Yoga is for everyone … and so is ART

“My knowledge of the human body comes from many years of studying & drawing the human form in stillness and in motion. My awareness was cultivated from a trained eye to observe what’s in front of me -on the outside. Whereas, my yoga teaching comes from the inside and guides practitioners towards gaining first hand knowledge of their body awareness with subtle support, so they can make connections to their body, breath, mind and emotions about their inner experiences of being present in the space between the outer world and their inner landscape, always making connections along the way of exploring . When we align both outer and inner perspectives to expand our awareness of existence, we can live in our profound experience of presence in the human experience not trying to force things into the future or hold onto moments of the past . We are right here in the now. “

SO HUM…

energetic.creative.playful.colorful.connected and personal

I am a professional artist, potter, certified yoga teacher, and lover of life! I have been exploring my connection to something greater than myself my entire life through art.  My gratitude runs deep for the ability to see and express things differently. Colors, textures, rhythms, lines, shapes, and patterns in all things inspire me for heARTful living. I always had a unique appreciation for the little things in life and how something would trigger a creative idea or connection to seeing something greater through the process of unfolding. For example, I’ve always cherished the way dust particles dance in morning sunlight through a sheer curtain or how drops of water flow down the car in a car wash. I’ve had this ongoing fascination with the transformative qualities with in us that are forever changing. It’s like the process of making art, the first mark and the last forever change the masterpiece while the viewers experience adds to the complexity of the piece. Making art and practicing yoga makes me feel alive—no matter what the medium.

A year after a near death experience during childbirth, I started practicing yoga for health reasons and immediately made a connection after my first class that yoga on the mat is transformative. Little did I know that yoga goes with you everywhere both as the action of practice and the outcome of the Sadhana . It was through my yoga practice that I realized yoga is my art and art is my yoga. These connections are profound, deeply connected and needed to be shared. Hence, I broke down my practices into nuggets that I teach through the Heartful Yoga Art Making experience for all to feel . In addition, I added in my 34 years of professional textile designer and fashion business experience to the mix to manufacture the collaborative prints into wearable art products so everyone can “wear art from the heart” . Every print truly tells a story …. of all those people involved in the creative process of yoga & art making. Since I was designing for major brands, retailers and designers at Design Works Intl /First2print , I figured I should integrate my creative talents and knowledge into my business, Heartful Yoga.

My  personal yoga practice was in existence for long before I decided to be trained as a yoga teacher. For me, yoga was a very personal practice space for my healing. Teacher training, at the onset, was to just deepen my practice. At first, I had to work through my vulnerabilities of sharing my yoga practice, and then learned to express myself creatively through my teachings as I would through my art, not trying to be a copy of another teacher but rather pull from my own practice and my knowing . The teachers I have worked with early in my practice set the stage for my journey to continue learning though living. I am very grateful for studying with Charles Matkin, Lisa Bennett, Amy Pearce-Hayden, Julian Paik and Gabriel Halpern. 

My 200hr & 500hr YA certifications are with Amy Pearce-Hayden in Raja Hatha Yoga School and Aubree Saia with Breath of Life, Brian Legere for The Great Yoga Wall, Iyengar Style. I also carry a certificate for teaching Trauma with the Cross Over Yoga Project by  Elisha Simpson. I continue to fuel my practice with numerous workshops in and around NYC, The Hudson Valley, The Omega Institute, The Garrison Institute, and other workshops in the USA. I am always grateful to be a student of life and learn from all people not to mention from my family, students and other teachers of art & yoga. It is and we are all students and teachers of life if we open wide our eyes and hearts.

My teaching style places an emphasis on personal body aliment with self-expression to awaken ones own intuition and creativity. I am privileged to work with many private clients, all unique, to maintain wellness, promote balance, and help improve their quality of daily heartful living. My classes are playful, creatively challenging and provide the opportunity to dig down deep inside, to breathe in and shine out!