After I took my first yoga class –I had no clue as to what I was doing, but I felt wonderful afterwards. Then one Saturday morning, I took Gia’s class and my yoga journey truly began. I have studied under Lorri Curtis, whose practice is Iyengar based, for three years and I am in the process of getting my yoga teacher certification. I love learning all styles of yoga through workshops and attending classes wherever my travels take me.
My style is vinyasa flow with mindful awareness and then there is balance: physical and mental. Without balance our bodies, minds and spirits go haywire.
My yoga practice began when I was pregnant with my first child and has continued since that time. I studied yoga on and off the mat with Hilda Propst since moving to Hickory. I have continued to study with area and nationally certified teachers of Iyengar and Anusara yoga, including its founder, John Friend. I have been teaching since 1999.
My classes include a meditation, gentle stretching and strengthening and balancing asanas. I try to combine moving the body and moving the breath to enhance the flow of energy.
Yoga has been a gift beyond my imagining, providing a path for living and being. I am grateful to my many guides along this path.
I was introduced to yoga in 1999. Marjorie Blubaugh taught a class where my husband worked. I was amazed at the way yoga stretched muscles I didn’t even know I had. I took yoga classes off and on for several years, but it was not until I had a foot injury in 2003 that I got serious about yoga. I needed a way to stay fit that did not involve jumping up and down or on and off a step. What I did not expect was that I would also find in yoga a way to stay emotionally and spiritually balanced. When I was pregnant with my second child, yoga changed my life. Even when I was in my third trimester, I could step onto that mat and feel graceful and free. I also drew incredible strength and nourishment from the community of women I practiced yoga with (thank you Gia and the Monday night group!) Now that I have two small children, my home yoga practice has by necessity become more playful – me being in child’s pose is often an invitation for little people to play leap frog! Although I taught first grade for several years and now work as a pediatric speech-language therapist, this will be the first time I have combined my love of yoga, children, and teaching.
I started taking Pilates classes several years ago in an attempt to get into "better shape." But I didn't expect the psychological benefits I would receive. I love the way I feel after a Pilates class, relaxed and energized at the same time!
I became certified in Pilates Mat level I and Mat level II and it has now become a way of life for me. I have a heightened body awareness resulting in improved posture and balance as well as a better understanding of the benefits of deep coordinated breathing.
Like Yoga, Pilates helps provide a path to inner harmony through a finley tuned body. Pilates is for every-BODY. It is adaptable and diverse. It is for the person who not only wants to look better, but feel better as well!
I have always danced and studied ballet since my teen years, but NIA took me by delighted surprise. I first learned of NIA several years ago while visiting a healing spa in Tecate, Mexico and I connected with it instantly. It was exactly what I wanted in a dance class if I had hand selected it myself. The classes allowed for free expression that I missed in ballet and other workout classes. After each class my body felt toned and yet relaxed and joyful all simultaneously. I loved that I could dance with shoes off and the movement was so free and lovely. This art form also helped me to connect to parts of myself on an emotional and cellular level that were pleasantly surprising. I could never find a class nearby so I decided that I loved NIA soooo very much that I needed to become certified and teach. I recieved my certification in NIA movement forms and sensations and it has been an enormous explosion of joy ever since. It is hard to be sad doing NIA and I can't wait to share the joy of movement with you!