I found Yoga in Thailand 10 years ago at the age of 16 after 5 years of being a child pop star. In a nut shell, Yoga changed my life. Growing up the way I did, I had never experienced any union within let alone between the body and mind. Living in the present moment and taking care of myself were foreign concepts. But through Yoga, I slowly learned, at my own pace, the importance of 'inner' self awareness. After spending so much of my childhood consumed with exterior indulgences I gripped onto Yoga as if it were my lifeline. In an attempt to break away from the materialistic views of the industry that had caused so much inner pain and self hatred resulting in drug abuse and addiction, I decided to take a sabbatical to India, Nepal, and Tibet. This is when my true journey started.
When my darling daughter, Taylor was born in 2004, I quit the entertainment industry and moved back to LA. As a single mom, Taylor became the focus of my life (and I'm sure, single or not, all of us mommies share that feeling). When she was 2 she joined my daily home practice and now at 5 she is an amazingly conscious and compassionate human being as well as a very focused and deeply present Yogi. As little as she is, I watched her blossom from an insecure, unstable child (due to the nightmare of a life she had during the year long custody battle between Daddy and I) to an expressive, loving, and healthy little girl. The bond that Yoga has created for my daughter and I and the strength it has given me as a person is indescribable. My yoga practice is my little piece of serenity tucked in between packing lunches, paying bills, school drop offs, and work. It brings me back to me. I finally decided to listen to my heart, taking my Yoga journey to another level by dedicating my life to passing on this amazing gift of Yoga Asana practice to others. I literally threw myself into an intensive teacher training with Annie Carpenter, Kia Miller, Joan Hymen, and Bahni Turpin (the most talented and dedicated people I have ever studied with!) with the idea that I would come out with all of the 'information' I needed to teach. Not only did I get 'information', this experience was a transformation. I will forever carry with me the love and wisdom that was shared between all 40 of us into my classes, practice, and daily life. My goal as an instructor is to teach sequences that make inversions, arm balances and strong standing postures accessible to everyone in the room. We flow, sweat, breathe, and smile.
