During the first five or so years of my yoga practice, I was consistently injured and in chronic pain. I did not practice sustainability or work to create longevity. I did not seek to understand the intricate workings of my own body. I did not seek out the knowledgable teachers but rather looked for the teachers that would push me the furthest. I struggle with hyper mobility which essentially means that my joints tend to be rather unstable. Because of my hyper mobility and surrounding naivety, I was drawn to a yoga practice because I could relatively easily contort myself into bendy poses. I was often praised in classes or given uncommon adjustments to take me deeper into a pose. I thrived on the attention and continued to push myself to the extreme. I remember attending a workshop with an internationally known yoga teacher where we did quite a few deep backbends. I was so bent on "opening my heart" that when I left, I was barely able to walk for a week. Throughout the beginning years of my yoga practice, I developed numerous chronic injuries and ended up in constant pain and with little motivation to practice at all.
It was not until I attended additional teacher trainings that things began to change. I began to understand that there is no "right" way to practice yoga and that I was allowed to practice in a way that felt helpful. I had spent the previous years relying on my flexibility when what I needed was to create strength and stability. I distinctly remember my teacher, Grace Morales telling me, "just because you can do something doesn't mean that you should." I began modifying and removing certain poses from my practice as I rediscovered the basics. I learned how to build a nourishing and balanced practice that kept me feeling good after I left my mat. I came to find that there is no destination when looking to create a healthy and functional body. It is only when we consistently show up with awareness and curiosity that we can begin to find a sustainable practice and adaptable body.
My teaching is constantly evolving as I learn new information and discover different methods of healing. I used to love to practice and teach inversions and arm balances and fast paced power classes. While these classes were fun, I hadn't cultivated the physical awareness or body knowledge to approach them safely. These days, my practice mostly revolves around building stability and challenging that stability in a variety of ways. As a result, I feel strong and supported, both on and off the mat. I don't believe that in order to practice yoga well, we must follow a strict set of rules or alignment cues. I encourage students to approach their practice with subtlety and consistency. I believe in practicing that which improves our physical experience and helps us to heal. For me, that healing has come from a nontraditional and anatomy based practice with a focus on strength and stability. Because of this, I enjoy teaching an outside-the-box and anatomically focused class that encourages students to explore their bodies in a new way.
I would love to be able to share this practice with you! There are plenty of opportunities throughout the week to catch a class. I teach private yoga classes in Raleigh, Cary, and Durham as well as corporate yoga classes in the triangle. Additionally, I teach weekly vinyasa classes at Cary Flow Yoga and Blue Lotus. You can view my schedule here. I look forward to seeing you on the mat!