The Bhakti Yoga Movement Center Online

When I had the good fortune of connecting with Lisa Mae Osborn shortly after moving to Portland in '05, the seeds that had been planted in the years prior began to take root. I began to dive more deeply into the study of yogic practices, and I absolutely knew that my heart had come home when I was introduced to the bhakti practice of sri kirtana (devotional chanting). An yet at that point I had still no idea how impactful it would be or how serious I would become about desiring my life to be overtaken by spiritual pursuit. It was as though something within me started to wake up, and the things in my life that inhibited my growth began to fall, often painfully but beautifully, away.I have been teaching movement now (everything from creative movement for kids to modern dance to therapeutic private yoga classes to many things in between) since 1999. I have had the honor of being a part of The Bhaktishop Yoga Center since its inception, and under the gentle and encouraging guidance of Lisa Mae Osborn, as well as a number of other inspired and influential teachers, I have completed more than 500+ hours of yoga education and training. When I am not teaching or studying yoga, I am either engaged in my work as a licensed massage therapist where I am able to spend valuable one-on-one time with those who are looking to find ease, presence, and balance in their bodies, or wrapped in love and life lessons with my dear little son, Kavi. It is my goal as a bodywork practitioner, anatomy and kinesiology geek, yoga teacher, Mama, and student of bhakti yoga to serve and honor each individual that I encounter, whether on the mat or off, in the best and truest way that I know how. Movement is still endlessly fascinating to me, but it is truly the connection to Self and Source that we may encounter while engaged in yoga practices that has me hooked.

I was a freshman in high school when I took my first meditation class and was blown away by the power of it. It wasn't the practice itself, rather, it was how I moved through the world and interacted with my family later that night that impacted me so greatly. I realized that meditation, yoga, and other mindful movement modalities, can create actual positive shifts and this influenced my work in the years to come as a social justice activist, massage therapist, and most recently in my work as a somatic psychotherapist. I started teaching hatha yoga professionally in 2009, which continues to feed my passion for learning, especially when it comes to the dynamism of the body and mind, relationships, and the healing arts. What gets me most excited about the practice is that it offers opportunities for deep experiential learning, often uncovering and clarifying wisdom that already exists within. As we move through the shapes of asana and cultivate our "somatic architecture" we bring mindfulness to how we physically organize, unwind, and reorganize. In this process we come to understand how our physicality gives rise to and is affected by our mental and emotional states. Habitual patterns surface and opportunities for learning and healing present themselves. The beauty of group yoga classes is that this intimate work gets to happen in the holding of a community. The practice can expand from intra-personal to inter-personal and healing around themes of belonging become possible.I enjoy teaching various styles of yoga, I am an anatomy geek and love getting into the details of alignment, I think props are the coolest... but most of all I love connecting with my students and supporting their curiosity, wisdom, and empowerment.