Hometown:

Okinawa, Japan

What led you to yoga?

I wanted to free myself from the competitive world.

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

Peaceful ~ Kind ~ Discreet

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

My family ~ My friends ~ Silence                                                                           

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

After all of these years, still-  downward facing dog

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

The coastline in Okinawa. I love to watch the green leaves flicker in the sunlight, white clouds slide across the blue sky, and the turquoise ocean rise and fall.

The best trip you’ve ever experienced...

I cannot think of just one place. I enjoy taking my boys to different places to watch them take in the experience.

How do you begin each day?

By remembering what I have: my wonderful family, my friends, my yoga practice and the lucky feeling of being me.

A bit more...

My teaching life didn’t always include yoga; for twenty years, I taught ballet and dance, so you may notice that I strive to help you achieve the perfect expression of a each pose in my classes.   By placing great emphasis on individuals,  I adjust my students, encouraging them to go more deeply into their own ideal posture.   One of my favorite things about teaching yoga is the give and take of it.  The more I give, the more I receive wonderful energy from my students,  making all of us feel strong and happy after each class.   Yoga Alliance certified, I recently completed 242 hours of teacher training from the Asheville Yoga Center and from the Rolf Gates Vinyasa teacher training program.  In Chattanooga, I love taking workshops every chance I get, and I visit Japan every year- studying with my Japanese teachers for a month.  I look forward to sharing the beauty of yoga with new students at Yoga East.