nice to meet you!
i'm so glad our paths have crossed. welcome to my website.
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i started taking "yoga" classes at the Hazel Dell gym where my husband worked in 2003. searching for more about this "yoga" thing, i found my root teacher, Sundari Sita-Ram, and yoga community, The Shanti Yoga Center, in 2004 in Vancouver, Washington; just a stone's throw from my childhood hometown of Battle Ground. this incredible group of folks grew me into the lover of community supported wellness practices that are the root of what we do here. to this day, these practices remain one of my main sources of mental, emotional and physical nourishment.
after 10 years of teacher training apprenticeship and a studio manager gig, i opened The Breathing Room in 2014 alongside my friends Julie and Deb. i will forever be grateful to my friends who said yes and to the years of sweetness, growth and friendship that were birthed because of The Breathing Room.
we officially closed the physical doors of The Breathing Room in March of 2020.
covid-19 and the shelter in place/lockdown time offered me space to consider some big questions the current situation was asking of us: was it right for me to run a business claiming to teach Indigenous practices? did i have the skills needed to continue holding such a large and important space? was my heart in alignment with the work required to re-open a studio, when what i was actually feeling called to was the desire to re-group and finish a few of my own personal projects that had been left untended inside the labor required to run a business?
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i am clear about no longer wishing to be labeled a "yoga teacher", but instead, to simply be myself and just do the thing we do: stretch and breathe together in the spirit of seeing what is with respect and clarity while resisting appropriation and bypass~ and doing the work to understand where we are situated in the context of spiritual tradition, culture and privilege.
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i am not connected, nor have i ever been, to a traditional lineage of dharma stewards. my root teacher, Yvonne/Sundari, was an incredible teacher and worked to ensure that she passed along to me the tools that could help open the body/mind with language cues and reminders to rest and reflect. she taught me skills to cultivate community within the walls of a public meeting space. my intention is to grow those teachings; i still don't know where they'll end up...
may all beings be happy + free and may that begin with me.
today, i am enjoying a basic schedule of leading online gatherings and every-once-in-a-while in-person offerings. i am tending to my inner space. i am letting the stewards of these Indigenous practices teach their traditions, while i learn about and tend to mine. #LANDBACK.
so, here we are!
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read about what to expect in a "normal" class i offer here.
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i have also gone ahead and linked a couple of folks whom i am currently learning from, and other materials that are inspiring my learning. you can find those on the RESOURCES page. they are frequently updated for you. please check them out!
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with gratitude, i honor the pure hearts of my teachers as they have helped shape the student i am today: sundari sita ram, julie mccoy-cox, gepina caterina, danielle lee + heip dang among others who have nurtured me along the way.
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i currently spend my time enjoying my growing sons and tending to our weedy acre with my husband in rural Clark County. I love to spend time in the kitchen, singing with my guitar, wandering outdoors, resting in the sauna, learning, reading and thinking alone or with loved ones, and working as a caregiver at our local hospital,
oh! and i am half way finished with nursing school!
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please poke around here + feel free to reach out via the comment section on the home page. may our practice bring merit to all beings.