It all started with George Harrison.  In 2003, I was introduced to and promptly fell in love with The Beatles.  The moment I heard the song “Within You Without You”, I became deeply curious about yogic philosophy and approaches to life.  My first college summer, I took a yoga class at a local community college.

The desire to more deeply understand reality ultimately led me to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Philosophy (as well as one in Communication) from Villanova University in 2008.

I wanted to find a a way to apply my desire to explore and communicate about the deeper questions in life in a way that could serve others, which led me to earn my Master’s Degree in Clinical and Counseling Psychology from Chestnut Hill College in 2012.  While I was earning my degree, I also completed my first teacher training in 2010, and immediately began teaching.  I very quickly saw the importance of connecting yoga and mental health, and over the next few years studied with researchers in the budding field (such as Bo Forbes and Bessel van der Kolk) to learn as much as I could about how to heal the mind through the body.

A very important component of what I do is shaped by my primary teacher, Shiva Rea, who I’ve been studying with since 2012. Studying with Shiva has helped me more deeply feel the poetry behind postures, understand the healing power of free-form movement, and deepen my understanding of the evolution of sequencing, towards both physical and energetic outcomes.

I was deeply shaped by my clinical work, particularly with women who had experienced trauma from domestic abuse.  I came to appreciate freedom and empowerment much more deeply, and apply what I learned in nearly everything I do professionally.  I also spent a year working as a trauma-specialized family therapist.