It has taken me many years to build a healthy relationship with my own body—a journey that continues to shape how I teach today….

Growing up, I never felt like I really fit in. I was skinny, self-conscious, and dreaded PE at school. It was clear early on that the conventional model of physical activity wasn’t for me.

But outside of school, I loved to move. I spent hours playing in the woods, inventing games, and climbing hills—my parents even nicknamed me the “mountain goat!”

In my early 20s, I discovered Yoga. Living in a rural village in Greece at the time, I picked up a “Power Yoga” DVD that came with a magazine. It felt perfect—I could practice yoga while learning the language. Some of the first Greek words I learned were inhale, exhale, and names of body parts! For five years, I followed that same DVD religiously before finally working up the courage to attend a class.

Meanwhile, my early self-consciousness had evolved into body dysmorphia. My yoga practice, while initially positive, had become an unhealthy maintenance cycle, fueled partly by the pressures of rising social media yoga culture.

Hoping to deepen my practice, I completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training. But instead of finding clarity, I found myself questioning everything.

I rekindled my love of the outdoors and took up long-distance walking. But my body was ill-prepared, despite the many years of yoga. I had painful bunions, plantar fasciitis, sore knees, and constant low back pain. I felt broken.

Disillusioned, I started to ask questions and looked outside the yoga world for answers. That’s when I discovered the work of Katy Bowman and Nutritious Movement.

I learned about biomechanics, anatomy, and natural alignment. Suddenly, everything started to make sense. I integrated corrective exercises into my practice and changed up my daily habits, gradually rebuilding my body from the ground up.

Through my study and practice, I developed a deeper awareness and understanding of my body, I stopped railing against it and learned to truly listen. Finally, I found my yoga.

Befriending my body has taken many years and countless evolutions. I’ve found healing in celebrating my real-life capabilities, and I feel most at peace on the trail or halfway up a hill. There’s a deep freedom in knowing that my body will support me.

My experience inspired me to return to teaching, and my aim now is to help others feel strong, resilient, and confident in their own bodies.

To find out how I can help you click here

To see my education and training click here