As a teenager with tremendous body-image insecurities, I turned to yoga at the age of 16 in Japan, initially hoping to lose weight by doing the postures. But soon I started to clue in that yoga is so much more than a mere tool for physical fitness and looking good, so I kept a short daily practice of hatha yoga on my own while I moved to Canada and then to the US. During my 20s I moved to England and there I finally started to learn yoga more seriously. I delved into the study of ashtanga (vinyasa) yoga and continued to explore many different types of yoga in different places, including transformational yoga, which I became certified as a teacher in India. I moved back to Canada in 2009 and have been teaching yoga ever since. In 2014 I received my second yoga teacher’s certification, this time in vinyasa yoga.
I have always been “good at relaxing” or "good at doing nothing", which I used to think was a completely banal thing. Now I realize that many people have forgotten how to take time for themselves - and that’s where I come in. Sure we could sweat and become stronger and fitter with yoga postures and movements. But more importantly, I believe that in each session we are given the opportunity to fully enjoy our breath, relax a little, be kind to our own selves, and rekindle our joie de vivre! For me, yoga is a very effective instrument to nourish and transform the body, the mind, and the spirit, while respecting each other and sharing laughter with fellow practitioners.
In order to improve my understanding of the human body, I started studying Thai yoga massage and Thai reflexology in 2015. Once I felt comfortable with these modalities, I expanded my horizon by taking courses on myo-fascial release and cranio-sacral therapy so that I could incorporate different techniques to my therapeutic massage sessions. My basic philosophy upon providing the massage treatment to each client is the same as yoga; I ask you what you need, I see how your body moves (or resists moving), and get to work so I can help your body (and sometimes mind) to the best of my ability. No forcing. Just negotiating with the body so that your body can go back to its harmonious state of (hopefully) experiencing the joie de vivre!
I have always been “good at relaxing” or "good at doing nothing", which I used to think was a completely banal thing. Now I realize that many people have forgotten how to take time for themselves - and that’s where I come in. Sure we could sweat and become stronger and fitter with yoga postures and movements. But more importantly, I believe that in each session we are given the opportunity to fully enjoy our breath, relax a little, be kind to our own selves, and rekindle our joie de vivre! For me, yoga is a very effective instrument to nourish and transform the body, the mind, and the spirit, while respecting each other and sharing laughter with fellow practitioners.
In order to improve my understanding of the human body, I started studying Thai yoga massage and Thai reflexology in 2015. Once I felt comfortable with these modalities, I expanded my horizon by taking courses on myo-fascial release and cranio-sacral therapy so that I could incorporate different techniques to my therapeutic massage sessions. My basic philosophy upon providing the massage treatment to each client is the same as yoga; I ask you what you need, I see how your body moves (or resists moving), and get to work so I can help your body (and sometimes mind) to the best of my ability. No forcing. Just negotiating with the body so that your body can go back to its harmonious state of (hopefully) experiencing the joie de vivre!
In each of my yoga sessions (but not massage sessions, unless requested) I incorporate at least a few minutes of sound-relaxation - yes I sing to you while you lie down. I use my voice and the vibrations of certain words to relax, heal, and rejuvenate all of us. Are you curious how everything gets combined? Then come practice with me; let's experience some good vibes!
"I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good-looking. And I plan on finding out what that is." - Derek Zoolander from the movie Zoolander
"I'm pretty sure there's a lot more to life than being really, really, ridiculously good-looking. And I plan on finding out what that is." - Derek Zoolander from the movie Zoolander
