During my freshman year of college I was fortunate to enroll in an Asian Philosophy course where I was first introduced to the Bhagavad Gita. This text planted the seeds for how I conduct my life.  After moving to the Napa Valley in 2001, I visited the San Francisco Zen Center often in an attempt to learn how to meditate.  In 2003, I took a yoga class for a P.E. credit at the Napa Valley JC where I discovered the benefits of modern postural yoga.  I was fortunate to learn from a knowledgeable teacher who taught within the energetic Anusara lineage at a time when there were no yoga studios in the Napa Valley.  I developed a home practice based on this small sliver of information and often invited my friends to join me, eager to pass on the movements and teachings that were beneficial to me.

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In 2015 my friends and colleagues encouraged me to make the transition from student to teacher.  My initial two hundred hours of training were under Janet Stone, who is based out of San Francisco.  To complete my foundational yoga teacher training, I was able to travel with Janet to India.  Through Janet, I was introduced to my first Yoga Therapeutics instructor, Harvey Deutch.  I completed a 100 hundred hour therapeutic training with Harvey in San Francisco.  I then launched into an 800 hour, 2.5 year training, in 2017 to become certified as a Yoga Therapist.  My Yoga Therapy training was held in Marin County through an accredited program with the Stress Management Center.

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I am very excited and honored to open an exclusive Yoga Therapy space located in Downtown Napa!  When I first moved to Napa, I initially thought I wanted to be a pastry chef and started cooking at the renowned Italian restaurant, Tra Vigne.  This is where I honed my cooking skills which allows me to prepare fresh, seasonal, and nutritious food.  After working in hospitality and attending college, I became the Environmental Relations Manager for a luxury resort where I worked for almost nine years.  While there I managed their herb & vegetable garden, and as part of the Employee Wellness component, I outsourced for yoga instructors.  The employees were begging for more yoga classes, which planted the seed for me to begin my own yoga training.  Right after receiving my first 200 hours of yoga certification, I co-founded the first yoga non-profit in the Napa Valley in 2016 where we began offering free Yoga in the Park in order to gain experience.  We quickly had over 100 people participating in our outdoor classes.  After several successful seasons, the non-profit was dissolved due to covid limitations and other challenges.  In 2016 I also began teaching at a small yoga studio called Yoga Passion which was closed unfortunately at the beginning of the covid pandemic.  Through the quarantine I provided Zoom yoga classes like so many of us quickly had to learn how to do.  After covid, I began teaching public yoga classes at the Stanly Ranch wellness center, and then finally committed to opening a physical space for offering Yoga Therapy to the Napa Valley.  Yoga Therapy Napa Valley is currently the only studio in Napa that offers private, confidential, individual Yoga Therapy sessions.

 

Within my local community I have volunteered at my son's school to teach his class how to breathe properly while including playful yoga postures.  I often partner with Teens Connect and Mentis to provide yoga to our youth.  I have been very involved with the Napa Local Food Advisory Council, the Napa Valley Vine Trail, the Adopt-a-School Program, and I helped spearhead the formation of RAD, Napa's Rail Art District.  For me, yoga has become a lifestyle, greatly enriching my life and rippling out to those around me.  I enjoy spending my time with my 11 year old son, my friends & family, reading, gardening, cooking, traveling, and exploring nature.