I know how easy it is to let pain become the story that defines me, to have to limit the things I love to do, based on how much pain I expect, instead of being able to do what I really want to do. As someone who has spent most of their adult life doing physical work, I have experienced my share of pain – back pain, hip pain, knee pain, shoulder pain. When pain limits someone’s activities, it also limits their participation in their communities, and takes away from their sense of purpose and usefulness.

I can still remember the moment when my pain started to go away – it wasn’t because I figured out what the problem was and fixed it, but because I decided to finally listen to what my body was telling me. When my mind softened, so did my body. Rigidity dissolved and the tension in my back melted away. That epiphany started a journey that changed the way I was teaching yoga, and led to an intensive 2-year training and certification as a Yoga Therapist.

Since that moment, I have helped hundreds of people learn how to decrease pain and tension, improve stability and mobility, and get back to doing the activities they love with confidence and fluidity. I love hearing my students tell me about the ways they’re getting back to doing the things they want to, and seeing their eyes light up as they move back towards the life they want to live.