.: how i came to this work :.
I began practicing yoga during college at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. At the time, I was in the BFA Acting program, where my professors sometimes described my work as “ungrounded.” They suggested yoga might literally help me keep my heels on the ground—and they were right.
As I began attending yoga classes alongside Alexander Technique (AT), my life began to slowly and steadily change for the better. AT gave me a compassionate lens to observe my movement patterns and begin shifting them with greater ease. Yoga, too, quickly became more than just physical—it introduced me to the transformative power of breath, presence, and spirituality. As I learned to inhabit my body in new ways, I realized my relationships with others and with the world around me was deepening. I found more connection, more compassion, more curiosity.
After graduating, I moved to New York to pursue acting. To my surprise, what called to me most wasn’t the stage—it was the desire to dive deeper into yoga, bodywork, and energy work. In 2017, I completed my 200-hour yoga teacher training and fully committed to this path.
Seeking to better understand the vast world of yoga, I studied trauma-sensitive yoga with Jenn Turner and David Emerson at the Center for Trauma and Embodiment (Justice Resource Institute). Around this time, embracing my queerness and connecting with other queer folks became central to my life. I began wondering: how could yoga be a space for queer community to gather, grow, and heal together? Fast forward to today— I’m a co-founder of a virtual and in-person yoga collective called be queer now.
My journey into spirituality and embodiment soon led me to Reiki. From my very first session, I was amazed at the profound shifts that could come through such a gentle practice. Reiki helped me tune in to the stories held in different parts of my body, and I experienced both subtle and significant changes. After several years of receiving sessions, I trained in Reiki I and II with my longtime practitioner, Marisa Sullivan.
Though this path may seem like a departure from my degrees in Acting and Peace Studies & Conflict Resolution, my background in theatre deeply informs my work today. I draw on creativity and imagination to support clients during challenging moments, as well as Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed—specifically the use of image and sound to express the body’s stories.
Today, my heart is most alive when I’m practicing and teaching yoga within queer community and supporting people through pelvic health challenges. I’m passionate about using yoga as a tool to manage experiences like endometriosis, abortion, and miscarriage. As a queer person living with endo, these practices have been life-changing. I continue to study and teach through a decolonized lens and with deep respect for the South Asian and Japanese lineages of this work.
.: education + experience :.
Plants and Practices for Miscarriage and Abortion with Holistic Abortions, 2024
Holding Space for Pregnancy Loss Training with Joanne Zerdy, 2024
Queer & Trans Reproductive Support Course with Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings, 2023
Pelvic Floor Yoga Teacher Training with Leslie Howard, 2023
Reiki Certified level 1 and level 2 with Marisa Sullivan, 2017-2019
Pedagogy and Theatre of the Oppressed board member, 2017-2022
Abortion Doula Training with Birthing Advocacy Doula Trainings, 2022
Trauma Sensitive Yoga Program at the Center for Trauma and Embodiment, at the Justice Resource Institute, 2017
200 hour Yoga Teacher Training through Daya Yoga Studio, 2017
BFA in Acting and Certificate in Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution through the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, 2014
I’m committed to creating an inclusive, affirming space—both online and in person—that honors diverse bodies, identities, and access needs. I strive to make my offerings as accessible as possible, and I welcome feedback to help improve access.
I am on unceded Lenape land, colonized as Brooklyn, NY. Join me in breaking the ongoing violence of colonization here.
Photo by Kade Alpers