"My journey into yoga began when I was 17 years old and recently diagnosed with Type I diabetes. This disease turned my life upside down and inside out: everything I knew changed in a day, and seemingly for the worse. As I learned about the disease, I also found yoga. I learned that life comes with no guarantees, but that we all have the power to decide. I could choose to let diabetes negatively impact the course of my life; or choose to celebrate my diagnosis as a day I got to survive and create a new reality. I can happily and gratefully say that I chose the latter. With patience and hard work, I earned my 200 hour yoga certification from Yoga East in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in 2013, just as I learned to manage my diabetes. I have been teaching ever since, taking advantage of any opportunity that comes my way, including a month long teaching adventure in Costa Rica. I have been grateful to teach in many settings around New Hampshire, with so many brilliant minds and gifted bodies. Every minute I spend in the presence of yogis is a blessing. Thanks to yoga, I have learned to view my disease as a part of me; part of my journey and experience as a human, and one I am happy to share with others. Thank you all in advance for sharing your journey with me. Namaste."