While I was completing my master’s program and working full-time at UGA in campus recreation, I was feeling pretty burnt out and I wanted to try something new. I was entertaining the idea of joining a yoga studio when Yonder opened their Athens location. I had enjoyed yoga in the past but hadn’t consistently practiced in years. I signed up for a membership and had never taken a hot yoga class before — turned out to be the best risk I ever took! While I was humbled very quickly in my first class, I still remember the joy, calmness, and energy I felt after it was over. I quickly learned that yoga is a practice that doesn’t have a start or finish line, instead, it offers you an opportunity to continuously learn, grow, try something new, lose your balance, and then get up and try again.
Yoga has become more than a workout — it’s a safe space for me that fosters community, growth, and physical and mental well-being. Outside of yoga, I enjoy spending time with my chocolate lab Mace, reading a book, being outdoors, or watching a true crime documentary. As a yoga teacher, I want to cultivate a space for students to find their balance, nurture the mind-body connection that yoga provides, and (last but not least) have fun!! In class there will be good music, mutual support for each other, and lots of movement — I hope to see you there!
