I am passionate about helping people move better in their bodies, whether through traditional yoga asana, Yoga Tune U.p®, pilates, MovNat®, and other movement practices.  I began my yoga practice in 2007 at the suggestion of another musician friend, who touted its benefits for the upper body, spine, and shoulders.   What began as a curiosity developed into a serious passion, and a salve for performance-related injuries, competition stress, and assault.  I completed my initial 200-hour teacher training in 2011, under the tutelage of David Vendetti and Todd Skoglund at South Boston Yoga, and have studied in the vinyasa, yin, forrest, anusura, Yoga Tune Up®,  and Iyengar traditions. 

      As a classical violist, I have an interest and sensitivity in preventing performing artists’ injuries and stresses, and helping other musicians build confidence under pressure, gain strength, and improve their playing.  I believe that the benefits of yoga and pilates are not limited to impressive poses of strength and valor, and that simple movements can yield profound benefits on a physiological and emotional level.   I've fallen in love with the pilates apparatus as a way of exploring movement with the support of closed kinetic chains- some things become harder, others easier, but the pilates apparatus are an amazing way to further explore the human body's potential for movement.

      I've done additional trainings with Tari Prinster of Yoga 4 Cancer, Jodi Komitor and Nicole Koleshis of Next Generation Yoga, and Trina Altman, Sarah Court, and Jill Miller of Yoga Tune Up®.  As a pilates instructor, I've completed trainings with Karen Sanzo and Erin Turnham of Pilates Unlimited in Dallas, and Nanci Patch in Austin, and I'm additionally a level 1 MovNat instructor.  My classes challenge traditional definitions of yoga and pilates methodology  with new ways of exploring the human body's potential for movement..  You can also find some of my yoga related blog posts at Musicians' Health Collective, Yoganonymous, the Yoga Tune Up® blog, and Elephant Journal.

Teaching Philosophy

      Yoga and pilates are more than a series of exercises,; they are lenses by which one can explore movement, while creating connection between the physical body, the breath, and the mind.  Through an awareness of the physical body, one can begin to cultivate a greater awareness of the mind, one's thoughts, and one's actions.  The body is the easiest place to start, and when encumbered by pain, misuse, overuse, or abuse, it limits one greatly.  Gradually, awareness, strength, and flexibility begin to expand beyond the boundaries of yoga and manifest in other areas of one's daily life. 

What is Yoga Tune Up®?

YTU® is a blending of many different movement modalities, which then allows practitioners to gain new awareness of areas of strength, weakness, flexbility, and discomfort.  In Jill Miller's words, "It helps eradicate pain, improve posture and enhance performance through a unique blend of Corrective Exercise, Self Massage and Yoga."  It differs a bit in format from a "traditional" yoga class, but can be an immense aid to those seeking a new perspective on yoga, movement, and wellness.  In my own body and studies, it has profoundly changed how I view my students' abilities as well as my own, and I'm delighted to be a YTU teacher®.

Learn more about YTU here.