My practice started within the midst of many trials and struggles as a young child and teen, I never understood why I was being challenged to take the rough and bumpy road versus the smooth wide path. At such a young age I now can say that I was blessed enough to have gone through struggles of all kinds to now better meet the needs of those who come through my doors at Copper Tree.
I really believe that the people who go through the hardest of struggles and trials in their lives are the strongest people. As a young teen I struggled with fitting in and my own independent personality people admired, but at the same time pushed me away. I struggled for years with depression and addictions and everything that goes along with them. Committed to a life free from the shackles of addiction with the help of a new yoga practice I was able to bring myself back to health, drug (medication) free. After having practiced yoga for a while I was shown a new opportunity and direction for my life.
After a year of University a more dedicated yogic lifestyle was dropped in my lap. I decided to attend a-one month yoga training at the Shambhava School of Yoga in Colorado a facility under the prayerful hands of Rishi Sri Shambhavananda, registered with the Yoga Alliance at the nationally recognized standard 200 hour level as a certified and registered yoga instructor. I still remember that first day of orientation knowing as I sat there that this was my path and one day I would open a yoga studio of my own and finish my 500 hour training.
I really believe that the people who go through the hardest of struggles and trials in their lives are the strongest people. As a young teen I struggled with fitting in and my own independent personality people admired, but at the same time pushed me away. I struggled for years with depression and addictions and everything that goes along with them. Committed to a life free from the shackles of addiction with the help of a new yoga practice I was able to bring myself back to health, drug (medication) free. After having practiced yoga for a while I was shown a new opportunity and direction for my life.
After a year of University a more dedicated yogic lifestyle was dropped in my lap. I decided to attend a-one month yoga training at the Shambhava School of Yoga in Colorado a facility under the prayerful hands of Rishi Sri Shambhavananda, registered with the Yoga Alliance at the nationally recognized standard 200 hour level as a certified and registered yoga instructor. I still remember that first day of orientation knowing as I sat there that this was my path and one day I would open a yoga studio of my own and finish my 500 hour training.
As a young yoga instructor, still a teen, I began to teach, through teaching I found my passion and life calling. Still enduring struggles and hard life lessons, ones I now use in my teachings, I decided to continue and complete my full advanced training at the Shambhava School of Yoga at the 500 hour level, I was fortunate enough to have trained under Swami Ma Devananda for both my 200 and 500 hour trainings, for whom I look to for guidance and as my teacher. Through this intensive in-depth training program I came to a deeper understanding of the essentials of being great yoga instructor. During this time, over the course of 4 years I also completed Pilates trainings with the AAAI, in learning that there is much more to Pilates and that no one can learn how to teach in a day or a weekend, I went on the study with both Stott Pilates & Sheri Archer, specializing in mat basics and adaptations, pre/post-natal and on the ball, leading me then to certify with Phi Pilates at Mat level I, II & Props. In addition I have obtained certification in Yoga for MS and have taken other workshops to further my education and practice. Currently I have taught over 2,000 hours of classes and have had well over 1500 hours of training and continuing education. I regularly continue my education always studying and attending trainings and seminars, continuing education is important as in instructor in order to keep your edge.
Yoga teaches you that you are only given what you can handle. In May of 2007 I gave birth to my first daughter Faith, unfortunately due to severe birth abnormalities this labor was brought on early and shortly after birth she died. It’s said that losing your child is the number one loss of any kind and is the hardest to cope with. I know that if it wasn’t for my yoga practice I wouldn’t be where I am, and have had the ability to let her loss go. My husband and I were able to look at her loss and were able to find so many good things from it; I think I have learned more from losing her than I could have ever any other way. Yoga teaches us that everything happens for a reason, and that even though we have no control over what is brought to our lives we do have control over our actions and reactions. I thank Faith every day for the opportunities she has given me, and the help she has brought for me to look at life in yet another way.
My practice reminds me I cannot live in shame and that what I’ve done in my life and the things I’ve been through have made me who I am today, but are not who I am. Fear of judgment has been my biggest obstacle as I felt like I was judged all my life. As a teen with an eating disorder, depression, no longer attending college, opening a business at 21, losing a baby, and along the way saying the wrong things, doing the wrong things and when it comes down to it there is no wrong or right in life just lessons to be learned and means to grow as a person on and off the mat.
I teach from the heart and many times that leaves me with tears in my eyes during class because I feel so passionately about what I do and how I choose to live. Yoga is a lifestyle approach and the more your practice you begin to discover that what brought you to the mat may have been physical but what keeps you coming back is how yoga feeds you mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Namaste
I teach from the heart and many times that leaves me with tears in my eyes during class because I feel so passionately about what I do and how I choose to live. Yoga is a lifestyle approach and the more your practice you begin to discover that what brought you to the mat may have been physical but what keeps you coming back is how yoga feeds you mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Namaste
