My yoga journey began during my first year of college back in 2015. During that time of extreme transition, my regular weekly practice became something that grounded me and gave me a sense of routine and purpose. My lovely aunt would drive 30 minutes each way to pick me up from campus and drive me to the yoga studio for our Sunday morning practice, and every week I found myself looking forward to getting back into the hot room.

As I worked toward recovery from an eating disorder, my yoga practice became even more essential and healing. On my yoga mat, I reconnected with my body and marveled at what it was capable of, rather than fighting against it. I grew stronger and more flexible and developed healthier goals that focused on what my body could do instead of what it looked like. Having seen all the benefits that yoga already brought me, I decided to obtain my 200-hour teacher training certification to deepen my practice and move beyond the asana into the deeper philosophy of yoga.

While I tried to maintain a home practice during the pandemic, I found that I missed the collective energy of being surrounded by a room full of dedicated yogis. (I do have to give major credit to my roommates at the time, who would help to move our living room furniture to practice with me some days for additional motivation. What they lacked in balance they made up for in enthusiasm and heart.) When studios opened up again, I knew I needed to find a place in Madison where I could rededicate myself to my hot yoga practice, and where I wouldn’t have to worry about my dog trying to lie down beneath me on my mat every time I entered down dog. When my friend Alyssa took me to Inner Fire Yoga for the first time, I knew that I had found my new yoga home.

In addition to yoga, I am also an avid runner. Practicing yoga at Inner Fire has also been extremely beneficial in supporting my marathon training by helping me maintain balanced strength and flexibility as my mileage increases. Practicing as part of a community of yogis helps to motivate me to get on the mat and maintain my physical and mental health.

When I’m not at the studio, I can be found meandering around Madison with my dog, drinking copious amounts of coffee, making vegan baked goods, and enjoying long runs by the lakes.