whom I study on a regular and ongoing basis; this always brings something new to my classes. At the same time, my teaching maintains the pillars of Forrest yoga: breath, strength, integrity and spirit, and places equal importance in finding a place for joy and laughter in the practice. Always a different sequence, my classes are challenging and generally rather sweaty, but are at the same time a safe haven for students of all abilities