My love for yoga began in 2002 when I was 19. I stumbled across a book that offered a month of guided yoga, and it completely changed my life. As an aimless teenager, yoga gave me a sense of grounding and control that I had never experienced before. Over the years, my practice was on and off, but it wasn't until 2015 that I took the leap and completed my 200-hour yoga teacher training. I was two years into my work as a massage therapist, and yoga felt like the perfect addition to my healing toolkit. It's allowed me to care for myself more deeply, but also to support my clients with tools they can use outside the massage room. Yoga brings me peace. It gently guides me back to myself whenever I feel ungrounded or lost. I've taught a handful of classes over the years, that came to a pause after the birth of my son and around the time of COVID. After a few years away, I'm ready to return. My heart has always been in sharing yoga in a way that reflects just how magical and transformative this practice truly is. I'm currently completing my 300-hour training with Tanya and am so excited to bring all I've learned into my teaching.

 

I came to Azitala in March of 2017 to get some physical relief from some old injuries. I bought the week pass and went everyday but one. I was hooked! However, I wasn’t hooked because of the physical benefits I was experiencing; but rather, from the spiritual benefits. Yoga was providing me with daily tangible tools to find peace, calm and God for my body, mind and soul. For these reason, I began Azitala’s Teacher Training Program in the fall of 2017. After reading the introduction to “Light on Yoga” by B.K.S Iyengar, I knew I had made the right decision. “The name of the Lord is like the sun, dispelling all darkness. The moon is full when it faces the sun. The individual soul experiences fullness when it faces the Lord.” B.K.S Iyengar, expounding upon the 5th Niyama, Isvarapranidhana. This is why I am so grateful that I have found yoga and proud that I am a yoga instructor for Azitala Yoga. I hope to help others shine in the face of their Lord, whoever He may be to them. 

 

My yoga practice began in 2012 while living in Fargo. At that time I was pretty stressed & very disconnected to myself, I was finally ready to embrace some healthier habits. I decided to check out a class & walked in feeling a bit anxious & worried however after I felt a shift in my energy. I felt empowered, strong, & connected to myself. I made a promise to myself that I would be consistent with this practice. My journey led to me take Azitala's 200-hour yoga teacher training in 2016 to share this beautiful practice with others. I began teaching at Azitala in Nov. 2016. In 2023 I furthered my education by taking Azitala's 300-hour teacher training. As a teacher my aim is to spark self-inquiry, equip you with knowledge & tools that can help you live a more easeful life & motivate you to consistently show up for yourself. One of my favorite quotes is by Thich Nhat Hanh: "It is possible to live 24 hours a day in a state of love. Every movement, every glance, every thought, and every word can be infused with love." I think it's important that we aim to move with more love & that we are gentle & kind with not only ourselves but one another.

 

I am beyond excited to be a part of the Azitala family! I completed the 200hr training in 2024 and will continue to learn under the 300hr training at the beginning of 2025! With this knowledge my hope is to create a space of grounding, mind body connection, and compassion for ourself and others. “We repeat what we don’t repair” became my mantra for years after discovering yoga in 2016. I was stuck in my comfort zone and completely detached from my surroundings. With the practice of yoga, realizations of self pushed my path into transformation and trusting the process in the ebb and flow of life. Yoga has deepened my trust in discovering my true nature and to seek authenticity in my thoughts, words, and actions. I can’t wait to continue to find and unfold all the ways yoga has changed my life physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually!