Yoga is more than a workout. Every practice has a purpose.

When I first came to yoga, I came because I had a running injury. I discovered Pilates and then yoga while recovering, and at first I was drawn to these movement practices strictly for the physical benefits: I stopped getting running injuries. The intention behind my yoga practice was healing, and I healed.

Over time, yoga became transformative in subtler ways. Yoga stopped being just about the physical practice, and I started feeling it affect my attitude, spirit, and heart. The intention behind my practice began to be meditative and philosophical.

While I was pregnant with my daughter, my yoga practice shifted again. Yoga and meditation gave me the tools to rediscover myself and my body in the new circumstance of being a mama. I learned to use yoga as a tool to restrengthen my hips and core, to find peace and calm in harried moments, and to be in communion with myself on busy days. Healing and introspection were at the heart of my movement practice. Motherhood changed my yoga practice so much, that I created Whole Mama Yoga with Lauren Sacks as a platform to write and teach about the intersection of yoga, pregnancy, and motherhood.

My classes offer a clear intention at the start: come and see if the messages resonate. Crafting an effective message for classes is important, and in Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses, co-written with Sage Rountree, we explore how to create class themes that connect. In Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses, we address yoga teachers and advance practitioners directly, encouraging them to think about what messages and intentions they bring to their classes. Part workbook, Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses offers teachers helpful tools to find and cultivate authentic inspiration they can pass on to their students. (There’s an online course to complement the book, too!)

You can also find my thoughts in Lifelong Yoga, also co-written with Sage. Lifelong Yoga focuses on yoga for the long haul, and you'll find tips, sequences, and useful tidbits for starting or continuing a yoga practice as you age.

In November 2019, Sage and I will be offering a weekend intensive at Kripalu on Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses. Join us!