“In the beginning you will have to make room for yoga in your daily lifeI didn't choose this Yoga path. Yoga chose me.
and give it the place it deserves.
But after some time, yoga itself will pull you up by the hair and make you do it.” ~Vanda Scaravelli
It all started kind of like this.... One day, after many years of abusing my body mountain biking and giving myself over a dozen mild concussions, my body said "hold up! wait a minute!... You will stop all this non-sense now!" And that's when I suddenly passed out at work and the chronic daily migraines began.
From that point on, I would experience painful fireworks constantly exploding in my brain. My life would never be the same. That night, the doctor in the emergency room explained that this was a serious spinal and head injury and I would need some sort of daily practice, like Yoga, to get me through to the other side.
So off to the Ashram I went for a 31 day Yoga Teacher Training intensive (not knowing anything about yoga, let alone what the heck an ashram was). And my journey with Yoga began.
Although I entered this practice as a means to heal my body, Yoga also prepared me with tools to help me face the intense emotional distress that would arise from living with years of daily chronic pain.
Developing a strong meditation practice was the natural next step to my journey. Studying the nature of mind has been a great tool for calming my nervous system and accessing the unconditional confidence that is always accessible to me. A confidence that allows me to find Joy in every moment, even with Pain at my side.
The practices of Yoga and Mindfulness Meditation have kept my body healthy and my mind flexible through very turbulent times.
It is with great joy and passion that I share this practice with you now.
I am a registered Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy Practitioner Shambhala Meditation guide and certified addictions recovery coach.
As my life journey suggests, I specialize in emotional distress due to chronic pain. My intention as a teacher is to inspire students to take what they learn on their Yoga Mat and meditation cushions into the ups and downs of their daily lives. As a practitioner, I am passionate about empowering individuals with practical and accessible tools for pain care.
I offer individualized Yoga Therapy sessions (in person or on Skype or phone), facilitate Yoga Therapy programs in Nelson BC and on-line, and teach weekly Community Yoga and Meditation classes at the Kootenay Shambhala Meditation Centre.
