Yoga Journey

Yoga is a big part of my daily life and my life’s journey. 

I found the practice in 2014 as I was preparing for a sabbatical from work. At the time, I was burning the candle on both ends - running a nonprofit and raising two young children with little to no attention to my own wellbeing.  When I came to a near breaking point, a little voice inside my head told me to try yoga.  While I felt like I had no time to spare, I knew that something had to change.  So I began taking vinyasa classes at a nearby studio, and really enjoyed the challenge of learning the poses while building my strength and flexibility.  As a new student, I practiced daily with curiosity, watching advanced practitioners with awe and wonder, while listening to the deep, oceanic breathing of other students. 

Six months into my practice, I attended a Raja yoga retreat, where I began to connect the dots of deep breathing, meditation, journaling, and using the physical practice as a gateway to discover something greater within myself. This awakening took many years to embody, and I am still on the path. 

In 2016, I completed a 200-hour teacher training course with Corepower in San Diego. At the time, I had absolutely no intention of teaching, and only wanted to deepen my own practice.  I learned the basics of sequencing, the mechanics of poses, and the importance of breath cues. As someone who spoke for a living, I found it extremely difficult to verbally explain how to break down the various poses, let alone identify the correct breath with each movement.  

The teacher training also scratched the surface of explaining the 8 limbs of yoga. I remember distinctly thinking to myself how connected I felt to the spiritual aspect of the practice, and desired a deeper dive into the yamas and niyamas. 

While my training focused on the power vinyasa method adapted from Baron Baptiste, I’m so grateful that my journey has also exposed me to Ashtanga and Dharma Yoga.  This has broadened my imagination and perspective while shaping my own unique style of practice and teaching. 

I hear from many people that the pandemic was devastating for many yoga practitioners who rely on being in community for their own physical practice.  I too was devastated, but it gave me an opportunity to contemplate on what I wanted and needed out of my own practice. 

Through that reflection, I discovered the true goal of yoga - self-realization and liberation from suffering.  This especially meant so much to me during a time when society was undergoing an unprecedented racial reckoning.  Even as an immigrant and person of color, I too had to unpack and unlearn history that perpetuates systemic racism, and how I have been part of that system of causing harm to others and to myself.  I have always known how deeply connected we all are, but through my yoga practice I began to feel this truth in my bones.  

As we peel back all the layers of our intersections and identities (e.g. gender, race, religion, education, work, immigration status, etc.) we are all just love, light, and consciousness. To that end, I know that my words, thoughts, and actions impact not only my immediate circle, but also all living things. We have a great responsibility to each other.  

Without a warm studio to run to in 2020, I devoted myself to maintaining my physical yoga practice at home.  This became a tremendous blessing allowing me to practice with remarkable teachers in San Diego and around the country that I would never be able to practice with in-person.  They include my dearest and most devoted friend Kyung Pak, the wise and gentle Holly Gastil, the super human Amy Harrington, and the venerable Kino McGregor.  My body and mind changed in new ways in 2020, and by 2021, my spirit revealed that I was ready to teach. 

In short, I practice to teach, and I teach my practice.  My students are my teachers, and I have a lifetime of learning yet to come.  I try to live by the mantra:  I am letting go, I am going with the flow, I welcome the perfect unfolding. 

Let’s practice together!