Let me introduce myself...
My true passion is learning, as evidenced by the many skilled teachers I have had the privilege to study with. I have not listed all of the countless gifted individuals to whom I owe homage but when I am teaching, the wisdom of these generous teachers accompanies me when I am in the room.
My journey began in NYC in the early nineties, a time when Yoga was gradually gaining popularity. I frequented Jivamukti with Sharon Gannon and David Life, Om Yoga with Cyndi Lee, Yoga Works with Alan Finger, Integral Yoga Institute, and Kundalini Yoga East. I even stayed at Kripalu when it was still an Ashram, with no locks on their doors. It was on the mat that I discovered profound truths about myself.
While I was discovering Yoga I was working at Sotheby’s, the prestigious Auction House, and later at Metro Pictures, a women-owned gallery in Soho. I also ventured into entrepreneurship with my own fashion accessory company, which successfully sold in high-end department stores across the country. Despite these diverse experiences, I always found solace and grounding on my mat. Yoga became my constant companion, offering me refuge and guidance through challenges such as work, relationships, marriage, fertility issues, raising twin boys, and ultimately an amicable divorce. Above all, Yoga has been my teacher in cultivating self-compassion and kindness towards myself.
I share with my students yin yoga, restorative yoga, mindful flow yoga, Mindful Meditation in the Vipassana tradition.
I aspire to incorporate my knowledge of Anatomy and Chinese medicine into my classes, influenced by all the generous yoga, Chinese and Western medical professors, and buddhist meditation teachers that I have studied with. I aspire to create an inclusive environment for "self-observation without judgment". I share poetry, uplifting music, and Buddhist-influenced teachings with my students that have guided me.
I conduct Yin Yoga Teacher Trainings at various studio locations in Northern New Jersey, which are open to both certified teachers and students seeking to deepen their Yin practice. At JaiPure Yoga studio in Montclair, NJ, I lead workshops and group classes. Additionally, I work with private clients within their home or my home studio. I also continue to work with a variety of higher needs populations who have intellectual and physical disabilities within a school structure, privately or in an outpatient/inpatient setting. I am forever grateful to all my students whom I continually learn from.
Selected Credentials:
Yoga Educator Registered with Yoga Alliance as an ERYT-500 HR and Continuing Education Provider
3 years of Postgraduate level education in Chinese Medicine/Western Anatomy and Acupuncture at Pacific College of Health and Science in NYC.
Yin Yoga Levels I and II certification with Sarah and Ty Powers
Advanced teacher training certification with Jo Phee: AcuYin Acupressure, Hip Anatomy module, Yin Yoga/Chinese Medicine module.
Restorative Yoga certification with Judith Hanson Lasater, Assisted Judith Hanson Lasater ’s Level I Restorative Teacher Training
Completed Dr. Kristin Neff's 30-hour Mindful Self-Compassion Intensive
Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science’s Meditation Teacher Training with Tibetan Buddhist teachers Scott Tusa and Megan Mook
Foundations-Level Teacher Training in MBSR (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction) Brown University.
Certified in teaching yoga to the following populations: pre/post -natal pregnancy, Children, and yoga for cancer/cancer survivors
Over seventy days in silent meditation retreats in the Vipassana tradition. Studied with : Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, Sylvia Boorstein, Chris Cullun, Kamala Masters, and Steve Armstrong.
“may i meet this moment fully. may i meet it as a friend.” - sylvia boorstien
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