Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you. ~ Hafiz of Persia

Hometown:

Chattanooga

What led you to yoga?

Bellydance, an eating disorder, and curiosity

Three words that reflect how you want to
BE each day...

Patient ~ Compassionate ~ Aware

Three activities that inspire you to be fully present, other than yoga... 

performing bellydance~ instructing a movement class~ enjoying my mini-family of cats and a husband

Pose that reminds you of what it was like to be a beginner...

Most all of them!  Definitely Upavista Konasana (wide-legged, seated forward fold)

The most beautiful sight you’ve ever seen...

My husband’s eyes before and after being shot in the eye in 2008

What’s your definition of yoga? 

Everything that fits under the umbrella of trying to be a better person- from attaining a healthy body and quieting my mind to choosing right actions in my life.

The best trip you’ve ever experienced... 

My honeymoon.  It was a Hawaiian cruise with Jared.

How do you begin each day?

After removing the cat from my shoulders, I drink hot tea and post my insane dreams on Facebook.  Shortly thereafter,  I get moving with yoga, pilates, or dance; on the best days, I end with meditation.

A bit more...

After spending years in social work,  my mom and I recently  opened our own business, the Asala Center, which offers private movement instruction, resume assistance, and Constructive Living instruction.  A bellydance instructor at Zanzibar studio and a founding member of Mirabai Bellydance, I augmented my training with a 230-hour RYT certification through Asheville Yoga Center last year.  In my classes, I remind students of their uniqueness,  and I applaud them for making appropriate modifications and  for asking for assistance.  Emotionally gentle is one way I would describe the atmosphere of my classes, and you can see evidence of that when each one closes- with juicy poses and savasanas, offering my students what I crave at the end of practice sessions: total relaxation. In my life, I am most proud of these accomplishments: overcoming an eating disorder through dance therapy and spiritual growth, serving as a crisis counselor, obtaining my yoga teacher certification (hard!),, and being happily married to someone who amazes me more every day.  I look forward to helping you reach your beautiful potential in my classes at Yoga East.