What I’ve learned from my personal practice…

Yoga has taught me the incredible value of doing just one thing.  Like most of us, my daily life finds me trying to more things in less time.  Continuous multitasking leads to depletion, distraction, and anxiety.  For me, this distracted and rushed living is hard to turn off, even in moments when I want to be present.  Yoga, especially when practiced in a community environment, calls on us to just. do. yoga.  Do I get distracted mentally in my practice by thoughts about the past and the future?  Of course!  But I don’t act on distraction.  In my practice, when I feel the pull of an intrusive thought, I use my breath to return to my body and to the present moment.  Sometimes, when I am feeling overwhelmed in regular life, I notice that without thinking I have tapped into my ujjayi breath – a powerful tool to get my head where my feet are both on an off the mat.  

I love teaching…

Sun Salutations! During the first 20 minutes of class, you get to witness students tap into their breath and connect with their body. So often we walk around like brains on a broomstick, completely disconnected from our bodies. As a teacher, I love to start with a brief meditation and then a nice long flow through Sun Salutations to really focus on linking breath and movement. By the end of Sun Salutations, students are transformed and ready.  

I’m inspired by…

The courage to try something new. I love to witness people opening to growth through yoga - sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. Whether it’s walking through the door into your first yoga class, trying leap frogs, or staying in class all the way through savasana. The willingness of students to open the door to something new inspires me to do the same. (Hint: it’s not just about yoga!)

My other passion or hobby in life…

Teaching trainees (especially interns!) in the Intensive Care Unit. The ICU can be a scary place – obviously as a patient or a family member—but also for residents who rotate in this fast-paced, high-stakes environment. I use honesty, transparency, and humor to help lessen the fear and anxiety that many trainees feel at the beginning of their ICU rotations. Once the fear starts to dissipate, the real learning can start! Watching learners transform from fearful to curious to competent and beyond is one of the great joys of my life.