RYT 200

I was introduced to yoga back in 1991 by an aerobics teacher I had hired for my gym and was curious as to why she ended each class laying down on the floor. She explained the purpose of savasana and invited me to her home from which she taught yoga classes, which was also a wolf sanctuary, in Istachatta Florida. Surrounded by wolves and grandfather oaks, doing yoga to the sounds of cicadas...I was hooked. Shortly thereafter, she became my yoga guru. After studying in the Iyengar lineage, and upon my guru’s blessing, I began teaching yoga in 1993, and began blending in the western styled practices of Anusara-inspired power yoga. But it wasn’t until 2006 when yoga became “yoga” for me. After spending most of my time in the high intensity world of owning steroid gyms surrounded by vanity and testosterone, fitness competitions and step classes, I had a bad horseback riding accident bringing my life to an immediate halt. Spending the next year in numerous body casts and surgeries, I was brought to a truly humble state. It was while still in a cast from shoulder to fingertips that I begrudgingly began to do yoga alone in my bedroom, and I can still clearly recall that warrior II when yoga finally came to me. My guru always said, yoga comes when you are truly humble and that I certainly was. It was that warrior II where I finally felt the balance, unification, and inner harmony that yoga is all about. I felt strong yet soft, constrained yet free, active yet still, and most importantly content. Moving forward from there, I’ve been fortunate to have been able to study with such inspiring yoga leaders such as Bryan Kest, Paul Grilley, Tao Porchon Lynch, Bernie Clark, Danielle Diamond, Brian Yuen as well as all my other teachers whom I have taught with in the NYC area. Yoga is a balance of daily grind with deeper meaning. With that said, I try to balance power and playfulness with metal and jazz, with inner awareness and stillness, self-acceptance and love…so much easier said than done, and I am honored to take this journey with you here at Hot Asana. When not on my mat, I am a professional brewer, classic movie enthusiast, avid hiker and rock climber, a dabbler in skydiving, belly dancer, tattoo addict, history buff and professional napper.