My yoga and fitness journey to coaching.
Approachable Excellence
I was introduced to yoga in 2002. I was a teenager. It was fast paced, high pressure, Los Angeles. I desperately hated my body and was looking for an answer. Yoga seemed like a God-send! For once in my life, I found peace and calm and trust. Whenever I was on my mat practicing my mind was quiet and I believed in myself and my own intrinsic power.
The style of yoga I found, however, was not sustainable. My young body was a wreck after just 7 years of regular practice. I suffered from body dismorphia, depression, disordered eating, low back pain, a fractured spine, sciatica, a torn meniscus, bursitis in both hips, and extremely low self-esteem. A huge catalyst in my life occurred: my identical twin sister died of complications from an eating disorder. I knew I had to make big changes in my life. I began a path to healing and empowerment.
I sought out new yoga teachers who taught me proper alignment and technique. I even completed an extended and intense certified yoga teacher training. This brought about a lot of powerful changes, but not enough to alleviate the daily pain I was in. I decided to deep dive into everything I could to find answers. I became a certified personal trainer, I studied the low back research of Dr. Stu McGill, I began to reorganizing my own muscles, I learned from my Wounded Warrior yoga students on Army bases, I became a lead nutritional coach, and got countless lessons in communication and body organization from my private clients.
Through my work I have effectively transformed my relationship with my body, with food, and most importantly with me. And I am so grateful to be able to help empower others to create the life they want in the body they love and respect. Change is possible. And you are most deserving of living your best life in your best body no matter your history or circumstances.
My coaching philosophy is one of empowerment. You don't need coaching for the rest of your life. What you need is the space and support to rediscover yourself and recreate yourself. Babies don't learn to walk in one day. Give yourself the grace and permission to get better one step, one thought at a time. I guarantee you will experience tremendous results.