My teaching career began in 1992 when I was a college student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo  taking fitness classes at a women’s club. The owner, whom I highly admired for her beautiful energy and physique, unexpectedly asked me to lead a warmup for her step class. At the time, I was terribly self conscious and struggling with an eating disorder, and the idea of being in the spotlight terrified me. Surprisingly during the warm up I didn’t think about anything other than moving, and after I did it, I felt happier than I had in a long time. Afterwards, the owner told me I had a gift for teaching, and encouraged me to get certified as a personal trainer and fitness instructor. She said as soon as I got certified she would hire me. So, I headed her advice and I did. As my focus shifted from myself, to teaching exercise to help others, I began to heal.

In 1996, I attended The School of Healing Arts, where I learned holistic practices of breathwork, massage, and yoga. Initially I was only going to do the 150 hour Massage Therapist program, but I enjoyed it so much, I stayed a few more years and completed the 1,000 hour Holistic Health Practitioner program.

While I was working on my Holistic Health Practitioner hours, I was personally training clients and teaching a variety of fitness classes. When I personally trained my clients, they would often share their most intimate secrets and problems. I wanted to help on a deeper level than I felt I was able too, so I went back to school where I earned a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy, completed 3,000 internship hours, and became a Licensed Marriage Family Therapist. 

In 2,000, one of my personal training clients, introduced me to my now husband, and love of my life, Brad. Brad has been my most encouraging supporter, holding my hand through all of my endeavors, especially the most challenging ones. 

In 2003, we had our first son, Ty who joined me in his stroller for a workout class I designed called “Fit Mommas”. In class, moms would do intervals of kicks and upper body work while pushing their babies in strollers. It was a great way to get fit while meeting other moms. I wanted moms everywhere to experience it, so I created a Stroller Workout DVD. It was a fun and exciting time as it caught the media’s attention, and Fit Mommas was often featured on television. 

In 2005 while pregnant with our second son, Kaden, I shifted my focus from teaching to continue to create a line of pre and postnatal fitness DVDs. The prenatal DVDs demonstrated me doing safe yoga postures for each trimester of pregnancy; and the postnatal DVD showed exercises I did to get in shape after baby. I started to go down the rabbit hole as my ego took over and I pursued becoming a fitness media personality. After writing numerous articles for magazines in print and online, along with multiple television and radio appearances, I thought I would be happy, yet I felt unfulfilled, exhausted, frustrated and disconnected from my true passion of teaching.

 I got back on track when I changed my focus from myself to how I could serve others. In 2006, Brad and I built a beautiful studio next to our home, where I lead numerous yoga and fitness classes, workshops, and retreats. I love the peaceful, inviting energy of our studio, and the kind, loving, talented students it attracts. I am planning to teach as long as I’m physically able to move in my body, because the more I help others, the happier and more fulfilled I feel within.