My Journey
Coming from a tech & sales background, I was no stranger to the hustle, a champion of the "live & breathe your job" mindset. To-do lists & productivity were how I measured self-worth. With no true sense of self, my body was merely a vessel to accomplish and to execute - I held no awareness or regard for what it meant to nourish my heart, or feed my being.
I struggled to navigate through heart space because my mind/ inner critic were in the driver's seat.
Yoga made room for play & reflection, encouraging me to move freely and intuitively. Deepening my practice through meditation has helped quiet the mind, and offer a proverbial loudspeaker/microphone to the heart.
Off the mat, my journey to live through the heart continues. I've been able to find that love exists all around me -
in solo dance parties dedicated to 2000s R&B, in the laughter between friends, in catching a pink sunset, and in the sweet smell of my favourite places.
Living authentically means holding up a kind yet critical mirror to myself - questioning why I believe the things I believe. It means unpacking the impacts that race, histories of immigration, and cultural conditioning have had on my lived experiences, on my perceptions and on the choices I prioritize. It's holding self-compassion for the more difficult parts of this journey.
My teaching approach is ever-evolving as I journey through these learnings. I am thoughtful and intentional in how I authentically show up when teaching.
The me you see today is different than the me
you'll meet tomorrow - herein lies the beauty of our journey.
I am ever-learning,
ever-evolving.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
On my personal journey, meditation & yoga continue to help connect me back to myself - a window to really see, hear, and feel my truths. To stop thinking, and just feel.
I would define a teacher as anyone who helps guide us to this"window", towards a clearer sense of self. Within the context of yoga & mindfulness, my philosophy as a teacher is to meet you exactly as you are, holding space in a way that allows you to explore your own truths.
More specifically, it is to carve out space for you to explore what brings you joy. To embolden your curiosity & your autonomy. To experience how intrinsically fulfilling it can be to connect breath & movement.
Everything offered during practice is a suggestion, with your body serving as the ultimate guide. I aim to create an inclusive and welcoming space that empowers you to forge your unique path.
My Areas of Study
On this journey, teachers can appear in different places, in many different forms, and at different times in your life. I am grateful to the teachers that have guided and counselled me, so many of whom I continue to observe and learn from on and off of the mat.
The training I've received extends to varied paths and streams of learning - each offering different benefits to one's practice. Beyond my formal training, I am deeply committed to the ever-evolving journey of learning & unlearning the impacts that history, race and cultural conditioning carry into my practice.
Taryn Diamond
Cynthia Funk & Karen Cove
Julia Gibran, Jamilah Malika, Laura Sygrove, Rochelle Miller
& Andre Talbot
Kim McBean, Ruby Knafo, Taryn Diamond & Erin Wilbur
20-HR Yoga Nidra Training
Mosaic Yoga
40-HR Restorative Yoga Teacher Training
The Yoga Sanctuary
Reaching In, Reaching Out:
Making Yoga Inclusive & Trauma-Informed
New Leaf Foundation
Union Yoga Studio
225-HR Hatha & Vinyasa Teacher Training