My Intentions
My Approach
Because yoga means “unity” I believe our shared practice is a place to connect to the essence of what brings us together. As such, we often explore ideas and inspiration that unite us on or off the mat, perhaps both. I encourage you to (en)lighten up and play, challenge you to find your strength and your untapped potential, and to surrender when it feels right. I urge you to understand the difference between pain (ouch!) and sensation (wow!) in your own body, and act accordingly. Above all, I urge you to celebrate and be amazed by the wonder that is YOU.
I believe in offering consistency throughout all my classes, which I describe in my Charter of Intentions (keep reading to learn more).
My Responsibility
I believe every body is wholly individual, and as such YOU are your most important teacher. I regard my role simply as your guide. I welcome you to your mat exactly as you are, and to channel and support your practice as it shows up for you in the moment. Through all my classes I endeavour to suggest modifications to suit your individual circumstances and experiences.
My Classes
In all my classes, I seek meaningful ways to bring us together as a community, so that we may create some profound connection through our shared experiences as human beings. I hold a deep appreciation for provocative thinkers, archetypical stories from all traditions and cultures, and wicked wordsmiths. I draw inspiration from these sources.
In my Empower Flow (Vinyasa) classes, expect a creative flowing practice rooted firmly in optimal functional movement and safety, a practice in which we can explore the intersections between mobility, stability, accessibility, and flexibility. I believe that we need time, support, and discipline to develop a stronger practice; as such, I focus on one peak pose or family of poses per month so that students can build more skill and confidence in these more challenging asanas.
In my Stretch & Surrender (Yin/Restorative) classes, you will explore ways to cultivate stillness to expand deeply into your physical body and ease your conscious thoughts. I often blend Restorative & Nidra approaches, inviting you to deepen your sense of embodiment and quiet your mind to access profound rest.
My Charter of Intentions
With an infinite number of individuals teaching yoga these days, I believe that we are called to define what makes each of us unique. I choose to represent my approach to yoga with what I call My Charter of Intentions. These are the distinctive elements that characterize my classes, the pure authenticity that remains constant through my personal and my teaching practices.
BE the LIGHT. I aspire to live my life in such a way that the light inside of me ignites the light inside of others. I believe that no flame’s brilliance is dimmed as it is shared. Let us shine more radiantly together and spark the change this world is hungry for.
Begin with CURIOSITY. In every situation, whether on or off the mat, we best serve ourselves and others when we begin from a place of genuine curiosity. We let go of judgement, of assumption, of expectation. Instead we listen deeply, embody empathy, and act with courage and wisdom.
YOU are ENOUGH. In whatever capacity or condition you arrive, by simply showing up, your yoga has already begun.
POETRY in MOTION. I seek to channel the muse that inspires language. I endeavour to choose words that deliberately evoke precise action, inquisitive revelation and divine inspiration. I cultivate space for silence.
“STORY is our way HOME.” I believe in the power of story to unite us, across any of our differences. We embody archetypes. We are integrated by myth. And as Brené Brown declares, “we write our own daring endings.”
Release EXPECTATION. Embrace INTENTION. By committing to intention, we commit ourselves to the process, to the work that is required. We release ourselves from the tyranny of an outcome we may not be able to control.
Define your own edge between EFFORT and SURRENDER. Discern PAIN from SENSATION. YOU are your most potent, most relevant teacher. Embrace the autonomy to know when enough is enough and know when you are capable of more.
The TRANSITION is as vital as the STILLNESS. In yoga, as in life, we are at our most vulnerable when we are in transition. Moving through the in-between requires us to invite intention, understand possibilities, and commit to action.
“Every VARIATION of the pose is STILL the POSE.” In every style of class I teach, each person who shows up possesses an infinite variety of possibilities – conditions, injuries, limitations, experience, readiness. While I cannot tailor practice for each individual, I commit to teaching several variations of poses so that everyone can participate fully. Gratitude to Jason Crandell for this wisdom.
It doesn’t get EASIER. You get STRONGER. For human bodies to function optimally, we must strive towards finding the intersection between stability, agility, mobility, and endurance. In my active classes, I incorporate strength training kriyas to balance the efforts towards increasing flexibility.
"REVELATION comes before REVOLUTION" ~ Glennon Doyle We seek the divine truth within us, that which sparks our spirit to honour our own truth and purpose. From that revelation we begin to expand into changing the world around us. We transform the personal into the political.