hello + welcome!

i am a social worker turned yogi

my mission is to share yoga and mindfulness as tools to inspire connection, empowerment and (re) evolution

my vision is a world in which we all have the space to feel held + free at the same time

what is ‘trauma informed ’ yoga?

Trauma informed yoga is human centered yoga, meaning that we center the human experience and all of it’s complexities, in our yoga offerings. If you are holding space for bodies, it is likely that you are holding space for trauma. At least 50% of women, and 60% of men will experience some form of trauma in their lives. 8 million Americans are diagnosed with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) in any given year.* Neuroscience confirms that the residue of trauma and toxic stress impacts our bodies on a cellular level, effecting both mental and physical health outcomes, across our lifetime. **

Trauma informed yoga then, is a systematic framework of care that intersects modern science, traditional eastern yogic philosophy, social justice/ equity and mental wellness in an effort to mitigate those effects. It is essentially a lens that allows us to see and honor the full humanity of our students, and ourselves. As Michelle Cassandra Johnson says, ‘what is happening outside the yoga studio, is happening inside the yoga studio’. It is our ethical responsibility as trauma informed yoga teachers to bear witness to, and hold space, for this reality.

We hold a compassionate awareness of how trauma (any experience where there is an actual or perceived, felt sense of threat, terror or loss of control) impacts physiological, emotional, mental, relational + spiritual well being. Class offerings are rooted in this awareness. Practices are shared in a non-judgmental + student-led space. Elements of class include opportunities to notice sensation in the present moment, to make choices based on that noticing and to create rhythm + embodiment through movement. We honor student and teacher as equals. We invite students to get curious about their bodies and breath, to sit with the possibility of re-discovering their innate strength, beauty + capacity for healing.

It is really more than just being simply “informed”, but about actively participating in a continual process. Nityda Gessel, founder of the Trauma Conscious Yoga Method describes trauma conscious yoga as “a living and breathing organism”, which speaks to the fact that identifying as trauma informed goes far beyond checking a box.

If you are interested in learning more, in addition to my own training I highly recommend the following programs:

• Transcending Sexual Trauma Through Yoga with Zabie Yamasaki

• Trauma Conscious Yoga Method Certification with Nitdya Gessel

• Trauma Informed Yoga + Somatics with Hala Khouri

• Cultivate/ Trauma Informed Space Holding with Katie Kurtz

* https://www.ptsd.va.gov/ ** https://www.ted.com/talks/nadine_burke_harris_how_childhood_trauma_affects_health_across_a_lifetime?language=en

i am forever grateful for the practice of yoga

Existing on my mat invites space for me to simply be; to step away from anxiety, shame and perfectionism and to return to my truest, most authentic Self. This practice is messy and hard and beautiful, and it changed my life.

Outside of my personal healing journey, yoga also changed the trajectory of my career. I was a school based community mental health therapist for over 15 years in Cleveland, Ohio. I witnessed daily the effects of trauma, loss + oppression on mental wellness, development, learning + connection. The one thing that was missing in my clinical practice for years was the mind-body connection. Right around the time that I invested in my first yoga teacher training, I attended a program with Bessel van der Kolk, on trauma and the body. I started to incorporate movement and breathing exercises into therapy sessions, and some of my clients and I created a yoga club at school. Something special was happening + it was like million lightbulbs going off at once. I knew from then on, I absolutely had to share these ancient practices with as many people as I could, and that holding space for empowerment + brilliance was my calling.

Currently, the spaces that I occupy in the yoga world include trauma conscious/ trauma informed movement + embodied healing, education, advocacy and the pursuit of dismantling white body supremacy in the wellness community and beyond. My intention is to show up every day, for myself, so that I can hold space for you to do the same. Despite my formal training and lived experience, I will always honor you as the keeper of your experience + the writer of your story.

For the last ten years I have integrated yoga and mindfulness into clinical spaces, special education classrooms, alcohol and drug treatment centers, yoga studios + holistic health organizations. I currently serve as the Executive Director of Zenworks Yoga, a local non- profit + teach weekly yoga and mindfulness classes at The Gerson School @ Applewood Centers. You can find me at Harvest Yoga + Wellness Studio where I hold a monthly yoga class for trauma survivors. Right now, my biggest passion is facilitating trauma informed yoga teacher trainings, which I have done at various locations throughout NEO over the last 4 years.

My formal education and lived experience shape all of my work, and the lens through which I serve. Learn more about my background and continuing education here:

• 500 hour Certified Yoga Teacher

• Trauma Conscious Yoga Method Certified

• Child Light Yoga children’s yoga instructor

• Wellness related trainings + certifications: trauma informed yoga, yoga psychology, social justice/ anti-racism/oppression, accessible yoga, mindfulness meditation, sensory enhanced yoga for PTSD and trauma

• Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (Ohio University)

• Masters in Social Science Administration specializing in child mental health (Case Western Reserve University)

• Licensed Independent Social Worker, Supervisor in the state of Ohio

• Continuing ed. and clinical training in: trauma, grief + bereavement, LGBTQ support, depression, anxiety, PTSD and mindfulness meditation

• Influential teachers, leaders + mentors who have impacted, or continue to impact, both my education and personal development as a space holder, leader, embodied movement facilitator, mother and human: Dr. Bruce Perry, Hala Khouri, Ashley Turner, Zabie Yamasaki, David Emerson/ Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga, Resmaa Menakem, Justin Michael Williams, Tracee Stanely, Michelle Casandra Johnson, Dan Seigel, Tracey Rhinehart, Brene Brown, Bessel van der Kolk, Nadine Burke Harris, Nityda Gessel and Dr. Becky Kennedy

When I am not teaching, you can find me smooching on my 6 year old sweetie (my13 year old if he’ll let me) obsessing over yoga playlists, warming my coffee for the 100th time + chasing moments of magic on the daily.

connect with me on social for nuggets of education, inspiration + the magical moments of everyday life