Path: After an idyllic childhood in rural Virginia, the real world was a shock for me, and my first two years of college were turbulent and confusing. I was exposed to violence and had no idea what to do with the anger, bitterness, and fear that it left inside of me. I lost my naivety, and with it my peace, my grounding, and my sense of balance in the world. I took my first yoga class during this time, and began to find my footing. I took to yoga like a duck to water. It was fun, it was healthy, and it was something I was good at. For the first time in too long I began to like my body again, to respect myself, and to see the goodness and beauty around me. It was such a relief to let go of the anger and the fear, and to approach my future with confidence. In a lot of ways, yoga was my own quiet therapist, gently nudging me back to myself.

After graduating from UNC in 1999, I moved to the Outer Banks and opened Outer Banks Yoga and Pilates, a community yoga center. The area was hungry for yoga, and soon one studio turned into three. I sold the studios in the spring of 2006 to focus on my second love – the environment. I earned a law degree and a master's in City Planning at UNC in 2010.

Inspiration: I began my yoga training with six weeks at the Satchidananda Ashram in Buckingham, VA (Yogaville) in 1999 in order to get a complete immersion in all 8 limbs. I soon realized that I prefer a more vigorous practice, and so I supplemented my Integral Yoga certification with an Ashtanga teacher training with David Swenson in 2001. I rounded out my palatte of certifications with Pilates Mat training through the Pilates Institute in 2002. I am inspired by so many people that it would be impossible to even begin to name them all!

Favorites for Grounding: Surfing, Hooping, Breathing, Reading, Running in the woods with the dogs, Playing Guitar, Crosswords…As for grounding in yoga, I like a slow deep stretch. 

Favorites for Kicking It: Skateboarding, Roughousing with the dogs, Dinners out, Dancing…Kicking it yoga style I LOVE a vicious vinyasa to crazy trance or hip hop music. 

Practice: I am learning to make time for my own practice. Owning a yoga business, I found myself teaching teaching teaching and never taking classes. It is so important to keep a personal practice, whether it’s 10 minutes on your own at home or 2 classes a day at the studio. Just roll out your mat and do something! I don’t always feel like practicing, but I never regret that I did. 

Intention: My intention is to wag more and bark less.